Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-13
SARA sofas C0L0NISTS.
SOME OF THEM ON THEIR WAY
BACK 10 SCOTLAND.

hAGh ~ SAOAA4ANDs
What They say About the New Florida
settlement-They Found Things Dit
ferent from What They Expected
How They Came 10 Leave Their Homes.
John Robinson, one of the Scottish colo
nists who recently located at Sara Sofa,
Fla, stopped in Savannah last night on
his way back to Scotland, He is sturdy,
Intelligent young carpenter, and has, he
says, a wife and three children in Paisley.
Less than a months experience has thor
ougbly disguised the young immigrant
with the locality selected for the Scotch
colony, and he tells doleful story OF the
experience Of himself and fellow settlers.
Nov. % above 100 colonists left Scotland
tor Sara Sofa. They had each agreed to
pay 800 $500, IN installments, for
neat cottage and 40 acres or land at Sara
Sofa. A man named Tate, Of Edinburgh,
got up the colony. Each cOlonist paid
t25 lJ) before starting. Robinson says
that when the party reached Tampa
Tate wanted them TO stay there
awhile. But he and i've others concluded
10 20 on direct 10 sara Sofa. When they
got there, accompanied by Fate, no cot
tages were ready. Work was commenced
at once, and the young carpenter got
job Mt 81 30 a day. Three or four days
later the others arrived. Only two houses
were Obtainable, and the accOmmOda-
lions were very poor, Robinson
states. After the land was
drawn for the colouists we're introduced
to John higgins, who Tate said would
show them their lots il each one would
pay s.. TO this the settlers objected. The
land, it seems, is mainly white sand and
dId not strike the coionIst as being as fer
tile as the circulars warranted them to
expect.
Day by day they grew more discouraged,
and after a little more than u fortnight
one Of the party named Mawry lett.
He had brought over his wife
and seven children Several others
had brought along their wives and
children. Robinson states that about
fifteen had left before he came
away, and he predicted that
within six months all Of the rest will
60 back home. He intimated that the col
0nists are disguised and angry, and some
OF them have threatened Tate. The lots
were to be contiguous, he says,
and four families were to be
located close together. Instead of that
some of the sections are two and three
miles apart. The circulars set forth that
money could be easily and rapidly made
by growing vegetables and oranges.
The colouists expected to get rich
in six years. Robinson says he
was told in New York that
neither he nor his fellOw-countrymen
would like the section 30 which they were
going, as it was not suitable. His father. he
says, ad ised him to inquire of the people
who live around the country where he
was going. what WAS the best thing to do,
what WAS the best crops to plant, etc.
Every one he talked with, he says, except
two, predicted that the colony would not
succeed, and expressed sympathy with
the immigrants.
Coming back, Robinson says that he
was shown some land ten or twelve
miles from the colony. This land looked
to be fertile and productive. He does not
think, though, that any Of the colOnists will
settle elsewhere In this country, so thor.
oughly disbeartened are they by this their
first venture, Every one is well-to-dO, he
says, and has plenty OF money to get back
home. Many Of them gave up good paying
positions to come over here. MawTy was
one Of these. He was the manager of a
large shawl factory at Paisley and had
comfortable salary and a good home.
Robinson says that when he came away
six houses had been finished, a hotel was
about half completed and one or two more
cottages were under way. None of the
portable houses had arrived from New
Orleans. He ascribes the mistake
Of his associates to a too ready ac-
ceptance Of rOseate colOred descrip-
tiOns contained in the circulars sent out
by the promoter of the scheme. He blames
Tate for not giving the cOlonists correct
idea of what they had to expect. and
thinks that the wise thing for cOlonists to
do before leaving comfortable homes for a
new country is to send an agent of their
own choosing to select location and ar
range for accommodations, be does not
doubt that Florida is a growing and pros
porous State. and that there IS plenty of
good land TO be found in it, but he GER
tainly hasn't an excellent opinion of the
land that the colony to which he belongs
purchased of Mr.. Tate.