The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-12
THE RIGHT KIND
OF IMMIGRATION
A Bohemian Settlement That
Has Proven a Blessing
to a State.
IDLE LAND MADE PRODUCTIVE
An Experience Out West That
.Virginians May Well
Take Note Of.
BY w, j. LAUCK.

The Northern European Immigrant
farmer in the United States has a his
tory almost as long as the country
itself. Germans. Norwesians, Swedes
! and representatives OF other races OF
Northern Europe have become prosper
GUS farmers in the West, Northwest,
and Southwest. their children have be-
come thoroughly Americanized. an,
are found engaged at the present time
in agricultural. business and profess
sional pursuits. AS u rule they have
become so thoroughly Americanized
that 1t is difficult to distinguish them
! from the native American population
A further study of this immigration
subject should be of deep interest TO
Virginia forms and Virginia people
engaged in industrial pursuits.
Southern and Eastern European.
In the case OF the southern and east
ern European immi grant of recent ar
rival in the United States. the situa-
ton has been different. Although the
great majority of this class OF !mmi-
grants come from the peasant classes
, ana were farmers or farm laSorers in
their native countries. at least nine
tenths OF them upon their arrival In
the United States have become wage
earners In mines and manufacturing
establishments. and have formed con-
gested alien colonies in the urban and
inductHai centres of the East and
West This condition OF affairs has
been chiefly due to the fact that unlike
the Northern European immigrants OF
FORMER Years, the Southern and East
ern Europeans. have mad no permanent
interest and do not intend to become
permanent settlers In the United States
lheir main purpose has been origin
any 10 earn as much as possible at
the existing rates of wages, to live on
basis Of minimum cheapness. and
after accommodating competence, to
return to their home countries. After
residing in the United States for
number OF years however. their orig
inal purpose often changes, and they
use their savings to buy a farm or a
nome here. In many cases. also. they
are compelled TO remain here through
torce of economic necessity, and
through the aid of some philharmonic
society. as in the case of the Hebrews.
or by solicitation of danr development
or real estate companies. they become
members of agricultural communities
or Independent farmers.
These communities OF recent limit
grants have been established on the
abandoned farm lands OF New England
and the Middle States on the undey-
clopcd land or the Southern States az
well as on the Louisiana sugar plan
tations and in the rice and cotton sec
tions of Texas. There are several
hourishins settlements of Slovaks and
Italians in Arkansas In Missouri
there are twQ agricultural commun-
tiles in which Bohemians and Poles
are predominant. AS the existing ten.
dency is for the Southern and Eastern
Europeans to go into agriculture, and
as they Will undoubtedly furnish the
chief source OF supply for the farm
labor of the future, It witt be inter-
estlng to atcertain with what success
their entrance into agricultural pur-
suits has thus far been attended
Boheminn Settlement Mt KndIin, Mis-
hOuri.
The Bohemian settlement at Karlin.
Missouri. located in the central part