Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-27

lure Oh @@O,VOV 4Eaucss surety thnb Oh gu
terprise for a capitalist. How much CAPT.
tai in the form OF hard cash does Young
Grevy possessg Just ten five franc pieces.
That is his cash in hand for q building pro-
jeet involving the employment of 100000
francs. However, he Is equal to the situa-
ton. He provides his working capital.
which he puts at !, 200 francs, by securing
the cooperation of twenty-three other per-
sons, seven of whom. are women In
his enterprise, each having so francs,
the men representing several of the me-
chanical trades, as carpenters, masons,
blacksmiths and painters. This combination
supplied him with both the labor and capital
for his undertaking. He now pays cash for
FIVE acres OF the one thousand acre field, the
owrer at the same time covenanting to sell
him the remainder OF it In lots of twenty
acres more or less for cash down each and
every week. The land being secured, ten
OF the company are set to putting up house
number one. But of course the important
thing now is to secure q market for 1t, and
the one hundred and ninety-nine others
that are to follow as they are completed.
And upon this the success of the entire
undertaking depended. In providing
this market young Grevy shows consum-
mate genius. The simplicity of the means
surprises US. To make his market, the
value of the homestead all complete, as
above described, is represented by $500
shares of one franc each, and to create q
market for the shares themselves, % per cent.
OF the face value of all the shares sold upon
anv given day are on the evening of that
same day allotted In various sums among
the holders of the shares sold on that day,
each share being entitled to but one chance
of such dividend, and the 1900 shares are
distributed among the members Of the com
pany 70 dispose of as best they may.
fEWhfla the rnanh uiac and vaudOrc ora
busy in their respective spheres, let us look
at these two features of the undertaking,
namely, the daily dividend which, be it OBJ
served, was provided for by the three hun
dred francs added over and above the cost
of land, building, tools and provisions to
each homestead, and the members of the
company being constituted the vendors of
the shares. 1t would be difficult for one In
dividual to dispose of fifteen hundred such
uted among twenty four persons each ones
share of the work is easily accomplished;
he may subdivide them among his friends,
which would leave only a few for each
one to dispose of-simply an evenings
pastime. But, again, the daily divi-
dend insured its being continually before
the people, aud there is something in hu-
man nature that makes us always eager to
try our lot,' the opportunity presenting
pie methods young Grevy sold his houses
readily without expendiDg single sou in
advertising them.
"They were two weeks disposing of the
first fifteen hundred shares, but as soon as
they had sold seven hundred of them, work
was commenced upon house number two.
When the fifteen hundred shares were sold,
the certificates of them were all put into
the urn together, and the first name drawn
l. l.
claim deed of It. A fete at the expense Of
the company, consisting of music, dancing
and some simple and inexpensive refresh
ment, followed the drawing, and it was an
nounced that a similar fete would be given
upon the sale of each house. This simple
device again done wonders to popularize and
secure the success of the undertaking
The young fellow who was unable
to purchase q share of the building com
parry and so secure a place at NJ. Grevy's
fete, had, we may rest assured, an exceed.
ing small chance among the bellies of Meaux
at that time. The second fifteen hundred
shares were sold In one week, and in the
fourth week OF the undertaking four houses
were built and disposed of in the manner
just described. And so the process was
continued until the last OF the two hundred
houses was built and sold, which was ac-
cOmplished within a year of the inception
of the undertaking by the young unem-
plCyed workingman With just ten five franc
pieces that he could call his own. Such is
the true story of the origin Of the French
Credit Mobiher system of finance. By
simple and natural com bInation of movable
or available credits a confidence and
popular cooperation on working
capital of only twelve hundred francs, i5
had given steady employment to seventeen
men and seven women, the latter In dispos-
ing OF the shares and the clerical work Incl
dent to the enterprise for nearly an entire
year, besides netting them nearly 1000 per
cent. on their capital as members of the
company, and created taxable property
worth a quarter of a million OF francs
This was It's immediate visible results, to
say nothing of the pleasure IL had afforded
those whom it had brought together in
social intercourse and the impetus # had
given to the detected and stagnant energies
of Meaux. Over and above this it demon
strates general truth which 1t would be
well for all statesmen and philanthropists TO
recognize; that is, that every large commu-
nifty possesses all the elements of successful
life within itself, and that those vital ener-
gies lay with the mass of the people,"
Any word from me upon the subject, SIR,
after the above would be superfluous. ANY
French system which receives such con-
mendation from an English Tory newsps-
per deserves careful consideration from
those who would build up society at the
South. There must be something practical
in a system that will supply cottages to
French factory people, or construct trans
continental railroad in America as may be re-
quired of it. Now, sir, what young Grew
done for MeauX the same can be done
for Savannah, or any other Southern com
munity by adopting his method. And
for bringing settlers to the South
no better system can possibly be
desired. 1t moves with the certainty and
regularity of time itself. Given locality
suitable for Northern settlers, two or four
families take possession of it, and certain as
the coming weeks so come the allotted num-
Der of new settlers to form congenial So
ciety with them. There Is no uncertainty
about II; there is no question of exchanging
pleasant, social surroundings North for the
privations Of wilderness in Georgia. The
most advanced settlers know that acceptable
society is closely following them, and the
head of the family knows the number of
weeks when he may take up his old employ
ment in his new home, while the settlement
itself is continually expanding and without
confusion or disappointment, or priVatious
to its members becomes centre of various
industries, and an influential community In
the space Of a few brief years. The build
ing up of a dozen such communities might
be carried on simultaneously, for it is to be
remembered the system is a most elastic
one. It deals with hundreds or with mil
lions with equal facility, according to the
capacity and the experience of those who
employ it.
In conclusion, sir, it is obvious to remark
that 1t must be self. evident to anyone ac-
customed to such affairs that, having nearly
60 900 square miles of territory, with a soil
and climate unsurpassed Il equalled for
human habitatfon upon the face of the
whole globe, with railroads intersecting at
reasonable and proper intervals throughout
its whole vast extent, with lines of steam
ships connecting 1t with all the great coast
cities of the North, and yet containing only
twenty human beings to the square mile,
for its basis of operation a State
of Georgia Colonizing Association
conducted intelligently, energeti-
cally and honestly upon the French
system of popular co operation above de-
scribed would, In short time, create new
and frst-class order of investments and
securities in the English speaking industrial
and business worlds. The homestead shares
would meet the wants of investors of humble
means, while the stock of the association
would provide safe and profitable invest
ments for even the most wealthy. But, sir,
If 1t would accomplish these things the assO-
citation should adopt for it's motto the old
proverb, ''EsGh1d non sine EaboTe,'' for certain
1t is In this, as with other desirable things,
"success is not gained without effort"
am, sir, thankfully, your obliged serv't,
w. H. CANNON
MARSHALL HOUSE.