|
Winke für Auswanderer: Hints for Emigrants
IX. Final hints and Postscript
Despite all the hardships and risks outlined in his pamphlet, Carl de Haas encouraged Germans who are considering emigration to make the move. He himself, however, as his brother Friedrich notes in the Postscript, left the frontier settler’s life after a year or so, set up a brewery with his brother and nephew, and then decamped for Buffalo, where he raised his family and worked as a journalist.
This is all I have to report to my friends concerning my experiences thus far. Without doubt I have forgotten much that is important because of my haste in writing this little book. Perhaps there are very important things which have not yet come to my knowledge. (Perhaps I shall have an opportunity later to report further.) I can swear solemnly, however, that I have distorted nothing, withheld nothing consciously, nor exaggerated, and in particular I should like to deny in advance the possible reproach which favorable letters and writings from America usually meet, namely that it is in the interest of the supposedly unhappy settler to draw many others over and that all these writings have this purpose in mind. I have described the disadvantages as well as the advantages, and now that I come to the question of my friends, “Is it well for us to emigrate to America?” I can only give the following answer: None of us, and almost no one of all who have come to Calumet before us or at the same time, has regretted that he came. On the contrary most people are very satisfied and happy. Whether everyone is cut out to get along without most of the pleasures of noisy society and to lead an untroubled existence in nature, I very much doubt, especially in the case of young people who are accustomed to city life. One major requirement, without which no one should come over, is good health and at least moderate physical strength. Nevertheless even the immigrant who buys Congress land, does not have to have herculean strength; anyone who is able to do the work of joiner, for instance, or dyer or baker, is strong enough to be a farmer in America.
No one should come, who does not intend to work hard, likewise no one who does not enjoy farming and raising cattle
Concerning the necessary money, one can hardly say anything definite. Many have large landholdings here and drive with horse and wagon, but not everyone is able to go through what these people have had to. For my part, I should advise no one to come over, who does not have at least 400 Prussian Thaler left (after the trip.) The cost of the trip can be computed from the above report. If several come together, they can get along together on the same money a single person would have to spend, but in this case it should be carefully considered whether they fit well together, so that one does not depend on the others and bring them all into difficult straits. But even the man who comes with adequate resources, must not believe that he will be a rich man in a few years. He will make progress, soon be able to live without worries, and be able to look hopefully into the future, especially in regard to his children’s future. But even this will only be true if he works hard himself and does not spend too much for wages. I should prophesy a happy future for anyone who can bring a considerable fortune over, and who enjoys work and agriculture. In our settlement there is still a great deal of uncultivated land to be bought secondhand for $3 to $10 an acre, also a number of farms are for sale, mostly 80-acre farms, with house, stalls, fences, etc, from $600 to $1,200. Congress land is now rather far from the lake, but a number of good lots are there at $1.25 an acre.
Whoever has a wife and children should bring them with him when he comes, whether he buys a farm or Congress land. The family will find hospitality at friendly neighbors’ farms until the man has a house built, and the wife is very useful to him. (We miss a housewife very much.) No one should come, who does not intend to work hard, likewise no one who does not enjoy farming and raising cattle. But no one should stay at home merely because he does not know enough about farming. Farming is so simple here and experienced neighbors will teach anyone who is anxious to learn, with such obliging willingness that the most inexperienced newcomer can soon become a capable farmer if he is willing to learn. Most of the settlers here, including some who have the most beautiful farms, were formerly artisans, joiners, shoemakers, masons, etc. Some were even clothing makers.
Whoever will face the deprivations and difficulties that I have described, let him set out soon, for the good land is being sold off rapidly in the best regions
Whoever will face the deprivations and difficulties that I have described, let him set out soon, for the good land is being sold off rapidly in the best regions and the prices rise from year to year. (The Congress land which remains unsold in the cultivated regions for a longer period is generally not worth much.) I particularly advise anyone who wishes to choose our colony for his home, that he should not hesitate long. I am not saying that there are no other regions in America just as advantageous for settlement as Calumet, but I can assure you that there are few that are comparable in healthfulness, fertility and beauty of the land. The best time to sail from Europe is the spring, but it is best to wait till the middle of April or beginning of May because of storms and floating icebergs. One can then break land here for winter wheat. Whoever cannot come so early should so arrange his departure that he arrives here in September. There is one more thing I wish to advise for everyone who plans to come over: He should learn something of the English language beforehand. Even if he only knows a little, it will help him in America.
Postscript
The following postscript was written by Carl de Haas’s brother Frederick in Germany and included in the second edition of Winke. He appended a price list that farmers in the Calumet area could expect for various crops.
This manuscript from my brother Carl was brought to me by Mr. Johann Mentis mentioned therein, who was called home on business. Later we received three more letters from the author. I feel that I owe the public, which was very interested in my brother’s book, the report of the further course of his settlement. He promised indeed to do so himself, but he scarcely expected that his book would have to appear so soon in second edition; and too, it always takes a quarter of a year to get an answer to a letter.
After my two brothers and my nephew had lived for some time in their farmhouse and had settled the land, they were offered a well-situated piece of land, directly on a small lake, about three-quarters of an hour walk from their present residence. Since they intended to set up a brewery, and the well on their property did not seem to have enough water, they decided to accept this offer.
The author has named the lake, which until now has had no name, de Haas Lake (Haasensee). It is full of fish, and a spring at the bottom of the lake furnishes it with water. The water of the spring as well as that of the lake, is sweet. Four of my brother’s neighbors are educated people, who usually celebrate Sunday together. My brother was asked to preach in a neighboring place. He refused for a long time, especially since theology was not his field. Finally, however, he let himself be persuaded to speak. He spoke about the Good Samaritan, and the closing prayer was mostly for the fatherland.
The question has often been raised here, whether the farmers in Wisconsin’s virgin forests can market their products. From inquiries we have made, we find that in almost all small places there are storehouses, where grain is bought. The proprietors of such stores hang a list on the door with the prices of the most usual kinds of grain. The farmer has his grain weighed here and can receive wares and also money for the value of it.
— Friedrich de Haas
VIII. Weather and land
Top of File
Carl de Haas and Winke
|
