There are in the United States 9,945,916 families, of 5.04 persons to
the family. There are only 8,955,812 dwellings, with 5.06 persons to
the dwelling. It will be seen that there are 990,104 families, or five
million people, without dwellings, either owned or rented--no where to
rest their heads. Is this the result of over population? It is not.
It will be centuries before our country will reach that stage. It is
the result of shiftlessness and the inertia of population. If lands
are high in the cities and older states, they may be had upon your own
terms in the broad, open West. There are also hundreds of thousands
of acres for homestead entry in the southern states. It is true that
much of it is mountain land, but it will be gold to the man who will
bear the privations of justifying his claim to it. There are also
corporations with large means, as well as individuals, in nearly all of
our cities who are willing to sell to thrifty persons lots or farms on
reasonable terms. Now is the golden opportunity. The working men of the
South will never have such an opportunity again to get homes. With the
increase of population by birth and influx, lands must rise in demand
and price. I have heard of one legitimate objection to selling lands to
colored persons. It is said that they buy on mortgage transfer, soon
become discouraged, allow ruin and dilapidation to follow, and then
surrender the place in worse condition than delivered to them. This
objection can easily be overcome by taking my pattern for the happy
home. If this is done, the vendor would hardly foreclose a mortgage
should you get much behind in your payments, as the property would be
constantly increasing in value.