The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-23
sion Of n hostile British majority. The vote
leaving the government maj ority only 10.
HOY TO SETTLE 4 COUNTRY.


TIE v1kErAND SETTLEMENT IN NEW JERSEY
In 1861, Charles X. Lands, lawS or of Phil.
adelpha, who seems to have had a passion ate
desire to found q colony of farmers, purch ased
| a large tract of wild land almost in the cen tire
of the fat country forming the southern end
of the State of New Jersey. Subst nently be
bought mol o, making the whole amount about
5o,ooo acres The land was covered with a
short growth of pine and oak trees, and dotted
with marshes. 1t had once been an ocean bed.
There were very few cleared places upon it,
although it was only a little over thirty miles
from Philadelphia. The country people won
rderiDgly saw surveyors laying out roads and
avenues in this wilderness. But the new
owner had an eye that bred estates" and he
made brilliant pictures of the rural town that
was to grow upon his skeleton streets, until, it
Is said, one Rstonished ckwoodsman called
him lunatie. Circulars and advertisements
calling upon invalids farmers, gardeners and
~orklpgmen who wanted to recover thei
health, make money, or secure cheap and pie o
SAINT homes, uniting the advantages of city
ana country, to come to Vineland, as the incl.
pient town was seductively called, were scat
tered broadcast over the country. Scientific
and practical agriculturists were employed to
examine the soil and write reports, f1sttering
attentions We're paid to visitors, and every
where the attention of unfortunate and dis
satisfied farmers and would be farmers was
sklifully drawn 10 this new land of luxurious.
labor and ready wealth. The name of Vine
land became familiar in a most every State of
the Unlon, and settlers began to flock to it
Houses spraDg up like mushrooms, orchards
were planted, gardensswere made TO bloom
forests were swept away, marshes drained and
filled, fields of corn and grain and meade VS.
were blocked out of the Wilderness and il a
few years a population of several thousand
people was living on the new tra0A
TIE RULE OF LANDS.
Mr.. Lands, styling himself founder of the
colony" watched over all with fatherly in
terest. He was, in fact, the governor Of the
settlement, and by his advice, bat especially
by enforcing the "Vineland policy" he direct.
ed its growth. The "Vineland policy" was, in
pref the doctrine of mutual improvement.
Mr.. Lands. it is said, gave no deeds TO settlers
until they had fulfilled the conditions of a pri-
or contract of purchase, II curing them with
In reasonable time to settle upon the land,
Portable dwelling, cultivate border of grass
set out trees, etc. Churches were built, schools
established, historical society founded, and
liquor dealers were given the cold shoulder
careful to keep real estate spectators and all
kinds ofland sharks out of the colony. Their
operations were inconsistent with the "VIne-
land policy" a Vigilance Committee was sp-
pointed to watch them, and, it is said, one of
them was marched out of the tow to the tn ne
of the Rogue's March. Mass meetings were
called to support the founders policy and TO
pass resolutions against land agents and strong
drink. Mr. Lands edited the VIneland Rural
devoted TO the interests of the new settlement.
This paper, full of attractive letters, descrip-
tions advertisements, ard farmers miscella-
ny, Is still published and sent over the country.
Its advice to farmers coming to Vineland was
minute aud peculiar. Trey were warned that
wolld steal theic money on the
cars, aid were advised not to fall into CONVEX
satlon with strangers, or tell them they were
going to Vlneiand. Runners, they were told,
would try TO take them off to G. ASHORE,
Frauklinvile, or some 9th er station, and would
tell them fasehoods concerning VIneland.
some persons," says the Rural OF January,
1865, '.have boen seriously damaged by going
W n n inn a nd ST, huaa
protection was sought to be- thrown about the
colony. BY these means in the course of few
years prosperous settlement established
10 W hat as compared with thousands of other
seht""s of the country might properly have
been called very poor country AT present
the population of Vineland district is ten
thousand, and of the village about three thou
sand.
HOW vINELAND LOOKS.
The present aspect of Vinelan is much like
that of suburb of great city. A stranghr
visiting 1t with the impression gathered from
reports, advertisements, and letters about
Vlu. land is almost certain to he disappointed
IL lies on q slightly undulatng fiat, Ooundless
to the eye. The surrounding scenery is tame
and unattractve. The broad, well-made
streets are sandy aud dusty. The fine resden-
ces that one expects to see are only fonnd here |
and there, while the MAORI ty ofthe houses are |
plain, small, frame buildings, painted white. |
The broad grass borders of the streets look at
but most of the lines of shade Trees |
IRE as vet mere whip stalks, aud lend neither |
5h ade nor beauty to the scene. There are some |
ine gardens, beautiful hedges, and rich or /
chsrCs. VineIaud is only twenty miles from
Delaware Bay and thirty miles from the Allan
tic Ocean. There are no intervening hills, an d |
so the sea breezes sweep over it constantly. |
The temperature is mild and agreeable, and
The water is sweet and good. But it would bs
very easy to fin6 a country village in Northern |
or Central New Jersey, or Westchester County, |
New York, superior to Vineland in pictuS $. |
ueness and looking much more comfortable
aud home life.
If one man could thus plant large and
colony in poor country like that
aere described, what, we may ask, could not
5e done by few energetic men in an earthly
paradise" such as ali who have visited the
Teche country and all Southern and Middle
claim it to BET
This is emphatically an age of deceit and
umbuggery. The papers filed with reports OF |
robbeIes defalcatons, bribery cases,
md the country is deugod with quack nostrums, |
wooden nutmegs paper shoes, etc 1t is therefore inn