Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-09-05
Meeting OF Polish Settlers in Virginia.

Meeting OF follsu SoLLlerS III virginia.
On the 25th day Of August, 1867, the Polish
settlers of the Colony New Poland in Spot
svlyania county, Va, assembled in their Read
inc rooms, and organized public meeting,
and adopted unanimously the following state
ment
Whereas, our countryman, Gen. G. Toch-
man the founder OF this settlements, has recent
IL been appointed General Agent Of the State
of Virginia, and is preparing to visit Europe
to encourage immigration thereto: And
Whereas few months sluce, in several Ger
man newspapers, and in the Polish Gazette,
the 'Glos,'' edited in France, appeared letters
descriptive Of Virginia and our settlement,
which contained mis- statements that might
eventually embamass the object OF Gen. Toch
man mission to Europe: Ii is therefore,
Reso7rel, That the following statement OF
facts be made by this meeting and published
No outside or undue influence induced US to
settle in Virginia. The congenlality Of its eli
mate with our constitution; he ascertalned
productiveness of its lands and its adaptedness
10 greater variety OF crops than is the land
Of the Northwestern States a1d Territories;
the hospitality CT its peope-and the consd-
Grafton that its local laws extend the same po-
Etical rights and equal protection to the native
and naturalized citizen and to all religious
creeds-in connection with mans natural
disposition to 60 there 10 search Of the means
of living and competency for his family where
their acquisition is easier and more probable;
were our only guides in selecting Virginia for
our adopted State. 1t is true that our atten-
ton to the foregoing advantages and better
chances of succeeding in Virginia as farmers
than elsewhere, was called by Gen. Tochman
and that to him alone, we are indebted for
the aid which enabled us to settle in Virginia.
But we assert now, upon the evidence OF our
own personal experience, acquired since we
settled here-that the denial of the existence
of these advantages-and better chances OF
saccess in Virginia-which can make an agri-
culturist independent and contented, must be
attributed either to gross ignorance Of the let
ter writer's, or to some i'll and malicious design.
Our settlement is located in nSpotsylvania coun-
ty. On the East side of the settlement, l6
miles from it, runs the Richmond and Freder
icksburg railroad, which latter town, number
ing over four thousand inhabitants, Is our near
est market place On the West side of our
settlement, % miles from it. runs the Central
railroad of Virginia, which connects the South
ern States with the Northern. These two
railroads (the Fredericksburg and the Central)
are to be connected by track of railroad which
has already been graded 26 miles, and it pass
es through the centre OF our settlement.--
When this connection Of railroad is finished,
our settlement will be brought within few
hours access of Richmond. Washington, u. o.,
Baltimore and Philadelphia The area OF our
settlement contains 2462 acres-ot which 1868
acres have-been purchased at IS; and 1897
acres at SIS so per acre-on SIX year credit
We have in the settlement 1000 acres OF clear
u l.. hnovv I'M
Der. This whole settlements Is divided IN lots
or farms of 100 acres each-so that each OF US
has, in the body of his farm, the arabic land,
the meadow, the wood land, and the water in
running streams, creeks or springs. 1t Is true
that, Mort Invest, the government lands can be
purchased at ST. 25 per acre. But not one acre
of the cleared land can be had there unless it
is purchased from some squatter, and then 1T
must be paid for at higher price than we
have to pay for our land in Virginia We
consider, therefore, our land is the cheapest;
lst, because each of us has from 80 TO 4O acres
of the cleared land, which enables us 10 ralse
in the first two or three years crop OF which
the surplus sold will bring more than we have
to pay for our lands: chance, which IN no IN
stance, can be obtained Northwest IN the new
settlements I'd, because the tr ight OF send
ing by railroad or water, to the markets OF
Richmond, Washington, D. G., Baltimore and
Pkiladelphia, is from eighty to ninety per ct.
less than the Northwestern settlers have to
pay for sending theirs to their nearest market.
THAT the quality of our cleared land IS IN
ferior to the newly cleared land at the North.
west is admitted, but it's inferiorlty Is only It's
eyhaustation, caused by bad cultivation; it
can, therefore, be improved at less labor and
expense, and in shorter time, than clearing OF
the Northwest wood land requires. As to our
wood land soil, it is not inferior to the North
western-and if there is anywhere difference
in favor of the latter-we have this remunera-
tive advantage, that, when we clear our wood
land We can turn its wood into money BY selling
it 10 the shape of slaves or lumber, potash and
tanning barks, which cannot be done North
west In the new settlements Tor want OF near
markets; their wood must either be burned or
the girdled trees must be allowed to rot. Be
sides these so evident advantages, the winters
IN Virginia being shorter and mider, we have
10 the year four months longer working season
We are producing then all this Wbl'e-Whiist
the new settlers at the Northwest are conSum-
ing their spring and summer earnings without
reproducing them. We have already stated
that the influence Of climate upon our :consti-
tuition was also matter OF consideration In
preferriHg Virginia to the Northwest for the
settlement Here in Virginia, the typhoid and
typhus fevers, and the consumption attach to
no section of the State, and are almost un-
known-whilst in the new Northwestern settle.
ments they destroy prematurey thousands of
lives every year. Even the autumnal diseases,
chls and fevers, in Virginia, are confined only
10 the low localities OF the sea coast and some
rivers, and therefore can be avoided by those
who are subject to them, by settling IN salabrl-
Gus up lands of the State-as We have done. =
IT remains to be said yet-that we desire to IN
'orm our own countrymen in Europe, thai
whilst in selecting Virginia for our adopted
otate, weaweres influenced by the foregoing con:
slderations of advantages. We have resumed
Or adopted here agricultural pursuits, because
We earnestly believe that agriculture alone cal
secure independent competency TO those politl
cal exilestrom Poland, who like ourselves, have