WHEN TO COME, WHAT TO BRING—WHO SHOULD COME. RAILROAD FARES FROM DIFFERENT POINTS—HALF FARES FROM ST. PAUL TO OUR COLONIES.
WHEN TO COME, WHAT TO BRING—WHO SHOULD COME. RAILROAD FARES FROM DIFFERENT POINTS—HALF FARES FROM ST. PAUL TO OUR COLONIES.
WHERE TO CALL IN ST. PAUL.
Decidedly the best time for the emigrant to come to Minnesota is the spring. If possible, he should not arrive later than the first week in May. He should have his land selected in time to commence to break for garden stuff and corn about the 20th of May, then he can continue to break, for his next year's wheat crop, up to the early part of July.
The month of June is the month for breaking, for then the grass is young and succulent, and will rot readily. A man coming in the early part of June can have land broken for his next year's crop, but he loses the advantages of garden stuff and sod corn to help him out in his living until his first crop comes in.
WHAT TO BRING.
All your bedding that is of value. All your bedclothes. All wearing apparel, good clothing of every description: nothing more. Do not think of bringing stoves, nor any kind of house furniture. You can get all such at the stores in the colonies, or here in St. Paul, new, for nearly what the freight on your old furniture, worthless and broken, perhaps, by the time it arrived here, would come to. The better way is to sell what you have in this line, before leaving, and buy here.
WHO SHOULD COME.
We intend that our closing remarks shall treat fully and clearly on this very important portion of our subject. They will be found under the head of
A CHAPTER FOR ALL TO READ.
Here we will but say what we have already written.
WE INVITE FARMERS ONLY
to our colonies.
No doubt the country builds up the town, and we look for quitea building up of our young Catholic towns next summer; but, in the way of business, stores and mechanics' shops, the home supply is generally fully up to the demand, and at present we would not feel justified in inviting any one to our Catholic colonies but a man
WHO WANTS A FARM,
And who is able and willing to work one.
RAILROAD FARES FROM DIFFERENT POINTS.
N. B.—The above are the fares from the points mentioned to St. Paul. Doubtless persons coming in a large party from the same place would get special low rates. From St. Paul to any of our colonies, immigrants are carried for half fare; about $3 for an adult. They also get low rates for baggage &c., &c.
WHERE TO GO ON ARRIVING IN ST. PAUL.
Immigrants, on arriving in St. Paul, will immediately report themselves at the Catholic Colonization Office, situated in the basement of the Cathedral school building, corner of Sixth and Wabashaw streets. There they will be received by an agent of the Bureau, who will give them all necessary information and instructions, also half-fare tickets to railroad points in the Catholic colonies, and procure for them half-freight charges on goods and extra baggage. Office hours from 8 o'clocka. m.to 6 o'clockp. m.
All communications should be addressed to
The Catholic Colonization Bureau,St. Paul, Minn.
We wish that this concluding chapter of our pamphlet may be read carefully, and thought well over by intending immigrants.
We wish it for their benefit, and our own benefit and protection. It is, we might say, a fearful responsibility to advise another in a matter which contemplates a change in his habits, mode of life, and home, and such a change should never be undertaken, especially by a man of family, without a most thorough investigation, not alone as to the place he intends going to, but likewise as to his own fitness for the change.
When you have examined this pamphlet from cover to cover, then commence an examination of yourself, not forgetting your wife, if you have one, who is part of you, and a very important part in connection with this question of your going upon land.
This is especially necessary if you and your wife have lived for years in a city and become habituated to city life. It is a great change from city life in the East to country life in the West, especially when the part of the country one moves to is new and settlements just forming.
You are not to expect to realize the advantages of the change right off; it is through yourself, through your own grit and industry, those advantages must come.
To a Western farmer there is nothing bleak or lonely in a prairie; to a man coming fresh from a city and looking on it, for the first time, with city eyes, it may, very likely, seem both. Indeed, a sense of loneliness akin to despondency is a feeling which the newly-arrived immigrant has generally to contend against, a feeling which may increase to a perfect scare if he is a man anxious to consult Tom, Dick and Harry—who are always on hand—as to the wisdom of the step he has just taken.
We speak from experience, from facts we have a personal knowledge of. Our labors in the cause of immigration have brought to us much happiness and some pain.
To illustrate: Two immigrants arrived here last year, in high spirits, called at our office a few minutes after landing, and so impatient were they to go hunt up land that they were quite disappointed to find they would have to stop over one night in St.Paul. Well, the next morning they called at the office again, all courage, all desire to go upon land wilted out of them, and informed us that they had changed their minds and were going back to Massachusetts.
Why? Well, they had met a man at the boarding house they stopped over night at, who advised them not to go out and settle on a prairie. He told them, too, that "he was fifteen years in Minnesota and never could get a dollar ahead."
Now here were men, rational to all appearance, having traveled two thousand miles or so to settle upon land, when they came within sight of the land, as we may say, losing all desire to visit it, all courage, all confidence in disinterested, experienced friends, and in the information they gave to them; in everything but the word of a loafer, who never did a day's good in his life, nor never will, and who was anxious to shuffle off the onus of his slipshod condition from himself to the country.
Here is another case, which occurred a few months after Swift Colony was opened and while the country around looked still wild and lonely.
Two men arrived here from Philadelphia. They went on to the Catholic colony in Swift County, and in a day or two returned, saying that they had made up their minds to go back to Philadelphia. Why? Did they not find everything as it was reported to them? "Oh, yes, the land was good, and there was a good chance for a poor man to make a home on it, if he could content himself, but it was too lonely for them."
Lonely, to be sure it was; with the noise of the city still ringing in their ears, with its crowds and its gaslights still in their eyes, these men found the prairie lonely, and without pausing to consider all the circumstances, they turned their back upon it.
They were both decent, intelligent men, and, had they remained, taken land, gone to work, opened a farm, and seen their first crop ripening, you could no more have got them back to Philadelphia than you could get them into the penitentiary.
Now, we say to those for whose benefit this pamphlet has been written, if you come here you must come fully prepared to feel the effects of a great change. If you come from a city, you will, doubtless, feel lonely for a while, until you get accustomed to prairie life; you will miss many immediate comforts; you will have to put up with discomforts, with disappointments, with trials. The man who feels he can stand up against all such difficulties in the present, and look bravely to the future for his reward, let him come to Minnesota. The man who feels within him no suchstrength, who is easily disheartened and inclined to listen to the idle talk of every man whom he meets, let him stop away and listen; better to listen now, where you are, than after going to the expense of coming here.
To the family man we say: We would much prefer that you should come on here in the spring and see for yourself before breaking up your present home and bringing on your family.
If you settle down, you can send or go for your family; if you are not pleased with the change, there will not be much harm done.
Another very important piece of advice we give to you: If your wife is very much opposed to going upon land, do not come out. A discontented wife on a new farm is far worse than the Colorado beetle. But if she urges you to come, if, in this matter, she thinks of your welfare and that of her children, rather than of the society of the gossips she will leave behind her; if she says to you, "we will have the children out of harm's way anyhow," then come with a brave heart and the smile of the true wife and mother shall be as a sunbeam in your prairie home.
Although we cannot promise government land in any of our colonies, still we give the following synopsis of the laws affecting such land, as likely to be of benefit to those who wish to secure homes in this way.
HOMESTEADS.
1.Who may enter.—First, every head of a family; second, every single person, male or female, over the age of twenty-one years, who are citizens of the United States, or have declared their intentions to become such.
2.Quantity that may be entered.—80 acres within ten miles on each side of a land-grant railroad, and 160 acres without.
3.Cost of entry.—Fourteen dollars.
4.Time for settlement.—After making his entry the settler has six months within which to remove upon his land.
5.Length of settlement.—The settler must live upon and cultivate his entry for five years. At any time after five, and within seven years, he makes proof of residence and cultivation.
6.Proof required.—His own affidavit and the testimony of two witnesses.
7.Residence.—Single, as well as married men, are required to live upon their homesteads.
8.Soldiers' Homesteads.—Every honorable discharged soldier, sailor or marine, who served for ninety days, can enter 160 acres within railroad limits, upon payment of eighteen dollars. The time spent in the service will be deducted from the five years' residence required.
TIMBER CULTURE ENTRY.
1.Who may enter.—The same qualifications are required as in a homestead entry.
2.Quantity that may be entered.—40, 80, or 160 acres.
3.Limitations.—But one-fourth of any section can be entered.
4.Requirements.—No settlement is required. By the amendedlaw only ten acres need be broken and set out in trees on 160 acres, (quarter section.)
First year, break five acres.
Second year, break five acres and cultivate in crop first year's breaking.
Third year, set out trees in first five acres broken and crop second five acres.
Fourth year, set out trees in latest five acres broken.
N. B.—Seed or cuttings can be put in in place of trees.
If the timber entry be but 80 acres, one-half the quantity before given is planted; if 40 acres, one-fourth.
5.Proof required.—Affidavit of party, and testimony of two witnesses.
6.Cost of entry.—Fourteen dollars for any entry, without regard to quantity.
A man making a Homestead entry, is also entitled to make a Timber-culture entry. This would give him, outside of the ten miles railroad grant, half a section of land; a son or daughter, twenty-one years of age, can also enter under the Homestead and Timber-claim acts, half a section; and thus one family can secure a whole section of land.
PRE-EMPTION ACT.
Under this act, a man can enter 80 acres of government land, inside the ten miles railroad limits, price $2.50 per acre; or 160 acres, outside the railroad grant, for which he will have to pay, getting two years time $1.25, government price.
If he wishes, he can pay up in six months, on proof of actual residence, having made the improvements on the land required by the law, which are easily done, and get his title; having secured this, he can then enter 80 or 160 acres more, under the Homestead act. He cannot Pre-empt and Homestead at the same time.
None of the government conditions for securing land are at all burdensome to the actual settler; whether required by law or not, to be a farmer, a man must live upon his land and cultivate it.
THE VERY BEST LINE
TO
ST. PAUL OR MINNEAPOLIS,
IS THE
CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL
RAILWAY.
It is the only Northwestern Line connecting in same Depot in Chicago, with any of the great Eastern or Southern Lines, and is the most conveniently located with reference to reaching any depot, hotel, or place of Business in that city.
P
ASSENGERS approaching Chicago by any Railway, will find Parmalee's Omnibus Checkman on the trains, who will exchange their checks, and give them all requisite information. Parmalee's Omnibusses are on hand at all depots, on arrival of trains, to convey passengers to the depot of this Company. Passenger Agents of this Company are at the several depots, on arrival of connecting trains, for the purpose of directing and assisting passengers.
A thoroughly ballasted Steel Rail Track, Palace Coaches and Sleeping Cars, and finely upholstered Second Class Cars, all perfect in every particular, equipped with the WESTINGHOUSE IMPROVED AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE, with MILLER'S SAFETY PLATFORMS AND COUPLINGS, are distinguishing features of this Popular Route.
Tickets for St. Paul and Minneapolis are good either via Watertown, Sparta, La Crosse, Winona, and the famed Mississippi River Division, or via Madison, Prairie du Chien, McGregor, Austin and Owatonna.
TICKET OFFICES:
228 Washington Street. Boston.63 Clark Street, Chicago.Union Depot, cor. Canal and West MadisonStreets, Chicago.
And at all Principal Ticket Offices in the country.
T. E. CHANDLER, Agent, Chicago.
A. V. H. CARPENTER, Gen'l Passenger and Ticket Agent.
THE MINNESOTA CHIEF
The Crowning Success of a Century's Experience.
The Minnesota Chief
Neither Vibrator nor Apron Machine but combines the good qualities of both.
It Threshes more Grain, Separates more Perfectly, is Lighter Running, Cleans Grain Cleaner, than all others, and has no equal for Timothy or Flax.
It will thresh and separate wet grain as well as dry. It has at the same time both an over and an under blast. In strength, durability, and economy, it has no rival.
IMPROVED MOUNTED PITTS POWER,with a Powerful Brake and a Drop Gear Attachment.
IMPROVED MOUNTED WOODBURY POWER,more strongly and durably built than any other of its kind in the market.
For Sale at most of the principal towns in the West.
For Circulars and Price Lists, address,
Manufactured by
SEYMOUR, SABIN & CO.STILLWATER, MINNESOTA.
The North-Western Chronicle.
A CATHOLIC FAMILY NEWSPAPER.
The Catholic Newspaper of the North-west.
Devoted to Catholicity, Literature and General Information.
THE LATEST NEWS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD RELATING TO THE CONDITION AND PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH.
ALL FOREIGN and DOMESTIC NEWS.
Farm Statistics, Local Intelligence,
AND
MARKET REPORTS.
TERMS.
$2.50 per Year, Payable in Advance.
N. W. PUBLISHING CO.Catholic Block, Third Street.ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.
GAMMON & DEERING,HARVESTING MACHINERY.
The Marsh Harvester and Harvester King, with orwithout their celebrated Automatic Crane Binder Attachment for 1879.
Harvester
We present, on this page, a cut representing the latest improvements in grain-cutting machinery, as shown in the celebratedMarsh Harvester with Automatic Crane-Binder Attachment.
The Marsh Harvester itself is too widely and favorably known to require an extended description or commendation. It was the first of this class of grain-harvesting machines, and, indeed, for some years the only one, forcing itself into favor against the united opposition of the various reaper manufacturers who are now so clamorous in praise of their imitation harvesters. It also made practicable automatic grain binding. All attempts to put self-binding attachments to other reapers proved futile, and have only been successful when attached to harvesters cutting and elevating the grain, as is done by this harvester.
The manufacturers of the Marsh Harvester have been fully alive to the importance of having a self-binding attachment to their harvesters that should be correspondingly for a binder what their harvester is admitted to be—the best of its class. To this end they have had skilled labor specially employed for several years, and have invented and patented several important improvements and devices, and have bought others. They have also had their binders in the grain fields for several years past, following the progress of the harvest from Texas to Manitoba. Last season this binder did remarkable work. Such minor defects as the most thorough tests and roughest usage developed have been carefully remedied.
It is no longer a question of success with this binder, success is a fully demonstrated fact. Another thing will be obvious to all who carefully examine this binder, that it is very simple and easily understood. This is an indispensible requisite to a successful machine.
Farmers are too busy and too much hurried in harvest time to study mechanics or tinker on machinery. They want a machine they can put in the field, and do good work, without bother, loss of time or undue perplexity. This harvester and binder will do good work with certainty.
The Marsh Harvester cuts a five-foot swath the King cuts six feet. All of these harvesters are so made this year that a binder attachment can be put on at any time hereafter, so that a farmer, desiring to divide the expense, can buy the harvester this year and the binder next.
Look at it! A few years ago it required six or seven men to do, with a self-rake reaper, what the Marsh Harvester and Binder will do with one man or one boy. The Harvester also does the work cleaner and better. It binds every straw, and saves enough in this way to nearly or quite pay for the wire. The wire-bound bundles can be made as large or as small as you like. The wire is unobjectionable in threshing, the wire passing through without injury to the thresher. No cattle will eat wire, and no one has ever been known to be injured by it. It requires about three pounds of wire to an acre of grain of average stand. This machine reduces the cost and the labor of grain harvesting to a minimum. No progressive farmer can afford to do his work with an old-fashioned reaper. He might almost as well return to the hand sickle.
It is now a question of the best binder.Thus far the manufacturers of the Marsh Harvester have furnished the best harvester, and now they offer the best binder, and still propose to keep their machines in the lead, as they have been, and are now.
We also manufacture the old and reliable WARRIOR MOWER, admitted by all to be one of the best mowers in use. Apply to the nearest agency or to Gammon & Deering, Chicago, Ill., for circulars containing full particulars in regard to those machines.
The original edition did not include a table of contents.
Some inconsistent hyphenation (i.e. overcrowded vs. over-crowded) has been retained from the original — text quoted from different sources may have different standards.
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Page 64, changed "to busy" to "too busy." The image on this page has been reconstructed using multiple sources. The majority of the image is sourced from the Villanova University Digital Library, but damaged areas of the graphic have been replaced using a lower resolution image sourced from microfilm.