Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-10
THE MEMORABLE july FROST
That Foil Forty Years Ago. and with
cred one of Horace Greeley's Fond

back OF this place, and gave the death
blow to one of Horace Greeley's most
cherished schemes, and left him nearly
s12,OC0 poorer. Ia 1872 Mahlon Cooley
owned 1900 acres Of land, five miles in
lard from the Delaware river, st Lacka-
waXeh. OF this, 80 acres were
cleared and under cultivation. The
remainder was woodland. A branch Of
the ShohOla creek ran through the prop
erty. On this creek Cooley bad "a saw
hill and q gTist mill. Near the mills were
q frame house and a log house. These
improvements comprised the village OF
GOdleyYille The stream WAS alive with
the finest specimens Of trout The sur
rounding hills were equally well pro-
Vided with the liyeliest and largest Of ratr
tlesnakes. The soil was rough and rocky,
but capable of being made fairly produc-
tive after much hard labor. There was in
those days no wilder spot anywhere in
Pike county.
About that time cooperation in its va
tiOus forms was attracting much atten-
ton and Horace Greeley became one Of its
most enthusiastic advocates. BY lectures
and in has newspaper he urged the com
mon ownership OF property and equal
division OF labor. To give practical Illus
tration Of their belief and sincerity in the
idea, ne, with others. organized TIE sylvia
mia Society. on the Fourierite theory Of
corporation, and in 1872 purchased the
wild and isolated Cooley property
In Pike county as fit place 70
test the experiment. To join
the society or colony it was neces-
sary to purchase at least one share Of
stock, which cost S25. There We're many
eminent people vino took stock in the
colony fer the purpose of aiding in the
test OF the principle on which IL was or
ganiZed. Edwin Forrest owned a number
OF shares, and paid several visits JO the
colony 10 note its Workings and progress.
Edward II. Dixon, since famous as the
editor Of the Sc1lpcl, Vas a member. Mrs.
George Law was subscriber, ana took
an active interest IN the society Edward
Courtright. of Albany and the Rev J. ID.
Williamson, bOtn leading men OF that day,
Were members MIR. Greeley was the
largest stakeholder, having $4,000 in
vested.
When the society took possession Of
Godleyyille they improved the mills, and
erected an immense frame structure.
which contained the living apartment OF
the members, common dining hall, "A
social hall. aud work rooms A wagon
makers shop, blacksmith shop, shoe shop
and other manufacturing establishments
were set going. In 1854 the colony
numbered 800, and seemed TO be progress
ing finely. No stated religious instruction
was allowed, and any preacher could be
invited 70 preach in the hall to all who
chose to listen to him. Great attention
was paid TO social amusements, and
dances and parties We're OF weekly Oc-
currence, and were largely attended by
outsiders for miles around. There
were weekly lectures on popular
subjects, Mr.. Greeley himself
visiting the colony frequently and
delivering addresses. In "A social and in
t-llectual way the singular colony in the
wilderness progressed smoothly. but the
tabor problem disturbed 10. The colony
Was governed by board of twelve di-
reeiors, chosen by the members The
board assigned lab0rers for the different
branches OF work in what we're known as
groups. One group was assigned to
pl0winc, another 10 telling trees, another
60 laying wall, and so on, until all the
duties We're provided for. The female
mFmllrs We're divided in the same way
10 attend to the domestic duties of the so
cety. The principle OF equality in labor
was followed by changing the labor
groups from one branch OF work 10 an
other day by day. The mechanics, and
all who were skilled IN labor, had their
especial duties.
number Of rich and prominent families
In New YORK took advantage OF the colony
as sort Of rei0rmatory for their way
ward sons. They eagerly bought stock in
the colony, and shipped to the care Of the
society material which they could do
nothing with themselves, merely TO get IT
OF their hands. These Young men had
never done any work. aud had natural
antipathy 10 do it. Such an clement in
M. Hs.f.
duty Of all could not help but be "A dis
turbing one. Then there was trouble
with the female members. The most OF
them were women who had never done
manual labor. aud when such found
themselves assigned 10 "A days duty AT
the washtub their com plants and Oppo-
eitiOn to such d system were loud and
emphatic.
The dissatisfaction caused by these
clashing views Of the duty and dignity OF
labor was something that H. was hoped
time would remove, but when the
trst seasons crops, upon which reliance
was placed for the support Of the colony.
Independent OF ourside resources, were
grown and housed, aud found 10 be ut
terly Inadequate, the very foundation of
the colony was endangered lew with
drew from the society. The prevalence
Of rattlesnakes frightened more away.
Ohe member OF the colony brought in
seventeen large rattlers in one day. one Of
these serpents was SO large that John
DutIOn, the foreman Of the cOionyis shoe
shops, had the skin tanned, and he then
made from II a pair OF slippers, which
he presented TO Mr.. Greeley on his next
visit.
After IL became apparent that the tilla-
bic area Of the sOciety's land was not
equal 70 supplying IL with necessary sup
plies, the members went 10 work with "A
Will TO increase II, and the planting for
the season Of loi5 was nearly double what
II had been previously. Good markets
had been found for the shoes aud wagons
that were made by the colony. aud al
though individual capital had been sad Y
drawn upon, tue prospects that the colony
would be selt-suppOrting during lS45 were
50 cheering that the members remaining
looked hopefully into the future. The
crops never looked better, In all respects.
than they did in the summer
of 1876, but when the colony
awoke on the morning Of the Fourth OF
July Of that year, nothing was be seen
but a blackened waste Of field. garden
and orchard. Not a living thing remained
on All the tract. The heaviest and most
deadly frost that was ever known before
or since In that region had destroyed all
remaining hope for the colony's exist
ence. Starvation stared sue cOlonists in
the face, and In two days OF all that busy
community among the Pike. county hills
not a single soul remained. Each one
had taken bis personal goods and ch u