The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-11
TO POPULATE HEISLAND
THE WILKINsoH COUNTY COLONY
ON IT'S WAY HEaB.

The Oemler Oyster Compauy's Plar
to Settle Wilmington Island Will
People From Interior Georgia
Four Thousand Cans of Oysters Be
ing Turned Out Daily Now and the
Number to Be Increased 20 10000
This Month.
The Oemler Oyster Compsny's Wilkinson
county colony. which will settle on VIII
mingtOn Island, will leave Gordon to-mor-
row night and will arrive in Savannah
| Wednesday morning. The oyster COM
pany's steamer Camusi will meet the
! colony at the Central railroad wharves and
the colonists and their baggage will be
transferred to the steamer and will be
taken at once TO the island, where they will
be domiciled in the cottages the company
has built for them. Thsre are about sixty
people 10 the colony. They will be given
lands to cultivate as their own, aud the
oyster company viii take the product Of
their gardens for canning purposes.
Eleven cottages hsve 50 far been built for
the colony and more will be built should
they be required. Besides the cottages the
company has erected a large barracks for
the unmarried men aud the colored people.
49, SSNSASAS al q q sSpA NAa9o VI BCbPAC anu
the company proposes 20 offer them every
advantage that it is possible to offer them
in the way Of opportunities for education
and religious training. A school will be
provided for the children. The old church
on the island will be repaired and the set
tiers will be provided with all the comforts
and coaVeniences that they can expect.
The entire families, men, women and
children, will be given employment by the
oyster company. Besides this the fertile
soil of the island offers opportunities for the
raising OF vegetables in abundance.
The company is about to establish
vegetable canning factory in connection
with its oyster canning, and will offer
market for all the vegetables that can be
raised on the island and many more. DR..
Oemler said yesterday that the company
will advertise in a short time for contracts
to supply vegetables for the next seasons
pack.
As soon as the colonists get settled they
will begin work in the oyster trade. The
women and the older boys and girls will be
given work shucki1g and packing. A good
sized boy can earn as much as man shuck-
ing oysters, and can do the work equally as
well, while the work Of packing the oysters
and Labelling the cans is well suited to the
girls.
The oyster company hopes now to in
crease its output to 10000 cans day. It Is
at present turning out 1000 cans. The
factory has a capacity of 25. 900 cans and it
hopes TO reach that output as soon as it is
able to secure the necessary help ito do the
work.
The company is also about to begin the
canning of terrapin The experiment has
been tried and has proved very successful
The canned terrapin has been pronounced
delicious by those who have tried it.
The securing of the settlers from Wilkin-
son county, tine company expects will bring
other settlers here and it will secure all the
help it wants in a short time. The plan
that has been adopted is being carried out
under the direction of Col, John Screven,
PRESIDENT of the Oemler Oyster Company,
and by Dr.. Oemler himself, who
have given good deal of thought to the
matter aud who are sanguine that it will
solve the difficulty the company has had so
far, and which it was likely to have in the
securing of labor.