The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-05
THE TRUTH ABOUT vINELAND.

From the CiYcltldr.
Vineland is peculiar town Ga visiting
il l was surprised at its rapid growth About
nine years ago it consisted of only dozen
houses, and now it claims population of at
least 10000 persons. 1t is well laid ont and
neatly built, containing five churches, some
good stores, and two or three small manu-
featuring establishments. 1t has two weekly
newspapers. One of the best dry-goods
stores in the town is owned and conducted
solely by two young ladies. There is not a
grogsbop in the place, and it is supposed to
be free from riot and crime. But having
said so much for Vineland. but little remains
to be urged in its favor. Property is begin
ming to decline in value, though unimproved
building lots, eighty feet front the main
streets and one hundred feet back, are still
held at $3.50 each Judging from my own
observations. / should say that Yineland has
reached its height of prosperity, and that it
will have to struggle to maintain its present
position. The town was built as a specula-
tion on a site that no one but Spectator
would have ever dreamed of selecting.
1t stands in a sandy plain, so level
that from the four corners in the
centre Of the town one can look away four
miles in either direction. There is
neither river, creek, nor spring to be seen.
The Inhabitants are dependent upon wells,
which furnish good drinking water. The
absence of water power will discourage large
manufacturing enterprises and in case of
fire the town would be almost at the mercy Of
the flames, from lack of water to supply the
fire-engines Mr.. Lands, a Philadelphia
lawyer, aealously aided by the New York
Tribune and other periodicals, has induced
some ten thousand people to flock to Vine
land, in confident expectation of finding
home, where money can be made with
little effort in the business of rails
ing fruit Mr.. lands is supposed to
have made large fortune from his venture.
while many of his colonists, ethat came ex-
pecting to enter paradise of ease and plenty,
have found difficulty in procuring the neces-
saries of life. There is some good land in
and around the town, or at least it may be
made productive, since many of the villagers
have fine gardens: but much of the country
around is so sandy and poor that successful
agriculture would first involve great expense
for manures. Peaches and grapes do not
thrive here as in some portions of the State.
Dwarf pines and scrub oaks once found a
coDgenisl home in this soil. During the first
years the labor of clearing the land was great,
and caused much ill-feeling among the set
tiers. lands and his supporters maintained
that the stumps were excellent fertili-
zers if left to rot. Strawberries. raspberries,
&c., yield well, and there are good
markets in Philadelphia and other
accessible cities. Still the golden dreams of
the settlers have. never been realized. The
business of fruit preserving was started four
or five years since, but failed from lack of
competent management, or from some other
unexplained causes. The founders of the
Nineand colony made two grave mistakes,
which in the commencement favored their
enterprise, though they are now beginning to
react with blighting effect. The first con-
sisted in making speciality of horticulture.
Experience. the world over, should have
taught them to lay the foundation of their
material prosperity in manufacturing indus
try. The success of horticulture depends
upon time, capital and experienced and indus
trious workmen, all orpart of which were sadly
lacking at Vineland, quite as much as upon
favorable climate good SOIL and convenient
markets. Besides, an agricultural popul a.
ton of ten thousand should be scattered over
quite an area, not crowded into a single viii
lage. II c second, and even greater blunder,
consisted III putting forth advertisements cal
culated to draw to the colony many who
through Incidence or incompetency had failed
to make good homes for themselves in ordi-
nary society. Resolute pioneers were wanted
who would not be afraid of toll, who would
not become discouraged by unavoidable
hardships. No doubt some good representa-
tiyes of this class were attracted, as the
measure of success attained de-
monstrates as much; but it is
visitor, that large portion of the people at
tracted were theoretical reformers and Spiritu-
alists. An attendance at one of the meetings
in Yineland, purporting to be of a religious
character, convinced me that there is pre-
ponderating element of Spiritualism in the
town. In fact, hadean atmosphere pervades
the place. So far as my observations GO,
Spiritualists as a class are singularly unenter-
prising in business, and almost wholly una
dapted to the labor of creating either pros
porous city or thriving agricultural popula-
tion. If people are shiftless and dreamy
when scattered through ordinary society,
there is little reason to hope that they will
become good workers in society
composed largely of own order.
some of the women wear bloomer
long skirts ignore helatest fashions. Women
work at any calling they please, out of doors
or indoors, and deserve commendation for
their Independence in this respect. The town
has, understand number of literary and
scientific people. learned that many were
anxious to sell out and leave the village. The
town has not grown any for two years, and
some assert that it has slightly fallen off in
numbers In view of these facts l was led to
conclude, Notwithstanding the laudations
which have appeared in newspapers, that
Vineland is not the success that it has been
claimed to be. 1t growth has been forced
and unnatural, and it consequently lacks
healthy vitality. Some of its rejecting in.
habitants admitted this fact. On the other
hand, the leading men of the town seem
quite as sanguine as ever that Vineland will
prove permanent success.
THE ORIGINAL OF MISS MOWCHER.
npoanu,nn1 in tha loC ohar n