Book, Where to Emigrate and Why Trascribed by Kathy Sedler This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to their own work. Where to Emigrate and Why - Frederick B. Goddard, Peoples Publ. Co., 1869 WAGES OF FARM LABOR IN THE UNITED STATES. MANY young men in the Atlantic States, who desire to go from home and strike out for themselves, as well as many foreign emigrants, have neither the means nor the disposition to settle down at once as farm owners, and therefore seek for employment. Some skillful mechanics may act wisely in going to the large cities, but the young man who knows how to work a farm has, if he will only realize it, the most honorable, healthful, and enviable calling in the world. He should resolutely turn his back upon the cooped-up city, and go out where he can breathe, and be respected and independent. A man who is willing to work may find steady employment, at fair wages, as a farm hand, in almost any part of the United States, and can lay up as much or more money than he can in the city, where, if the pay be larger, the cost of living is higher, and the inducements to spend money greater. In addition, he is becoming familiar with the section of country, and getting new ideas of farming, which will be useful to him by and by. And the foreigner who hires out upon a farm for the first few months or years, is acquiring not only the information above alluded to, but acquainting himself with the manners and customs, and perhaps learning the language of the country. The demand for farm labor was never so great as now, and it is constantly increasing. Farm wages in America are much higher than in Europe, and the opportunities for social and personal advancement are tenfold greater. Some of the most prominent men in this country came here poor and friendless, and began by working for wages. In 1866 the rate of wages paid for farm labor throughout the United States showed an increase in five years of about fifty per cent. The following tables, compiled with great care from returns made by correspondents throughout the country to the Agricultural Department at Washington, will be valuable to emigrants. Table showing the average rate of wages of agricultural labor per month, when employed for the year. STATES AND Per month Per month Per month Per month TERRITORIES for the year for the year for the season for the season (without board) (with board) (without board (with board) Maine   $27.00 $17.44 $31.76 $23.07 New Hampshire           32.74 22.48 39.12 28.43 Vermont                   32.84 21 37.44 25.72 Massachusetts  38.94 22.36 41.61 27.83 Rhode Island 34.4 20.5 40 26.33 Connecticut               34.25 21.54 39.66 28.3 New York        29.57 19.32 34.88 24.26 New Jersey                32.27 18.98 33.13 23.78 Pennsylvania     29.91 18.84 34.1 22.87 Delaware                  24.93 13.25 26.25 15.25 Maryland                  20.36 12.76 23.83 15.58 Virginia                  14.82 9.36 17.21 12.09 North Carolina            13.46 8.15 15.18 10 South Carolina  12 7.66 14 9.46 Georgia            15.51 9.67 18.45 12.07 Florida 18 12.12 20.55 14.46 Alabama                   13.4 9.8 16.38 11 Mississippi        16.72 11.58 22.58 16.8 Louisiana                 20.5 12.42 22.25 18.34 Texas 19 12.72 23.73 16.76 Arkansas                  24.21 15.8 29.61 19.46 Tennessee        19 12.58 22 16.61 West Virginia   25.35 16.47 29.34 21.2 Kentucky                  20.23 13.65 23.8 17.06 Missouri     26.75 18.08 30.84 21.66 Illinois   28.54 18.72 33.09 23.3 Indiana  27.71 18.72 31.5 22.5 Ohio     28.46 18.96 32.45 23.15 Michigan          31.26 20.48 34.95 24.15 Wisconsin         30.84 19.87 35.65 24.6 Minnesota        31.65 21.1 38.4 27.17 Iowa                28.34 18.87 33.24 23.82 Kansas 34.03 19.81 36.4 25.46 Nebraska         38.37 24.64 46.42 31.36 Utah Territory   44.71 26.32 58.22 38.41 Colorado Territory       67.5 42.12 79.16 50 New Mexico                25 16.5 30 25 California                45.71 30.35 50 34.39 Nevada.  75 60 85 70 Washington Territory   52.25 36.25 60.5 44.5 Dakota 30.2 20 32 22 Oregon            35.75 22.53 41.6 29 Table showing the rate of wages of agricultural labor per day, in transient service, December, 1866. Transcriber's note, columns as follows: States Per day, for transient service in harvest (without board) Per day, for transient service in harvest (with board) Per day, for transient service other than in harvest (without board) Per day, for transient service other than in harvest (with board) Maine $2.02 $1.56 $1.49 $1.13 New Hampshire           1.98 1.52 1.67 1.26 Vermont           2.32 1.85 1.76 1.32 Massachusetts 2.41 1.92 1.83 1.38 Rhode Island    2.23 1.71 1.83 1.33 Connecticut               2.43 1.9 1.75 1.29 New York        2.41 1.92 1.75 1.23 New Jersey. 2.68 2.38 1.68 1.2 Pennsylvania     2.32 1.8 1.59 1.1 Delaware          2.09 1.62 1.31 0.94 Maryland          2 1.68 1.31 0.96 Virginia            1.46 1.21 0.82 0.57 North Carolina 1.53 1.17 0.72 0.5 South Carolina 1.25 0.93 0.69 0.45 Georgia            1.48 1.06 0.99 0.7 Florida 1.12 0.83 1 0.74 Alabama                   1.27 1.04 0.78 0.55 Mississippi               1.65 1.14 1.34 0.89 Louisiana                 1.66 1.2 1.08 0.7 Texas   1.65 1.32 1.31 0.98 Arkansas         2.07 1.52 1.34 0.88 Tennessee                 2.01 1.54 1.15 0.83 West Virginia    1.78 1.31 1.31 0.92 Kentucky         2.1 1.7 1.21 0.86 Missouri           2.15 1.72 1.44 1.07 Illinois 2.41 1.91 1.62 1.21 Indiana                   2.23 1.76 1.45 1.06 Ohio     2.2 1.73 1.54 1.13 Michigan                  2.62 2.14 1.78 1.3 Wisconsin         2.68 2.15 1.78 1.28 Minnesota        2.68 2.27 1.75 1.35 Iowa    2.38 1.88 1.62 1.19 Kansas 2.31 1.82 1.65 1.19 Nebraska         2.65 2.15 1.93 1.43 Utah Territory   3.42 2.49 2.27 1.63 Colorado Territory   4.17 2.87 3.29 1.93 New Mexico Territory  1.5 1.12 1 0.9 California    2.56 2.06 2.26 1.72 Nevada          3.5 3 3 2.5 Washington Territory    3 2.25 2.25 1.75 Dakota Territory 2.5 2 2 1.5 Oregon                    2.4 1.8 1.75 1.4 In the Report of the Agricultural Department for 1867 we also find the following relating to the BOARD OF FARM LABORERS. The difference between wages without board and the rate allowed when board is furnished by the employer is naturally found to vary quite regularly with the cost of food products, the rate being higher in the East than in the West, and higher still in the Territories of the Rocky Mountains, but less in California than in Massachusetts. In the South the board of freedmen, consisting mainly of corn meal and bacon, is, of course, very low. Possibly in Alabama the difference between labor with and without board may be too small. The mode of hiring and supplying these laborers varies so much with circumstances that our correspondents found it difficult to reduce their information to the system required. The following is a statement of these differences in monthly pay on account of board, averaging $6.26 in the Southern States, and $12.51 for the other States:— Maine                     $9.56 Tennessee      $6.42 New Hampshire            10.76 West Virginia 8.88 Vermont                   11.84 Kentucky       6.58 Massachusetts 16.58 Missouri       8.67 Rhode Island    13.9 Illinois       9.82 Connecticut      12.71 Indiana        8.99 New York  10.25 Ohio 9.5 New Jersey 13.29 Michigan       10.78 Pennsylvania     11.07 Wisconsin      10.97 Delaware          11.68 Minnesota      10.55 Maryland. 7.6 Iowa    9.47 Virginia 5.46 Kansas         11.22 North Carolina 5.31 Nebraska.      13.73 South Carolina  4.34 Utah Territory 18.39 Georgia            5.84 Colorado Terri 25.38 Florida                   5.88 New Mexico Ter 8.5 Alabama           3.6 California     15.36 Mississippi        5.14 Nevada         15 Louisiana 8.08 Washington Ter 20 Texas               6.28 Dakota Territo 10.2 Arkansas                  8.41 Oregon         13.22