The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-11-12
EXPECT HALF MILLION
new SETTLERS IN THE
NORThWfSTIN DECADE
NORTHWESTERN STATES TO
RECEIVE GREAT INFLUX OF
HOMESEEKERS IF PRESENT
PLANS ARE CARRIED OUT.

From Chicago comes announcement
that immigration already has been
materially renewed with the return
OF the railways to private operation
and the year 1921 promises a greater
fiuX of home-seekers than ever. ac-
cording to Mr.. E. c. Leedy. General
Agricultural Development Director of
the Great Northern Railway. who has
Just completed a survey of farming
conditions in Illinois. Iowa and other
Central States. In the ten years Of
his regime Mr.. Leedy and his corps
Of immigration agents have settled
more than half million homeseekers
in Minnesota. North Dakota and Mon
tana-to be more exact 1885 N
Minnesota, 135,750 in Montana, Ca
1855 in North Dakota, 10000 in Wash
ington and 10000 in Oregon. It
took 26.346 box cars to carry the
household effects of these people from
the middle western states TO their
new homes in the Northwest. A large
bulk Of these emigrant movables pas
~ed through Chicago
The lure which attracted these PEG
lie to the Northwest, Mr.. Lecdy says,
was the lower priced lands on which
j. produced just as many dollars and
cents worth of farm products as are
raised on the $500 and S400 acre lands
II Illinois, Indiana. Ohio. Nebraska
and other middle western states
This is just as true today as it was
ten years ago, he declares. and it J.,
because of this outstanding fact that
Leedy looks for a big movement #
hcmeSeekers into the northwes tern
states next year
The old established agricultural de-
velopment policy of the late James ].
Hill again IS in full swing on the
Great Northern since the Government
let go of the roads In addition to
the immigration work which goes on
ceaselessly, the task of carrying on
educational work with the settlers al
ready on the ground continues "a be-
fore. Putting a homeseeker on the
land is only the first step. He also Is
helped with the expert knowledge Of
the agricultural department until he
i sufficiently acquainted with his
new conditions to insure his farming
success. Mr. Leedy, himself born on
an Indiana farm, has a complete
grasp of farming conditions from St.
Paul to the Pacific Coast, and with
the organization he has at his com
mand, he makes it his duty to see
that no homeSeeker is left to haphaZ-
ard resources. For each new settler
means about S400 in revenue annual
ly to the railroad. Consequently, the
sole aim is to see that he makes a
successful farmer. Locating each
farmer in that part of the country
best adapted to his ability and fnan-
cial resources. are important factors
in this agricultural immigration
" WOrk
The Department also devotes spec
ial attention TO the development work
in the irrigated districts in the state
Of Washington. The Importance Of
this work IS shown in the fact that IN
1902 the first carload of commerci j
apples were shipped ont Of the Wen
atchee Valley. Last year the COM
mercial apple shipments from this
district amounted TO l2,500 carloads.
6 greater production by 10000 boxe,
than the entire state Of New York.
and more apples than were grown in
any state of the Union outside of
Washington. In addition to this there
were shipped several thousand cars
Of soft fruits and by-product,. Forty
million feet of lumber We're required
TO manufacture the boxes for this
fruit crop. The development of the
'ruit industry, as we'll as kindred
products Of the irrigated distric-s.
such as alfalfa. livestock, etc. is in
creasing vastly each year, owing 4,
the rapid development Of the new IT.
igation projects.