New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-27
THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU
IT'S CLAIMS TO SETTLEMENT.


SOIL, ACCESSIBILITY AND PoPULAToS OF HE
REGION
fFRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE1
KIsNEr, Morgan Co., Tenn, Dec 14.No sensible
man would make Winter iaunt to the mountains
of East Tennessee tor pleasure. nor would q news
paper correspondent come hero at this unprOpirous
season in the expectation of finding enough inter-
esting pecuiarties in the political social coudi
lions of the people TO compensate for the fatigue
and expense of long journey. / feel bound.
therefore. TO make SOME explanation of the motive
Of nv trip before asking the reader to concern him
self further the experiences and observations IL
may develop. The object, them ia to find, if post
bic, tract Of cheap land suitable for immediate
settlement By a colony of from fifty 10 a hundred
Northern families OF very moderate means. Now
the transfer of handful of people from section
OF the country 70 another is not of itself affair
of any importance, but the movement con-
meets Itself with the question Of emigration
from the North to the South. a question
destined 10 become one of great importance
soon as the new ands of the West are occupied
which will be much sooner tlan most Eastern peo-
pie think-and the political intolerance Of the
South becomes further modified. l venture TO as
s'me that VIII possess interest for the read
ers Of rHE TEIBUNE. This special enterprise orig
mated in a meeting Of benevolent and public spr
tied gentlemen, including several well-knowD cler-
gymen held in New-Yorlo last spring The need Of
some agency to help the industrious unemployed
or insufiiciently employed poor 10 get ont Of the
city, and upon the soil where they could create for
themselves homes and iudep endent lines, dis
cussed and a society was formed called the New
York Cooperative Colony Aid Association. The
word cooperative was put Tito the title because
several OF the founders OF the society believed that
Tie principle OF cooperation could he advantage
ously introduced in agricultural colonies 10 some ex
tent--just how far they did not know; but they
wanted to see the experiment made Of drawing he
people a new settlement close together in their
social and industrial relations without. however
giving I'D the principle Of individual ownership Of
bomesteads and separate family life. Some uio
oian ideas attached themselves 20 the society at
first but the friction of practical with theoretical
minds. soon eliminated such notions. and the asso-
citation settled down TO the undertaking Of organ
izing and planting an experimental colony.
The financial side Of the project was as follows
Capital 10 be subscribed sufficient to buy land, i'm
plements, some stock. erect temporary buildings
and support such OF the colonists might be with
out means lntIl crops could BE- raissd-the money
to be repaid in annual instruments after two years
With a moderate interest, either by the colony
corporation by the coloniss separately, as might
be subsequently determined. All speculative fea-
tures were carefully avoided. 1t was agreed that
all profit from increase IN the value of the land
should 40 to the colonists and that the caDita sub
scr bed should have no claim 10 security for
repayment with the ordinary rate OF interest. No
one engaged in the enterprise would have touched
it,. e had involved land speculation such as lies
Mt the bottom OF most so-called colony schemes
After While people began 70 make application to
be enrolled az coolists. With scarcely eVcep
ton they were men whose faces guarantees Of
good character and industry. Some were farmers
OF hai.been in early life others mechanics and
operatives. All had an intelligent comprehension
of what they wanted to do. They believed they
could prosper IL they could 90 upon good low-prced
land to which they could impart a constantly in
creasing value BY their labor They did not want to
start out alone they desired to go a body. for
mutual help In pioneer life and for social and educa
tiona advantages. When the question Of q location
was discuss d, thew said they dreaded the rco-s IF
a Northwestern Winter. and did not think well Of
the Far West because of its distance from markets
and Of what they had read Of it, droug gifts and grass
hoppers. They would he best suited. they thought.
with Southern locality. # it were net too far
South-snch, for instance as West Virginia, North
Carolina or Tennessee. Then came letters from
people in New York, New-England. Pennsylvania
and Ohio-inostly farmers IN comfortable circum
stances-saying they wanted TO move south, but
did not care 70 UNDERGO social and political isolation
for the sake Of a milder climate. l. a colony
going they desired to ioin il. Thus the project be-
came so far crystallzed that decision 10 site
for the colony the nexr thing IN order. Then 10
was determined that effort should be made to
find a suitable tract of land in East Tennessee
The advantages for Northern settlement which
expected to find in this section the following:
Elyst-Cbeap lands-ln essential consideration 70
settlers of small means who must earn their farms
by the labor they put upon them. Stretching across
the State from the Valley Of the Cumberland to that
of the Tennessee is broad belt of tabeland having
an elevation of from 1000 to 1000 feet above the
sea level In the first settlement of the country
emigration followed the river courses and left this
plateau ign and dry above its living tides. Later
a scanty population climbed its sides and scattered
over its broad expanse. Hundreds Of thousands Of
acres are still in their primitive condition. covered
with oak openings aud used if at all. only as
cattle ranges Large tracts of this land ara on the
market at prices ranging from II to 50 An acre.
Secoad-A mild climate. All things considered,
more agreeable climate scarcely be found in
the United States than that of the Cumberland
Plateau Its altitude makes the Summers cooler
than those OF New-Y)rk, and its latitude gives
bright open Winters with li;tle snow and early
Springs favorable to farm work.
Tlird-Heath, and especially freedom from mala-
rous influences which sap the strength and cour-
age of so many settlers IN the West.
FourA-Adsptability of soil and climate 20 gen.
eral farming, as practised in the North. including
cultivation of grains roots and fruits ard the rails
ing Of CATTLE sheep and hogs. Most Northern people
who have gone South To raise cotton have failed.
The true policy for emigrant is 10 30 to a section
where he can best do what ne best knows how 10
do. The kind of farming be has been accustomed to
in his old home is the kind he will be most likely
TO succeed at IN a new situation.
Fifh-RailwHy facilities and proximity TO good
markets. Compared with the States west of the
Mississippi. East tennessee lies WITHIN easy reach
of Baltimore. PhladeD nia and New-foTk. The
.l.Li-.r S..uLL.