Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-09
NEGRO COLONIES.
4 Novel Picture of the Towns Where the
People Get Along Without
Money or Banks.
Colonies Worked by CoIOred Men On the
Cooperation Principle with
Excellent Success.

Yesterday afternoon an APPEAL reporter
| met j. W. Miles, an intelligent colOred man
| who Tor several years has been engaged IN
| the work Of establishing negro colonies. He
| only remained in the city day. From him
| the reporter obtsined an interesting account
OF the Nicodemus colony in Kansas, as well
as some facts regarding the establishment
recently OF a colony in Arkansas. For sey-
erai years the colored people have had gilt
| tering inducements held out to them to
change homes. Agents have been at work
trying to take the negro from the South, his
| real home. Mr.. Niles now is working against
| this movement. He is doing all he to
keep the negro in the South, and with this
object in view he is now doing what he can
for the colony in Lee county, Ark, and Is or
ganizing a society OF colored men to take
homesteads there.
NICoDENIUs COLONY.
''Were you with the Nicodemus colony?"
asked the reporter.
followed them as a spectator at first.
They were under the leadership of preacher
Morris Bell, who deserted them as soon as
their troubles thickened upon them. Nico-
demus colony was started by negroes from
Kentucky, principally. 1t had very hard
time at first The coonists mostly got there
without a cent of money in their pockets
and starvation stared them in the face. |
fed them for twelve months myself in order
to give them a start. They have learned
"To LIVE WITHOUT MONEY"
What sort Of place is Nicodemus?"
at contains some 365 homes, and il located
in Graham county, Kansas, the district being
known Solomon's valley. When Bell de-
serted the colony l brought it out OF its
trouble. They have two churches there, one
public school, one subscription school, post
Office and several stores"
"What do they do for meney?"
well, they raise corn, pumpkins and
vegetables, and meet every Saturday night
and
EXCHANGE COMMODITIES"
They give vegetables and other produc-
tions for drugs, clothing, and so on. / never
knew before that men could live without
money. For three years after the colony
started there was not team in 1t, and the
men worked entirely with picks and spades.
The colonists were of the worst class of ne
groes from Kentucky. Many of them went
in order 10 live easily off the community.
Now they are transformed into Woodworking
farmers, thus showing, "a | have always
claimed, that there was something to be made
even out OF the lowest negro"
WHITE sNIDEs.
"Do the colored people own the stores?'
"Not all of them. Some of the 'snides'
would creep in. The colony had hardly been
started before several white men plum from
Massachusetts put in an appearance and
opened up their little stores"
"What sort OF government have they?"
"a regular township government, the prin-
cipal officer being township trustee, who is
a negro"
"Did you have any help the first year,"
eyes, sir; we were helped some by several
Southern men,"
PROGRESS COLONY.
Sin what condition is the colony in Lee
county, Arkansas"
at is in first-rate condition and is almost
a second Nicodemus. The negroes of South
Carolina, Alabama, and in some parts of
Tennessee, have been wanting to go to Kan
sas. l have been working to check that
movement, because the negro is aclimsted to
the South, and Kansas not being timbered,
and being all prairie, is rather too cold for
the Southern darky's blood. A good many
have consequently gone to Arkansas.
ABOUT sIXTY-FIvE PERSONS
have taken homesteads of los acres each
The colony is called Progress, and is located
on the Helena and Iron Mountain railroad,
the town being on good high place, but the
general land being in the swamps. The
people seem to prefer the swamp land, be-
cause no matter how bad the drouth is they
can always raise something there. A few
stores and land Office have been built and
several others are in process of erection. AS
soon as the foods subside the people are 60
ing to have a church and school combined"
Such movements as these ought to benefit
the negro considerably. Mr.. Niles certainly
draws a novel picture of the life in the col
onies, reminding one OF the primitive times
before the invention of money.