Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-09
LAYING OUT THE CITY.
WHERE OGLETH ORPE GOT HIS
IDEAS FOR THE PLAN.

AE0tA mn via W ork on - 4 ne ttklA6 Of the
APcients'-His Selection III the City :
Site and Arrangement Of the streets
The Town, Garden, and Farm Lots.
Mr.. William Harden, Librarian Of the
Georgia Historical Society, in an inter
esting paper on the origin Of the plan Of
Savannah, which he read before the
society on Monday evening, says
Concerning the manner in which Ogle-
thorpe set 20 work, or the methods used
by him, In designing a plan for the hrst
settlement which he proposed 10 make
on Georgia sOll. and the laying out OF the
town OF savannah immediately Mier tho
arrival OF the colouiats he Information
which we have Is very meagre.
Briefly related. all that we know is
contained I'm hls first letter 30 the trustees
in London and the account given by an
early vOvager % Georgia. In his letter
Ogiethorpe SAYS: 81 fixed upon healthy
situation about ten miles from the sea.
The river here forms "a hai-mOOn, along
the south side OF which the banks are
about 40 foot high, and on the top fiat
which they call bluff. The plain high
ground extends into the country i've or
six miles and along the river side about
a mile. Upon the river side, IN
the centre Of this plain, l have laid out
the town. = Till the 7th February
we were taken up In unloading and
making crane which ! then could not
get finished, so took of the hands and set
some 10 the Notifications, and bean TO
fell the woods. 1 marked out the town
and common. Half Of the former is
already cleared, and the first house was
begun yesterday in the afternoon"
Commenting on his arrangements for
the comfort and convenience Of his people,
one of his biographers," speaking of
affairs In the colony LITTLE later, says:
'His imagination depleted a populous
city, with large square for markets and
other public purposes IN every quarter;
wide ana regular streets, crossing each
other at right angles and shaded by rows
OF noble trees. The forty rough wooden
houses. the best o. which now served as
place OF public worship and as school
for the children, would give way to dura-
bic and stately abodes; and above the
foliage would arise the towers and spires
OF numerous churches. So his first plan
of Savannah was in accordance with his
provisions Of the future; and, even in
his own lifetime, his expectations we're in
a great degree realized but not so COM
pletely as afterwards"
MARKING OUT THE STREETS.
Having made all his preparations, as
Indicated in the letter from which / have
already quoted, In the way of clearing up
the streets, the bay and the one square
which be had laid of and named Johnson,
in honor OF Gov. Robert Johnson, OF South
Carolina, VINO did much tor the welfare Of
- colony, OglethOrpe called his people
gether on july 7, 1888, to complete his
'Wrk OF laying out the town upon a
dc%aite plan, marking out four wards,
each containing four tythings. naming
the same, as well as the streets, and
assigning to each person town lot, gar
den lot and farm. In connection with the
settlement at savannah, and for the pur-
pose Of supplying the colOnists with
fruit trees and vines for their
own planting in the future, ORle-
thorpe laid out a,public garden, TO the east
OF the town, containing ten acres, which
is fully described by Mr.. Francis Moore,
In his voyage TO Georgia, Begun in the
Year 1885," from which description ]
take the following brief extracts: ''rhere
is near the town a garden belonging to
the trustees, consisting Of ten acres the
situation is delightful, one half Of it ia
upon the top OF hill, the foot Of which
the river Savannah washes, and from it
you see the woody islands in the sea.
The garden is laid out with cross
walks, planted With orange trees.
In the squares between the walks were
vast quantities OF mulberry trees, this
being u nursery for all the province. and
every planter that desires 1t has young
trees given him gratis. from this nursery.
Besides the mulberry trees |
there are In some quarters in the
coolest part OF the garden all kinds OF
fruit trees usual IN England, such as
apples. pears, etc. In another quarter
are olives, figs, vines. p0megTanates. and |
such fruits as are natural 10 the warmest
parts Of Europe. At the bottom Of the
hill, we'll sheltered from the north wind,
and in the warmest part OF the garden,
there was a collection OF West India
plants and trees, etc.
BEGINNING WORK.
This is in substance about all the infor-
NATION OF which we are possessed in re-
gard 20 the laying out Of the town and
Its Surroundings, and, as II is my purpose
70 endeavOr 10 show where OglethOrpe got
some, at least OF his ideas IA designing a
plan for savannah, 1t is for that reason
that have been thus explicit.
That be had carefully prepared his plan
after giving much time 10 the subject and
thinking well upon il, there can be no
question. IL is interesting, therefore, to
Inquire into this matter OF his fashi0ning
q design upon which the first settlement
IN the colony was based, and the way I'm
which he went 10 work IN respect 10 the
same. 1t is reasonable to suppose that
when he conceived the idea Of establishing
colony for the relief Of the distressed
and the needy, and whsn he had secured
Tor 10 a charter, he went 10 work I'm earn
est, arranging for the founding Of a home
for his people, looking. all the time, 10
their health, comfort and general welfare:
that, for this purpose. he con-
suited authorities in such matters,
searched the works OF writers OF known
ability, and, possibly, made a collection
Oi books from which he might gain intor- !
nation or gather hints for the carrying
out Of ideas Of his own. We may never |
know 20 what extent he car /
1iod his inquiries or 10 whom /
be went for advice aud ooun. |
lsel. or how many books he consulted OF |
gathered up m his search for information, |
or even how much of The design, as
adopted, originated with him; but think |
that can furnish n clue by which We can |
discover one probable scource from which |
DC sought Information and from which he !
may possibly have derived many hints. /
THE PLAN NOT WHOLLY ORIGINAL.
There ~ ia this library a heavy folio
volume, which, when IL first came from
the press aud left the BINDERS hands.
hnust have been considered an elegant
and sumptuOus work, but which now
shows plainly the marke OF age. 10 was
printed in London for rs author, Robert
COstell, ia the year lbs. The book bears
the title, 1.-THE Villas Of the Aucients H.
Illustrated" and appended 70 10 is a list Of
La. Us. a.af4 q IN