Catholic Colonization in Minnesota: Revised EditionCatholic Colonization Bureau
History
Catholic Colonization in Minnesota: Revised Edition
Catholic Colonization Bureau
Agriculture -- Minnesota; Catholics -- Minnesota
There is another matter which may well come under the head of general
remarks.
While we have shown by figures the good profits which may be calculated
upon by an industrious farmer, still, he must not look for a great
increase of money capital, for some years at least.
While he will be enabled under God, by industry, sobriety and
perseverance to give his family a good, comfortable living, it must be
to the increase in the value of his farm each year, that he must look
for an increase of capital, to that and the increase of his
LIVE STOCK.
Above all things, he must attend to the latter; it is almost incredible
the way young stock will increase. A man starting with one cow will have
his yard full of young stock in a few years by raising the calves that
come to him.
It is a fact that men who came to this State without any means whatever,
and settled on land, are to-day among our most prosperous farmers; but
they came uninvited, at their own risk, and if they had failed, they
could only blame themselves.
The case is altogether different in regard to persons coming to our
Catholic colonies. They come invited, and depending upon the information
we give to them; therefore, there must be no misunderstanding on either
side.
We say to the immigrant, with the capital we have specified, you can
open a farm in Minnesota, and if you are industrious, brave and hopeful,
we promise you, under God, an independent home. If you come without this
capital, you do so at your own risk.
CATHOLIC COLONIES IN MINNESOTA.
LOCATION, POPULATION, SOIL, TOWNS, EXTRACTS FROM INTERESTING
LETTERS FROM RESIDENTS, &c., &c.
We now come to speak of our Catholic Colonies. In doing so we will be as
accurate and as truthful as it is possible to be. At the same time we
recognize the difficulty of making others see things as we see them,
they are too apt to draw imaginary pictures from our facts. For instance
when we speak of settled communities and towns, it should be borne in
mind that our oldest settlement was only opened in the spring of 1876,
our two latest in the spring of 1878, and that both farms and towns
exhibit the rough, unfinished appearance of new places in the West,
which it takes time, perseverance and industry to mould into thrifty
comeliness; with the aid of the two latter (perseverance and industry)
the former (time) will be but a very short period indeed. We have now
four Catholic Colonies in Minnesota, two in the western and two in the
southwestern part of the State.
SWIFT COUNTY COLONY.
This is the oldest and doubtless best known of our colonies. The colony
lands commence 120 miles west of St. Paul and extend for 30 miles on
each side of the St. Paul and Pacific railroad. Within the bounds of the
colony are four railroad towns, one of them, Benson, being the county
seat; but the two colony towns proper, are De Graff and Clontarf, being
organized and run, as they say out West, by our own people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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