SETTLEMENT AND COLONIZATION IN GREAT LAKES STATES 29 
else that has put them where they are and made them back-to-the- 
land pilgrims. The foreign born were usually thrifty, but their 
wages were relatively low, and many of them had not been earning 
American wages very long. 
The average of the net gains of the native-born settlers was very 
much greater than for the foreign born, the former amounting to 
$929 per year of settlement and the latter $397. These averages rep- 
resent to a large extent increases in land value, attributable either to 
clearing or to the general rise in the level of value. The average pur- 
chase of the native born averaged a little over 77 acres, and that of 
the foreign born only 67 acres. Thus the native born had a slight 
advantage from the increase in land values, although scarcely 
enough to account for 10 per cent of the disparity between the two 
groups in net gain. 
Similarly, those who were engaged in farming just prior to be- 
coming settlers made an average net gain of $714 per year as com- 
pared with $420 for those who had been engaged in other occupa- | 
tions. A little of this gain can be attributed to the fact that they 
purchased an average of 14 more acres of land than the others. 
TABLE 11.—Rate of land clearing of 510 settlers on 14 different projects, by 
class of settlers 
Average acres cleared per year 
per settler 
Class of settlers 
Cleared | Brushed | Marsh 
ofstumps} only clearing 1 
IN EEV Chl) OL TE eet a theyre sae ane wee Ne a sei eS le ne 3. 01 3. 84 
1.3 
Foreign born ----_-------- senses pecs esos tates Sets oie sess se sees aseoee 2. 06 1.74 0.77 
Formerly engaged in farming ------ Sees oa ee ee ee) 2. 82 3. 00 1.69 
Formerly engaged in other occupations----------------------------------- 2. 23 2. 26 0.70 
FALV CLARO ORAIICIISSOS Sasa so Seat osc ee one on see ee Bee eee See 2. 38 2. 45 0.95 
1 Largely removing fallen logs and roots of stumps. 
Table 11 shows that the native born cleared land faster than the 
foreign born, and those coming directly from farming cleared faster 
than those coming from other occupations. The difference is es- 
pecially notable in brushing and marsh clearing. This better record 
in clearing made by the farmer class is probably due in part to their 
considerably larger beginning net worth, which enabled them to 
spend more time in clearing rather than in outside work. However, 
the native born started with a smaller net worth and yet made more 
progress than the foreign born in net gain and in clearing. 
TABLE 12.—Classification of 509 settlers in Wisconsin and Minnesota, by age 
Number Number ‘ Number 
Age period 9) Age period of Age period of 
settlers settlers settlers 
a Years Years 
Wndereps 23 236222 | TDi RAOMO Abu. =o ses ee TOu160 LO Gos co a" 22 Sees 15 
2 TO Ona eas Ve ees = 5th to OOka ee 8 BOUT Gabon ee 3 
30 TO Gots = ass ee 1O5- | SO0to%Gor 2% eS HPO LO Moore este o eee ee 1 
