Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-23
TRIALS OF CoLoNIsTs.
n Polish Gentleman Relates BIS Early
Experience in America.

Experience in America.
From the Neac York Star.
Polish gentleman who is thoroughly
familiar with the practical workings of
the colony plan, which the United Poles
Association of America will adopt for the
benefit Of the 10000 exiles who expect to
reach this country IN April, explained it
fully at the last meeting of the New York
branch of the association which took
place Sunday night at No. 3S West Six
teeth street. Having been an emigrant
and cOlOnist he also gave a detailed &C
count OF the life of this class of citizens.
He said: ITO any one unacquainted
with the difficulties that beset an emil
grant II would probably seem the simplest
thing in the world to leave Europe, come
to America ana gain a competence IN
very short space OF time. People who
argue in this way forget that in nine
cases out of ten the emigrant reaches
Castle Garden with only a small bundle
and no money. He usually knows moth
ing OF the ways of Americans, and cannot
SPEAK their language. He is surrounded
by sbarpers on all sides, and has very
hard time until he has been here several
months.
Every emigrant who comes to this
country without friends has nearly the
same experience. The company with
which 1 came over thirty years ago landed
in New York without money or friends,
and had a particularly hard time. Most
OF us had one advantage over the ordi-
nary emigraut, however, in that we were
educated and enlightened, having be-
lOnGed to the upper class in Poland be-
fore that country was under the woke OF
the combined Observation-Disclosures
Governments. We had held number OF
meetings on shipboard on the voyage
over, and determined in some way TO get
into one OF the Western States and plant
abolish colony there.
"Americaas, and notably New Orkers,
who had heard of the Old World oppres-
sion, and knew of our coming to the land
OF freedom, took care that we did not
suffer while waiting TO get means enough
to reach Minnesota, which had been de
cided upon as the place where we W IT,
TO build UP new homes and rear our
children. Many people now living eX-
tended to us all the aid and assistance III
their power, SO that gradually we all
reached the Minnesota settlement.
1.-The life Of colOnist is hard enough
when he has sufficient means TO make the
land yield the necessities Of life, but IN
our case, when he had nothing, il WAS eX-
tremely difficult Every thing went well
with the colony, however, until the first
winter, which, as it happened was an
unusually severe one. Few OF us were
sufficiently clothed and housed to with
stand cold weather, and the suffering was
terrible. Many died. Those VINO sur
vived early In the spring packed ND their
meager belongings and went to Texas,
where the Polish colony exists in -four
isbing condition to-day.
AT the outbreak of the civil war many
of the Poles, including myself, joined the
army. Alter a very short service as
private, / came to New York and or
gained a company that fought through
the entire war. The Poles in this
country are all the more eager to assist
the eXiles who are coming over in April,
because they know from actual expert
ence what the hardships are. Minnesota
would undoubtedly be chosen as the
place for the new Poland, we're it not for
the severity of the climate, to which
Prussian Poles are not accustomed. 1t
is thought that the new colony will be
established as the first was in Texas. As
to the life Of the cOlOnst, il depends al
together upon himself after the first year.
1.-The is industrious, he can succeed and
do well. In about live years colony Of
any nationality ceases to exist, as it by
that time becomes thoroughly acclima-
TIED