Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-11
ONLY RuGRY HAsEAuEn


people in the success of Mr.. Hughes expert
ment in Tennessee to found colony for the
benefit of the unfortunate VIII Wimbles Of
English society. That the effort has failed
is more matter of regret than of surprise to
any who know the species of creature Mr..
Hughes hoped to elevate to the dignity Of
labor. We ourselves once knew, and tried
young fellow, with a winning address, had
received a good education and was possessed
of several accomplishments, was a fascinating
conversationalist and good singer. He had
been sent by his friends to this couRiry, but
although Of good behavior and intelligent,
and with a good deal of ingenuity about
him, work he could not. His activity showed
that he was not idle, but of working he was
incapable. The difficulty was organic. The
inability to work was such as most OF us feel
of inability to preach, or paint pictures, or
write poetry. There were no negro Ministries
then, or he would doubtless have found occu-
patton with them; in sheer desperation he
enlisted for soldier, and, if he did not shoot
himself in despair, no doubt some Indian
lOuHu III his HHC HCdu Ol mar n udUQ-
some scalp. He was Just what Hughes,
drawing from the Spectator, portrays him to
be in his book Rugby, Tennessee: "Will was
one of the deftest of the English race. He was
not only the best man at hunting with pack
of hounds, but was versed in all the handi-
crafts of an idle man. He wove nets, trained
dogs, tied may flies, and furnished the whole
country side with angling rods of his own
make. 1t was impossible not to compassion
ate the honest gentleman, and feel concern
that 50 good a heart and such busy hands
were wholly employed in trihes; that so
much humanity should be of so title benefit to
Others, and SO much industry 50 little advan-
tageous to himself. Will had been tried at
divinity, law and physic, but his genius did
not lie that way, and he was left to his own
inventions" Few respectable English. fam
lilies are without one of these viii Wimbles,
who spend a month or two first with one uncle,
or cousin, or married brother or sister, and
then a month or two with another. Always
good company, always liked, but always a
burden and a trouble. In our own South,
Virginia and other States have had their
viii Wimbles, a class thinned out by
the war. 1t was this amiable, gentle,
useless class that Mr.. Hughes hoped 70
provide for by making Rugby attracLivs
through relieving toll with the alluremente
of social life and refined and intellectual
But Will Wimble is IRE
the horse all day with pair
in the hands, and digging, and
hoeing, and tending the stock, there is little
ability, when night comes, TO enjoy quiet
social pleasure or the elegancies of refined
life. The bones are wearie3, toll has pro-
duced insomnia and rest and sleep demand |
their right, especially from those to whom,
for them, toll is stranger.
The facts have indirectly leaked out from /
time to time, but have never been told with |
the directness that comes from Governor
an interview with whom is de-
tailed in the New Orleans Times, as follows:
The Rugby colony is unfortunately located
and, in the second place, it has been very
badly managed. 1t is not success, and yet
it can hardly be called a failure 1t has
elements OF success, and could, perhaps, be
made a success, il those who have the direc-
ton of the enterprise knew what ought to be
done, and had the necessary determination
and energy to do it. There are about 200
persons in the colony. A few are Germans
and Americans. The great majority are
who are not workers. Many Of
them are younger sons of noble or wealthy
families, and, as a rule, they are thriftless
and dissipated. They have no liking for the
kind of work required of them, or, for that
matter, for any kind of work. They spend
heir tine in hunting, and in play
ing billiards, lawn tennis and in other
kinds of amusement In the be-
ginning there were very high expec-
ati0ns and great enthusiasm INDUCED
N. To meet these expectations self-denial,
thrift and economy were required-qualities
which were not possessed by the colonists
Tde original purchase was 80 600 acres. 1t
is sparsely covered with timber. The land
is poor, the soil being thin and light.
The climate is pleasant and healthy. Many
became disheartened at the outset. They did
not like the idea of work, and they particu-
larly objected to cultivating land that re-
quired so much to make it moderately pro-
ductive. A good many deserted the colony
and went elsewhere TO seek their fortune. l
do not think that there are fifty acres of the
entire tract in cultivation. There are some
small patches of vegetables. The land is
divided into lots ranging from forty TO 100
acres. About forty houses have been erected.
There are several pretentious buildings and
number OF shanties. A church and a school
house have been built, and the company
has constructed fine, graded road from the
colony to the depot, on the Cincinnati South
ern railway. These comprise about all the
improvements there are. There is plenty
of fine iron ore on the land, but the colonists
do not mike any effort to mine it. About
1000 acres Of the tract, containing iron ore,
have been sold to a company that is manu-
iron proftsbly. My impression is
that most of the colonists live on the means
they brought from home or procured from
that source. The colony must be a failure
unless it is more judiciously managed or
passes into wiser and ADLER hands.