Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-02-05

In the fall Of the year of 1911, the
officials Of the Great Northern Rail.
Nay conceived the idea of getting to-
gesher the governors of the states
Through which the Railway passes
and bringing them 10 some particular
cities Of the east to afford an Oppor-
tunit, to discuss with each other the
Affairs of their common section of
the country. The citizens of Balti-
more we're asked to entertain the gov
efnors, accepted the invitation and
made suitable preparations. IL then
occurrcd To the Citizens Committee
OF Baltimore that IL would be q grace
sul act tn invite the governors of the
southern states To come to Baltimore
and act a. hosts to the governors of
the North West. All this was done in
December, 1911: a banquet and general
conference was held in Baltimore at
which the visiting governors from the
North West talked at great length
upon the advantages and resources of
the North Western country and how
that country has been settled, and in
particular, spoke of the enterprise and
support which had animated the North
West in the settlement of this Virgin
land. The thought apparently occurr-
ed to the governors of the South that
there was, to a great extent, a lack of
this same enterprise and constructive
support in the Southern states. and as
result. steps were taken looking to q
general conference. which was held on
February 20, 1912. at which were pres
ent the governors of the Southern
states or their personal representa-
tives. representative officials of the
Great Railway systems of the South,
Steamship lines. Boards of Trades OF
the various cities and numerous other
organizations. After some days OF
conference. approximately l25 prenent
were selected as charter list, and a
charter was obtained by special act OF
the Maryland Legislature. dated April
Ii. 1912, Incorporating the Southern
Settlement and Development Organi-
cation. II is a corporation having as
its corporate officers president, vice.
president ard general manager. Sec
rotary. treasurer. Board of Directors:
the home office in Baltimore and pro-
visions are made for branch Offices.
The objects and purposes of the Or
ganization may he resolved into the
statement that the prime object of the
Organization il to develop the agri-
culture and industrial resources of the
South. This work j. divided into four
parts: each presided over hy a direc-
tor. and known aS department.
These departments are: Publicity,
'1ianization, Agriculture. Industrial
and Real Estate.
The object OF the Department OF
Publicity i To place before the world
in readibIr form The exact truth. moth
ing more, nothing less. of the resour-
ces and advantages offered by the
southern states including within the
charter of the corporation.
The Agriculture Department has as
It's prime purpose the co-ordinating
and stimulating of agriculture pursuits
within the territory referred to.
The Commerce. Industrial and Real
Estate Department has to do with the
establishment of such industries as
may be deemed necessary in the vari-
Gus localities o. the southern states to
take care OF their products, raw ma
terial, etc.
With the above. | am not directly
concerned. My work lies entirely
with the Colonization Department, OF
which | am Director, Now, it may
be of interest to know that within the
southern territory referred 10, as near
~ as it is possible, TO approximate ii
there are about one hundred and sixty
To cne hundred and eighty million
acres of vacant, unused agriculture
land fitted in some particular or other
To some especial phase of agriculture
pursuits. II is with the settlement of
of this land that / am particularly
concerned. IL Is a remarkable fact
that our common country should have
developed as it has, and yet at this
advanced date. we should find this
condition existing. There are numer-
Gus reasons to account for this, but !
have not time to go into that question.
might, in a general way, sketch fer
you the onward march of development,
particularly from the agricultural side,
in the United States.
When the Revolutionary War was
concluded by the treaty Of Client, there
were the thirteen origional colonies
which contained the original states
scattered along the Atlantic Seaboard
from Georgia in the South to New
Hampshire in the North. All that
territory which today comprises Indi-
ana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and
part of Wisconsin, was then known as
the North West territory, and its title
was by the treaty above referred to,
acknowledged to be in the New States,
particularly Virginia. II must be
born in mind that the thirteen original
colonies themselves offered advanta-
ges in the way of unoccupied land;
that the states of Kentucky and West
Virginia were then a part of the new
state of Virginia: Tennessee was then
part of North Carolina; Florida had
not then been acquired; Alabama,
Louisiana and Mississippi subsequent.
ly became territories carved out of the
public domain and in 1904 jefferson
completed the Louisiana Purchase, so
that shortly after the conclusion of the
Revolutionary War there was thrown
open to settlement all that vast terri
tory stretching from the Atlantic
Coast to the foot hills of the Rocky