, 1873-02-05
10 the Editor Of the ''St. CrOix Avis"
Mr.. Editor,

ml' GuIJOEs
The man that could invent some contri-
vance by which the clouds now passing
over our eVer-thirSty island could be made
TO empty their contents on her fields, would
no doubt have temples erected in his
honor, II our m were not otherwise OBJ
posed to that mark of distinction being bes-
towed on mortals. AS however, such an in
yention may b turther off than is convenient
tor the WejI-being of this community, it is
but natural that our endeavours are turn
ed IN other directions. Hence u water
supply commissions, of which we hear less
than the interest of the subject deserves,
which perhaps Is owing to the fact that
their sphere of action is confined to the
towns.-Hence the steam plough of which
we have always had the best account, and
which with the fellows it is no doubt des.
tined to get, will be of the greatest impor-
lance IN an agricultural community like
ours IN making the surface of the island
capable OF retaining more of the precious
element, which IS being doled out to us in
such small quantities, than was possible
under the old neutrality-suspicious. our en-
deaVour to make the immigration of foreign
IaOorers more easy IN order to deepen the
cane-hole and keep the cane free from
obnoxious weedS,-Hence our endeavours
to get the question of Central Factories
pushed on from the stage of gaIlery-talk
and contemplation to something more
practical in which, if | am not mistaken,
we are on a talr road.-Hence our willing
ness to pay our share in the proposed
SCeam-c0mmunlcation in order that it shall
not be said that we leave anything uutried
to better our cOndition-Hence many
other exertiOns, Of which | propose to-
day to bring forward one, which, although
the last on my list, is by no means the
least IN my conception. [ alIude to the
establishment OF a Sanitary and FertiIizing
Company, which subject has bcend iscussed
In your paper for some time, and which you
have thus given that encouragement which
in my Op Mon and that of most others it
SO richly deserves [ need not here now
enter upon its advantages which have
been ably set forth by your correspondents
and appreciated by yourself, but can con-
fine myself to the penning of brief report
OF what has been done for the furtherance
OF the scheme up to the present date.
1t Is OF course known that Mr.. S0b0tker
as agent for the Earth Closet Com
pany U. S. A. had procured sub
scriptions on lists circulated by him for
the establishment of a society to be call
ed the St. Croix Sanitary and Fertilizing
Company, with the object of introducing
the " Dry Earth System" here for the
benefit both Of the health of our towns
and for The Improvement of our agricul-
ture, as has been pointed out by your COR
respondents and yourself. When those
subscriptions amounted to about $50
shares of S. each, he invited through
your paper the subscribers to a meeting
at the Crown Hotel, Christiansted, for the
purpose of organizing the Company and
electing officials. The meeting came off
accordingly on Saturday last at the place
appointed. Mr.. Geo. Elliott, who has
been President of the Agricultural Socie-
ty, was invited to take the chair, but de-
clined, whereupon IT, invit ton was
preferred to Mr.. Chr Hatten ~, the
Secretary Of said society, who accepted.
After some explanations by Mr..
S6b6tker as to the object Of the COMPANY
and the means required for its introduce
ton, the Chairman, after some discussion
as to the advisability of e~lecting officials
before a greater sum had been subscribed,
mt this nunstiOn to tho vo+o o.J