The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-06-06

The AbbeYiile Banner publish highly in
teresting letter from Mr.. Jas. Wood Davidson,
giving some hitherto unpublished details in
regard to the condition and prospects of Ger
martown, tie new German settlement in Rich
land District The letter also embodes sensi-
BILE and practical suggestions bearing upon the
general subject of German immigration. Mr..
Davidson writes:
| Twill give you the results Of my inquiries
4 ebout the German settlement in this District.
| It is called Germantown, and is located twenty
five miles east Of this city, on the Wsteree, ff-
the nearest depot being Clarkson's Turnout.
Operations were commenced on the FIST OF No.
yember last; and the settlement consists Of
four families Of Germans, nts9bering nineteen
persona. Seven negroes are hired as farm
hands; and these, with five ble-bodted Ger
mans, make the sum total Of twelve farm Ia
borers. 60.
11 me settlement was made BY, and ia under
the superintendence of Mr.. Leiding, German
by birth. but q Confederate by four years Of
war-tines with us, in addition to several years
| Of business residence in Charleston. Imme-
diately after the war MIR. LeidiDg took his
family to Germany, to await better times; and
while there had numerous applications nom
families osfarmers and laboring men to bIlpg
y
| favorable for that. This tendency in that peo.
| ole to come, added to desire to do some
thing to aid our PROSTATE country, induced
Mr.. Ieiding to form the project Of colo
ny, Germantown is the result Of that project.
In fixing upon a spot, two points we're
kept in view-heathines and fertility. tour
of inspection in company with German Ies6
llocality~the one finally selected-the good
health OF The inhabitants bore ample testimony
| npon the first point. Upon the second, the
German agricufturist decided thus line
| land is not Of the richest sort, bat 1t has all
the elements fer comfortable support, and oy
ward manure-it can be brought into 8 high
state Of fertility; besides, II desirable, the al
! luyial bottom soil can be brought up to the
sander elevations and thus greatly improve
them"
Thus assured, MIR. Leiding determined to
secure the place, and make it the centre OF an
extensive colony of Germans. As the safest
mode of proceeding, he determined to begin
with few who we're already resident IN the
State, and from this point advance to the de-
sired extent in few years. The four families
engaged bad been living in Charleston, in
mechanical pursuits, from ten to fifteen years
I give You, in the words of the colonist, the
details OF operations at the outset: "We had
five little dwelling houses built, plastered, and
with brick chi1aneys, also outhouses and q
general stable to hold fourteen horses and
their proyender. We had two wells dug, one
of ffty-fve feet depth, and the other
/ eighty-nins feet. We split rails Tor two
garden lots for three dwelling houses each.
These gardens are now green with corn,
Irish potatoes, cabbage, and the usual yege-
tables of the region. We sowed in November
thirty acres in wheat, twenty acres IN rye, and
since then have added eight acres IN Irish po-
/ -, nat
acres in oats seventy acres In corn, th1rty-hVe
acres in COW peas, and fifteen acres in cotton.
We had on an average six horses employed.
We ploughed the wheat, rye, oats and potato
, lands very deep and narrowed then with heavy
, harrows. Up to the Doth April, the lands bid
fair to yield an abundant crop, but the occasion
ally heavy rains, from the goth Of April for near
three weeks afterward, have materially ipjur.
ed our p ospects, besides we have lost e great
deal of tune because of the constant heavy rain.
However, under the blessing Of Providence, we
hope to earn living the first year and sur
plus the next.
acter; and its patience contains q world o.
, wisdom tor our American restiVeIless. In Ger
, many. the climate is 30 cold that they have bu
seven months out Of the twelve In which 1t Is
possible to work in the fields, and land very
scarce at that; while here these Germantown
{ ers can gathe. in ten months out Of the
Twelve, ana 90 Iarm tiuaee evety AviVu " r,ts
| year. This comparison, MIR. Leiding holds
! viii bring as many Immigrants 10 South Caro-
Lima as ne wish, as soon as the facts car
: become known and the country little bet
, ter quieted. In this colony they prefer the
, | uplands because there is less risk, although
, less profit in successful Yeas: The German
, mind prefers this sort of certainty, and is viii
] ling to labor for certain though limited
gain. This is an element Of character We very
much need amongus. Mr.. leidlng says: IL
} am anxious to become ths means OF bringing
! trious and ambitious men-men who wish te
! rise-to this land so abundantly. blessed by
! Providence in climate, SOIL material and watsl
{ power" ,-ou,oa.,
: of-both countries, and upon this experiment
: plan for the gradual and rapid development o.
3 his own and similar colonies, OF which see ne
j reason why there may not be one hundred II