Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-12-27
COMMISSIONER HAWKINS ON THE
RUGBY COLONY.
We find the following letter from
Commissioner Hawkins in the New
York Tribune of Dec. oath;

We ind the following letter from
Commissioner Hawkins in the New
York Tribune Of Dec. oath:
Having read in the newspaper
press various and contradictory
statements 10 regard 10 the con
dition and prospects of the English
colony at Rugby, IN Morgan County,
this State, l recently paid visit to
the settlement for the purpose of as
certaining its true condition and
prospects.
The colony is located on the Cum
berland Plateau. The climate is sa-
luxurious and the location beautiful.
The town is seven miles west Of the
Cincinnati Southern Railroad. The
soil is of a light, sandy character,
resting upon a stratum of yellowish
| clay, which in turn rests upon fri
able sandstone. The forest growth
consists of various kinds of
oak, intermingled with yellow and
white pine. The surface of the
country is gently undulating, but oc~
casionally gashed with deep hollow.
/ Within few niles of the settlement
valuable coalmines Rave been opened,
and are now being worked with profit.
The settlement contains some fifty or
sixty residences. Some of these
structures are scarcely more than
shanties, while others are of more
pretentious character There are also
several Offices, store houses, church
and other buildings A road has
been graded from Rugby to the rail
road at Sedgemoor, q distance of
seven miles, and at some points has
been covered with broken stone.
Some small pieces of ground have
been inclosed and attempts at cult
Walton were made during the past
Year.
! There seems to have been a de-
plorable want of executive ability in
the management, want Of adoption
OF the means to the ends. Failing
apparently to comprehend the differ
ence between the proper manages
ment of an old estate III England
and settlement in the wilds of
America, the directors have blun-
dered sadly. Perhaps their mis-
takes were natural, but they were
none the less injurious. Despite,
however, the misfortune and the
Encouragement which have so
seriously retarded the progress of
the colony, it is not just to pros
nounce the enterprise failure. 1t
is true that it has failed to meet the
extravagaDt expectations of over-san-
guine enthusiasts who fondiy
dreamed of an Arcadia upon this
lofty plateau, but there are still in
this enterprise abundant elements OF
success. The location is beauti>
full, the climate is glorious, the
atmosphere .exhilarating, the sci
is capable of profitable cultivation
and the development of the Goa
mines may be made source OF great
wealth. The zone thing needful
is for the management to compre-
bend the genius of this country, anc
to adopt a wiser and more liberal pol
icy, a policy which will stimulate in
stead of repress individual enter
prise, encourage settlement, pro
mote harmony and develop the re
sources of the country. L predic
, the ultimate success Of this enter
, prise. How soon this prediction
Shall be fulfilled viii depend upol
the readiness with which the genera
line of policy which 4 have hastil..
sketched, shall be adopted. Th'
stockholders and proprietors canno
afford to fail They must and vii
find the way to success. -
A. w. HAWKINS, 2
Commissioner of Agriculture
Nashville, Tenn, Dec. 2, 1881.