New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-11-11
yRE EYMED NEGROES In CANADA.
Inquiry into their Condition.
xRE THEY IMPROVING, OR THE CONTRARY!
Statistics Of Education, Health and Crime.
THE COLONY AT BUXTON.
dsupe,, Special Commissioner.
III.
III


sourse Of our inquiries was the col,ny at Buxton.
About nine years ago, the Rev. William King az
Hish Presbyterian clergyman, residing at the time
m Louisiana, and owning several slaves, servants
q his family, asd having through bic wife become
possessed Of number more, brought them, fifteen
n III, TO Canada, and there emsncipased them
hot content with this, AID DESTROYS to try on
sulbcient scale, the question whether the emanei.
pssed negro would, az sgricolnrist, be found
sek supporting. and burning to improve the moral
saa social condition Of the negro, Mr.. King beoame
Ne head and moving agent Of an association, which
obtained, on favorable terms large grant Of lands
belonging originally to the clergy reserves The
Ind, forming tract six miles loog by three miles
wide, wa surveyed, cut through by avenues inter
sectng each other at right angles, and divided into
piots VI fifty acres each, each plot fronting upon
one Of the avenues. The expenses OF survey
ing, added to tho original price Of the land. made
he cost amount to 81 per acre. The ground was
lsvel, heavily timbered with oak, hickory, beech,
elm, psple aud Eastwood sod the virgin soil was
deep, rich, black loan. To this place the negroes
Were invited 10 try the grand experiment.; each
applicant was 10 receive farm, not as grat0ity,
but paying for it the full cost price in ten annual
instsllmeDts, with interest added. He bound him
self at the sane time within given period, to put
up house upon his land conforming ~ a prescribed
model; be was TO furnish his own farming sools
and implements, and 10 support himself aud family
Only when these conditions were complied with,
and the lands paid for, was he to receive his deed
A schoOlhouse teachers and taition were furnished
GTstuitously; q Sabbath School was established;
and rude log church, 10 which Mr. King himself
oSiciated, was erected, and vas open to all who
might choose to attend public worship in it. Such
i IN outline Of the plan Of the settlement Of the
Eigin Association at Buxton, aud at the end of
seven years from the date Of its origin that settle
nent numbers two hundred families and about
sight hundred souls !
Buxton 10 about thirteen miles south west from
Chatham, and lie about three miles defiant from the
shore Of Lake Erie. Having procured convey
aace we set oct to visit it, under the guidance of
tAe son of warm hearted freshman, whose Quaker
education only gave point 70 the imPasige and
genial spirit Of bis oOuntrymen. For the fret seven
miles the road was admirable but was bordered for
he most part, even in the immediate vicinity of
he town, by the primeval forest, the land being
hold in large tracts by those who had b,usht it TO
hold for higher prices Al we turned of toward
Baxton the road became worse, being good deal
broken into holes, which, in bad weather, must
hsve been nearly impossible; on either side, how
sves, there were well-improved farms. On the way
10 frequently met with blacks from che settlement
sometimes large wagon fall Ut men ADD womso,
With good two horse team, sometimes in q rickety
affair drawn by single hOre, and once black
woman on horse back, with boy Of IL or II years
Of age behind her. There was q quarterly meeting
q tho MethodlsS in session, and they were on the
way 10 attend it as We approached the settle
nent the neishborhood became more Populous, and
We saw frequent cabins, which we took to form
part of IL. Inquirirs the way, we were shown
little church as a guide, and, driving by it, we
found ourselves within the domain.
yhs house of Mr.. King is long log house, with
high, steep roof and dormer windows, and porch
extending the whole length Of the building; interi-
esly, it is divided by transverse partitions into
number Of rooms which serve as Office, sitting
room, dining room, &c. Everything was perfect
b plain, but neat and substantial. Not far from
the house are the little mission church. already
mentioned, the schoolhouse and pOstofiice of the
settlement, all built Of unhewn logs, while at some
little distance are @ steam saw-min, u brickysrd,
pearlash factory, With blacksmith, carpenter and
shoe shop, and the country store for the settlement
Tortur atey we found the Rev. Mr. Kiog at home
and di,eneaged, strongly built middle-sized and
niddle-sged man, of dark complexion, with iuii
square head and homely countenance, indieanve
at once Of Kindness and sagacity. From him we
learned that there were now at the settlement 200
families, each occupying their own house, and num-
beripe in all about 800 souls. OF the land LOIS
acres were cleared and under fence beside 200 acres
a, which the trees had been felled aud were ready
for burnipg, and which would be under cultivation
The ensuing Spring. OF the land already fenced,
354 acres we're planted with corn, which already,
ct the time of my visit, was safe from the frost,
and promised more than average crop; 200 acres
lad been planted with wheat, 20 with oats, 80 with
potatoes, and 100 with other crops, such az beans,
pcas turDips and grass. There are owned BY the
settlers 300 COWS, 80 oxen 800 hogs and % horses;
there are Likewise d few sheep, but they have MT
done well, and the experience of the community has
not been favorable to sheep raising.
There are now two schools at Buxton male
md female, the latter established within the past
wear for the purpose Of teaching the girls plain
sewing, a. well as those that might wish it, the
hiaher branches Of female education. The number
esroed in both schools was, during the past year,
l40, and the average attendance IS. Hitherto
these schools have been gratuitous, but, in con-
s-.:tu 18th Aha originaI idea of making the whole