New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-23
PIONEERS IN TENNESSEE.
RUGBY COLONY AND IFS ENvIReys.


1 THE EATIvEs-RUGBY AS A HEALTH RESORT.
iFRoM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUNE.l
RUGBY, Teun., Feb. 8.-Rugby is in Morgan
County, Tenn, seven miles west of the Cincinnati
Southern Railway ia miles from Chattanooga. ant
POI miles from Cincinnati. 1t is settlement o
about 200 persons of whom one-third are English
| There are many persons here from the New-EDganC
and other Northern States. There is fairly COCO
hotel. with for thirty guests. 1t il
nearly always overcrowded. Most of the buildings
thus far are temporary structures; few people
are even living in tents, Some newcomers arrive
every day, and there is much prospecting" golnG
| on There is much talk about this place throughout
| Tennessee and the adjacent States, and one comes
now and then upon some remarkable information
regarding it, The latest rumor is already IN print
and is to the effect that Mr. Thomas Hughes and the
other English propretors greatly dissatisfied
with this country, and that they have determined
TO remove the entire enterprise to Minnesota In the
/ spring. | find here that there is no foundation
whatever for this story. have just seen a letter
| from Mr.. Hughes, received here within the past
week, in which he announces that he intends TO
build house here in the spring
The Board of AID to Land Owners has acquired
the title to $4,000 acres of land in body the
| Cumberland Table Land. or the Plateau. as it is
usually called here. Besides this several hundred
Thousand acres are bonded to tho Board that the
propTetOrs can make very extensive additional pur-
ciases on favorable terms If they decide to do So
| The table land embraces about five thousand one
hundred square miles. This point, Rugby is 1900
feet above the level of the sea- The soil cannot be
called rIch If it is compared with the fertile lands
of Ohio. Indiana and Illinois, 1t is chiefly composed
of clay and has strong CLAY subsOL. 1t is there.
fore very retentive of manures All fertzinR sub
stances put into the soil stay there, and exert their
full force upon it, 1t q far better country for
farming than any region be which possesses
sandy subsoil. Thus it is superior IN quality TO
Southern New-Jersey and to much of the land in
Delaware and Maryland, as is obvious TO
petent observer, both from the appearance of
the soil and from the character Of the timber
it, This consists here mostlyOf black oak, white
oak, yellow and white pine. poplar hickory some
maple. and various other trees Tho land IS well
watered by many small streams ana by two larger
ones near this point, Clear Fork and White Oak
Rivers. The whole country is underlaid by sand
stone, which Is easily accessible for binding pur-
poses. The coal measures are also very extensive
and coal is mined at various points, but not vet in
large quantities. though it would be easy TO do this
in many places. Springs are numerous over the en-
tire plateau and the water Is very fine. The larger
streams have cut down through the sandstone until
they now flow at the bottom of canOns from 100
to 200 feet in depth. The scenery along these IS
wild and beautiful
The surface of the country Is a. rolling "a is con-
sistent with general agriculture but the central
table land is nearly eveand there cover much Of
this region. and indeed in the part of It owned by
tho Board Of Aid. large tracts of better soil than
immediately around the town Of Rugby.
Before the Cincinnati Southern Railway was con.
structed much of this region was an un oxen forest
r,.ra 90 -.
taneers who lived mostly by hunting and by the
labor Of tier women. The country had not been
penetrated by modern civilization or the progress
sve methods of modern life and business. There
were a few scattered Enpshmen on the table land
and some small German settlement. But the
country asleep and had scarcely changed |
IN percepuble degree in fifty years. |
Until the railroad made change the people pro- |
duced and manufactured nearly everything that |
they required for subsistence. They grew their own
cotton aud WOOL carded. spun and wove these fbrrs
into clothing, tanned tho hides OF their cattle ard
of the mountain deer made their own shoes aud 80
on through the whole list (not long onel of the
neceesarles of ie They had TO buy coffee and used
it pentifuy. but they needed money for little be-
sides. One snll bomespun clothing everywhere
among "the natives"
EFFECT OF IHK ENGLISH COLONY.
here il producing many changes. The first and the
most obvious effects are hose winch will arse IRON
the expenditure of large amodnt of money III pay
ment for labor. Since the beginning OF the enter
prise nearly hundred tho usand dollars have been
expended most OF it for lapor aud nearly all the
work il done by the native inhabitants of this region
A good road has been graded from Rugby to Sedgc-
moor a station Ton the company's audJ on the GIN.
Southern Railway. at a cost of about
ga 900, aud nearly all the work of clearing the
town site. and drawing materials and supplies Las
been done by the people of the country. Very few
men have yet here. from England or the
Northern States, for the purpose OF engaging in real
manual labor. The young Engishmen mostly came
TO spend money. Some Of them may go TO work |
but what they will do. and how long they will re-
main in this region, seem 20 mo rather uncertain |
The young men from this region who bring IN their
OK teams and work steadily, some of them do
arc making q good thing ont Of IT," as
they say. Tho labor IS not so valuable
rs that Of good hands in the North
Western States. Most OF the men seem averse 70
steady. longcontinued application; they work for
a while and then are off. Most of the forenoon or
overseers of work from the Eastern or Northern
States and they are buying lots the town and are
likely to remain. But the native population Is not
likely, think, to be assmilafed in any great de-
gree, or influenced directly. or In intellectual or
social ways. by the settlement at Rugby One dol
lar per day is paid for work, and TINS IL probably
rather more than it is worth About sat 900 worth
Of land has been sold, $25,0O0 worth in ihs town
and the remainder in land for farming in the ada
cent forest. There are no cleared lands. Farming
and is sold at from SO to $40 per acre. according TO
location; town lots from So TO 1925. 5Ox1OO feet
u SIZE.
Nearly all supplies for the table are bought in
Cincinnati Pine and poplar lumber costs $12 per
900 here; wood 81 per cord. A railroad will |
probably soon be constructed from Sedgemnor viz |