The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-27
LIFE IN A FLORIDA COLONY.
EXPERIENCE or AN INDUSTRIOUS MF-
CHiNIC From NEW JERSEY.

The story OF ~ sheet.Iron worter-Wow he
Joined the ~. johns Coiony-Iiis Trip to
the Land Of Flowers What he Says he
Found and How he Says he was Treated.
Mr.. r. G. Bunting Is an industrious sheet
iron worker employed Ivy Mr.. G. J. Knapp.
Rutherford Park Nj He is n young man. was
brought w on n farm. and has worked for Mr..
Knapp about five years. About the lst OF Oc-
tober last he saw In the New York newspapers
an advertisement announcing u meeting Of the
ST. Johns Colony at $50 Broadway. He came to
the city and attended the meeting. From thirty
to forty persons were present. They were
forming or had formed an organization called
the st. Johns Florida Cooperative Colony. It's
object, according to the constitution and by
laws. was to form settlement upon the old
Hernandez Spanish grant on the st. Johns
ser. eghty-flve miles south Of Jacksonville.
This grant. II was said consisted OF 1000 acres
OF the finest quality Of land. The officers Of the
meeting claimed that they had secured suf-
fccnt land to accommodate colony OF $50
members. which they proposed to lay out in
farms Of equal size. rcserving site for city.
Each member was to have farm and city lot.
The initiation fee was IS. and the shares 300.
The 800 was to purchase land stock. imple-
ments. seed. &c. Members wishing TO take
their families with them were to be taxed s25
for n wife. and tl0 for each child between the
ages OF three and fourteen. No member was to
hold more than one share. and 1t was not to be
transferable except by a two-thrd vote OF all the
members. The colony was to buy all stores and
supplies and they were to be sold to the mem
bers at five per cent. above cost. Four months
staple provisions were to be furnished colonists
on their arrival in Florida, and this. with wild
game. fish, vegetables. and fruits. II was said
would last them until the first returns from
their shipments to Northern market. The
officers were to dispose Of the accrued products
for the profit Of the colony. qualified physi-
clan WINS to be q resident medical officer.
Mr.. Bunting opened his eyes and ears. The
machinery of the organization was buried
under descriptions Of the extraordinary fertility
Of the land. Perpetual summer rcgned The
climate was heavenly. Almost any crop would
prove remuncrativc. Three good crops could
be- grown on the same land in one year A good
living couAl not be secured with the same
amount Of labor in any other State From
tl 200 900 to 81 900 900 would be left every win
ter by consumptves who could so to no other
place. Within few years each member could
walk beneath orange, lemon. olive. banana.
and pineapple groves worth fabulous sums
of money And then stories of game. fish. oys-
ters. and nll that imagination could devise was
poured into the honest iron workers noddle.
He saw himself years hence seated on the
facade Of fine mansion. drinking sherbet and
listening to the merry shouts Of children In his
orange groves. He saw himself beneath the
palmettocs. gun in hand. while red deer pranced
around him and nocks OF quail obscured the
IL listened TO tho experience Of parties who
| claimed 10 have been there, and who khew all
about It. Their pictures % Florida delights
were so vivid that he brought his friend Joseph
| Mulley of rutherford Park t. hear them Mr.:
Mullcy Was ais, delighted The two men paid
bcrs Of tho colony. The officers had already
! been elected They were; W. Il. Soheld Frysl-
dent; Charles + griffith SScerg.tary pI' ~
gcon; A. Z. Frisbie. steward; W II. Benson.
/ Quartcrmaster: and Charles hiiby Northern
Before Nulley and Bunting we're admitted 70
membership n commission Ind been sent South
| to examine the land and report To- the society.
/ g. A. Soileld and one Charles ST. Charles were
| the Commissioners. Sonrd was n brother 81
the President and Charles st. Charles is de-
! scribed ~ u dark -compleNiuned man, with
! black hair and eyes who walked Ike a ranger
anpd SAG he 4gd rsecntiy r.igrned isom the
| II the setlcmrnil, and returned about the mid
dc Of November Their cxpcnses were paid 10y
the society. The report WIS roseate. The soil WIS
rich and the land very productive. The most OF
IT. had Gay suh-oi IRON rigntesl ,n'n,s 70
North would grow there. and a great many val
liable fruits and vegetables that could not hf
q wn hrr-. ~ ryinng npp,nrei t. Jump
ren-ou why they should not grow four crops
"a year Wheat was about the only thing TINT
quantity and tn hnc-i fshing in The world wn-
found IN little lakes dotting the lnVOO acres.
! The tract included 500 uOu worth OF pine tim
be-. and "A masuli 'cnt sulphur spring alone
was worth the price 90 tho land. There " r..
enough wild orange trees To- give every settler Z,
grove. and the climate was unsurpn-. ed.
This report created Lrrat enthusiasm and
clerks and mechanics who knew nothing about
planting rushed IN until there were over 100
members. Meantime many Of tho pilgrims
started for tn" promised land The officers said
that they had made arrangements with the Sa-
vannah Steamship Company. giving tho MEM
beers Of the colony a llrst-els- passage for az.
the regular price being s27. Bunting SAYS that
thoy were told that buildings hal already been
erected. and every arrangu mcnt made Tor their
comfort and recommendation. lie and seven
| others loft New York for Savannah on the Her
mann Livingston. Dec. 4. His furniture was
packed up and his family was 10 follow with II
In a few days.
The Livingston was hardly outside Of The Mar
rows before the settlers were ordered to the
steerage. They protested. hut got no salts a'-
ton. To the -teeragr they We're driven. had
never been in place 81 that kind before says
Mr.. Buniingi aud ddn I intend to stay there II
| could help it 50 four of them dubbed to-
gcthcr and gave one Of the stewards s2i togiVe
them bcrths and better food. Otherwise. -
continues MIR. Bunting, We would have heen
treated like hogs all the way down. The stew
ard he says, wanted moro money. but they
coulln't stand II. They laid over in savannah
n day and hall. and were sent to Jacksonville
10y the inside route. From there they went up
the st. Johns. and landed at an apology for "A
wharf on Dee IL. Their trunks were placed in
n wagon. murked