The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-11-06
Hughes Colonization Scheme

Hughes Colonization Scheme.
Wheeling Sunday Leader.
The great mistake that Mr.. Thos.
Hughes, the English colonization
list tmadein this country was, that
no didn't come 10 West Virginia to
turn loose his imports Of English.
men. The soil Of Tennessee is
good to raise peanuts principally,
but here in West Virginia it will
grow almost anything even il the
grain haste be fired into the hills
with u "nigger shooter" Hughes
scheme, however, has attracted
much attention all over the world,
The London papers have taken
it up and some Of them throw ad-
ditional light on tlosscopean pur-
poses Of the aid TO Land Owner
ship Society in Locating, under
The supervision Of Mr.. Thomas
Hughes, its president, an English
5col0ny&in1 Tenncsscc.= Some:o the
main points in the scheme have
already Ebecn given, but other de:
tails Of interest have .beensfurnish:
ed The London Times by its Phila-
delphiaIcorrcspoldGnt.. It=lias
been already stated that the society
has secured the right 10 purchase,
in :rcompact body lying in Scott,
Morgan, Fcntress and Oycrton
counties, in Eastern Tennessee,
near the northern boundary of the
State, where it adjoins Kentucky,
four hundred thousand acres Of
land (six hundred and twenty-five
square miles. Fifty thousand
acres Of this immense track Of ter
ritory have been bought outright,
At Rugby, the name Of the propos-
ell town which is 10 form the nucle-
us of the new colony, Il hotel, Il
store, a new mill, and several rough
boarding houses are furnished, and
The latter fully occupied. a broad
road, upwards Of six miles in
length, has been graded down to
the line Of the Cincinnati Southern
railway. The store is to DO con-
Quoted by an Englishman, on
the cooperative plan. The
ridge Of land near the town is
adopted to fruit culture, and is 10
be divided into small homesteads
Of forty 10 fifty acres each, to lie de-
voted to this purpose. The settlers
IRE to developc their own land, while
the company undertakes to provide
roads, shool-houses, IL church build
ing for all denominations, II town
hall, hotel md store within the
town, and, in the neighborhood OF
it, the plan provides for cricket
grounds, English garden and parks.
The Englishlnen wlio arc on the
spot have already made and in
closed a lawn tennis ground, and
sent polite challenges TO Cincinnati,
eight hours distant by rail, to play
a match with any club. In the
spring Of the present year an expe-
rimental garden was started by nm
English gardener sent out by the
company, in which Il variety OF
vegetables were grown and have
yielded beautifully. The greater
part Of the Rugby tract is to be de-
voted to cattle raising and dairy
farms until taken up by settlers
for tillage crops. The price Of this
land to colonists has been fixed by
the company at one dollar and
seventy cents per acre, payable BY
installments, twenty-five per cent,
down and the remainder extending
over three years. The settlement
is not to be purely English, but is
open 10 Americans us well as Eng
lishmen, who may either buy
shares or land. Tho emigration
plan, moreover, is not 10 be con-
lined 10 farmers only, but is 10 en-
brace mechanics, mill hands, pro-
fessional men, and all others who
may choose to join it and are will
ing to subscribe 10 the regulations
laid down by the company for the
governance Of The colony and its
protection from improper influences
The London EeOnOmist, in comment
ing on the proposed colony, ex-
presses. a grave doubt whether It will
succeed. "Though the man con-
lent 10 labor with his own hands
may doubtless DO WE'LL" it says,
we fear that the man who hopes
% employ his capital may not find
bis position equally good" 1t cite,
Lh fart thuf aNnouI nt1nu has nn,,