Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-09

yIneland, \. J.
The recent shooting case in Nineland has
called attention TO that remarkably sue
ces-ful experiment in yillage-culture and
the following description Of it will be found
Of interest
In 1851, Charles h Lands, when he was
only twenty-eight years old, purchased the
large tract of about fifty square miles of tlas,
uninyiting, sandy land, in Cumberland coun-
tv, New Jersey. since become famous a.
Nineland. lie planned out a town mile
square in the midst of the tract, through
which the railroad passes, having just then
been completed. The town had broad ave
nucs and 80 feet by $50 feet building lots.
The suburbs he divided into villa and home
stead plots, and made farms OF from 10 TO
100 acres lie advertised far and wide for
settlers for the new town of Nineland, and
required every purchaser to sign i paper
binding himself not to permit the sale Of
Intoxicating drinks in the town. Mr.. Ian
dis explains as follows his reasons for found
ing the town on total abstinence princi-
pies,
'' ! was not 4 temperance man nor tee
totlller my friends were not temperance
people. and had never mixed with that
class at all bat had noticed this. that
those men who had failed in business were
almost invariably drinking men. and, fur
thcr, that those men who were the most sue
ccs~.Gl in business were always sober men
| recalled % mind that had never known
O. sober man in the city of Philadelphia 10
come and ask nc ior money, and | had al
ways noticed that when | employed work
men the men who performed their work
most satisfactorily and most successfully
were the sober men Then, again. it was
very important that in my new colony tdmi
lie, should be happy Well, had observed
that the happy families in this world were
the sober families, and had noticed that
the di>contentcd and unhappy families were
those into which liquor had been introduced,
and where the husband was not a sober man.
Hence | saw that the great panacea would
be the exclusion of the sale OF intoxicating
drinks Consequently | decided to allow no
intoxicating drinks to be sold in this place,
and TO have no saloons.
-Four families were bold enough 10 take
up their residence in this bleak wilderness
fourteen years ago, and now the desert has
been made to blossom and where was desola-
ton and harrenness is thriving. induStri-
Gus, model town of about 1000 inhahi-
tants and perhaps the best comment on the
success Of the Temperance principle as ap-
piled 20 towns anu cities Is the fact that the
police appropriations and expenses of these
2.Guu people is about $l0O per annum
The recent shooting atfray, which has
brought this peaceful hamlet before the
world in a new aspect, Is the first and only
affair ut violence known to the history of
the town, and in this-by an unfortunate
happening-the founder Of Nineland, the
man TO whom it certainly owes its remarka-
BE reputation for law and order, Is the first
10 darken this record Heretofore the most
exciting events known in the history of this
peaceful place have been the quiet escorting TO
the depot of rGm>eller and the RAINING over
of a man on the railroad about year ago.
The Legislature Of New Jersey, was in
duced to pass an act granting to the voters
of Nineiand the privilege of special local op-
ton on the subject Of prohibiting the sale Of
liquor. all general State laws to the contra
~ Notwithstanding At the annual elec-
tion for town officers this question is voted
upon. For several years there was not a
single vote recorded in favor of liquor Ii
ccnseS. Last year, ont Of about 800 votes
east only l. were for liquor selling, and this
is the largest number ever recorded in its
favor. 1t is certain that in this unique
town no liquor can be purchased anywhere,
except from the drug stores upon physi-
clan 5 prescription, and 50 great Is the feel
ing against dealing in it that some of the
druggists even refuse to dispense it. Early
in the history of Vineland liquor dealer
ayowed his intention to test the local option
scheme, and he set up 4 public house in the
town. \ mass meeting was called, at
which the ladies of the place took a promi-
ncnt part Speeches were made, the whole
assembly quietly marched to the house Of
the liquor dealer, he was requested to leave
town by the first train next morning, and
the value of his holding was given back to
him. Everything was conducted in the
most orderly manner, and the liquor seller
unobtrusively left next day.
INSTITUTIONS OF THE VILLAGE.
Many other reforms in social and sanitary
science are carried out in Nineland, relating
TO labor, education, sewerage, the economlz-
ing of manures, the abolition of fences, the
public adornment Of the country, &c. The
streets are very wide, the houses are obliged
TO be set back twenty feet in the town and
seyenty-iiyc in the suburbs, and each house
holder must plant shade trees. The settle
ment has about Us miles of improved roads,
twenty-one Schoolhouses, from the primary
to the high school, which was dedicated by
President Grant last summer sixteen chap
els and churches. fifteen manufacturing es-
tabiiShments, bank, public halls, newspa-
perS. &c. The soil is light and sandy, adapt
ed to the culture of fruit, large quantities of
which, especially grapes, are raised every
year, this being the principal industry Of
the settlement
Mr. Lands has offered several prizes to the
Ninelanders for Improvements in agricul-
ture. and he has also done much 10 promote
science, art and literature in the village
which he has established. lie is 4 fluent
and interesting public speaker, and during
his visit to Europe last year he spoke in
many parts Of England upon MS favorte
schemes Of colonization and prohibition.
Nearly all the original tract of 10000 acres
Of land has been settled upon, and Mr.. Ian
dis recently purchased 23,5Oo acres more
adjoining.
Chamberlin has closed his gorgeous gam
ing house in this city, until next session,
when he will try the virtue of a Democratic
majority. The picking has been slender
for him here, during the winter. He has
maintained royal table, and kept corps
of proficient sharks to snap at the pockets
of visitors But, though nobody has ever
been known to quit his place winner, |
doubt if he has swooped in enough, all told,
to pay the interest on his 800, 900 house and
furniture " There's been too dam many
Investigations: he says, feelingly Wash
iagfoR Latter.
ALcoTT's 0RPHIc SAYINGs.-Where beau
ty was born, culture began.
Eat apples and keep the ten command
ments.
Take good bowl of sunrise for break
fast.
The more sleep before midnight, the more
sanciity.
There is a ray Of truth in every supersti-
tion.
There is q sixth sense.-diyination ; per-
hans a seventh, intuition.
Our voices are our Sayiors or our Satans.