The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-01-15
swiss i'm Tennessee.


E. V. Smalley, of the New York
Tribune, writes as follows concerning
the Swiss colony in ,irundy county,
Tennessee:
1t may be said that these swiss COL
onists have done nothing remarkable
that thousands of emigrants from
the old world have won for themselves
comfort and independence by a few
years labor IN the Western States.
But these people came empty-handed,
save for little household gear; they
went into the forest, upon lands de-
spised by the natives because it would
not produce corn or cotton; the COM
munity about them haa in il no germ
of energy and growth such as all Yves
tern communities possess, so that they
received no stimulus or aid from sur
rounding progress and prosperity.
Thus they had many drawbacks, ana
no advantages save those which come
from habits of patient industry and
wise economy. 1t seems to me that
their success under these circnmstan-
ces s peculiarly creditable. Ii is de-
monstration, too, of the value of the
Cumberland Plateau lands, and an
encouragement to Northern farmers
who may be attracted hither by the
agreeable and healthful climate.
Wild land in the immediate neighbor-
hood of Gruetli can be bought for
dollar an acre. The cost of clearing
and fencing. if done by contract, is
ten dollars per acre. For orchards
and vineyards the ground must of
course be thoroughly cleared, but for
root crops and small grains it is
enough to girdle the trees and take oft
the undsrbush of which there is but a
very small quantity, and the pasture
land need not be cleared at all, for
the wild grass grows abundantly in
the woods. Cattle require no feeding
for eight or nine months of the year,
and with a little corn fodder 10 supple
ment the dried grass of the natural
woodland pastures, do very well dur
ing the winter season. The special
value of the lands on this part Of the
plateau, as on the other portions |
have visited, is for embarrassing, wool
growing and fruit culture. The Swiss
have shown, however, that nothing is
needed but deep ploughing and lit
tie manure to produce good croos of
wheat, oats and rye. From what !
have seen and can learn by enquiry,
am disposed 10 think that there is no
great difference in the quality of the
soil of disappearance of the. plateau
country in the counties Of Fentress,
Cumberland, Van Buren,, Bledsoe and
Grundy-that is to say, in Il belt eX-
tending from the Kentucky line al
most to the southern boundary of
Tennessee. Settlers would, therefore,
do we'll TO select locations convenient
to railroads. They can get upon the
eastern side of the ''Table" ut many
points within ten miles of the new
Cincinnati Southern Road, which will
soon open for travel, and ON the ives
tern side can find good situations not
much further from the McNIinnviile
branch of the Nashville and Chalta>
nooga Road The only railroad run
ming upon the liable" is the railroad
from the Tracy City mines to Cowan,
station OH the Nashville and Chatta
nooga. The owners of this road are
DESTROYS of settling the country, and
will make liberal concessions to immi-
grants, transporting their goods at
merely nominal rates, and giving them
good and cheap facilities for getting
heir products to market.