The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1892-09-10
WASTE LAND ON LONG laLAnp.
Hundreds Of Th0nsands of Acres OF I'm
deyelOuad TsrrltoFy

Hundreds of Thousands of Acres of I'm
developed Territory.
II " perhaps needless 10 remind tho
render that there are souIe Az 900 acres
OF waste lands in Suffolk county, Long
/ Island. They arc now covered with
hunted pines, scrub oak and underbrush.
II tillablo these barren acres arc advan.
tagcDusly sitrated for the experiment Of
colonization. The question az 10 their
( possible fertility has been answered both
ways, and it 10 rapidly appearing, II not
already demonstrated, that those who
denied their pr0duetiycnessunder proper
cultivation have been in error. Years
ago Governor John a. Dix called tho
attention Of The New York State Agri-
cultural society to these lands
| Since Governor Dix wrote many sue.
cessful experiments in cultivation Of
these lands have confirmed his judg-
incnt. None Of these can have more in
tcrcst lJr the s0ciolOgist than that Of
tho Bohemian colony. situated midway
between koukonkoma and Sayyille. IA
what IL now n fertile garden spot that
bursts unexpectedly on tho yiew-an
oasis In dense aud dreary Wilderness Of
dwarfod oaks und prolific underbrush.
This community was formed score Of
years ago under circumstances the most
unpromising Near the picturesqde lit
Ito round lake called Ronkonkoma, 80
deep that local legend pronounces it un-
fathomable and whose outlet has never
been discovered lies Lakeland, n hither.
TO wild tract Of scrub and furze, on
which 1t was proposed to establish a
colony. Among those who were in
duced TO purchase land there in the days
when romantically worded advertise
monts described it rs an Eden, were
three Bohemian families who had ar
rived IN this country but short timo
before.
The heads Of these families were John
Kertochvil, Joshua Wayra and Joseph
Ioula They were honest. creduloas
folk, unfamiliar with the wiles of the
boomer and they purchased their
land unseen on his representations. But
when in the waning autumn they and
their wives and little ones behcld Lake
land. its only harvest frost tinted, sun
dried. criHE!ing leaves, their hopes sick
ened and they would have returned TO
New York If they could. But they were
without means to support themselves in
the city. Hence, indifferent where it
might bo found. they sought more prom
ising territory toward the south. and
after wandering distance Of three miles
they ltnclt in the woods to implore di-
vine direction. BY common impulse
they were moved 10 choose the spot
where they thus knelt as the center of
their settlement
The mcu plodded back 10 Lakeland.
and thence lab0riously brought their
personal effects. the more important Of
which were Il canvas tent and a cooking
stove When shelter was thus secured
and an attempt made to kindlo a fire it
was sorrowfully discovered that there
was not match in the colony: and all
Bohemia laughs to this day when the
story i3 told Of Joha KertochviI seizing
his musket and firing the charge into
the CRATE, thus prOyidentially kindling
the fire while running the risk of blow
Ing the precious stove to pieces.
The men found work on the Great
South bay near by. or on the farms of
the southside gentry; and before long
each family dwelt in its primitive hut,
and men and women unitedly labored to
clear the land and prepare it for crop.
The narrative Of their struggle would be
monotouous: Enough that it was sue
cessful Gradually their numbers were
re-enforced by other families of their
countrylnen, until there are now fifty
two houses and $50 settlers in the colony
Pretty little dwellings they are, too, sur
rounded by trim gardens and patches of
land yielding crops of corn, potatoes and
Other vegetables us bountiful as can be
found anywhere.
The area of Bohemiaville is 300 acres,
$50 of which are under cultivation. A
commodious school building and public
hall evidence the progressive spirit of the
villagers, some of whom are old Catho-
les and others Hussites. Both sects have
neat chapels. the Hussite element es-
pousing the forms Of episcopacy under
the superintendonce of the Rev. John II.
Prescott rector Of st, AIMS Episcopal
church, Sayville. Although English is
alone taught in their school, they cling
to their mother tongue and to the Gus
toms of fatherland, while all ardently
cherish the memory of John Huss.-
Harper's Weekly.