The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-07-05
THE WALDENSIANS.
THE STORY OF THEIR SETTLE
MENT.

II1E Jun UT l1Elh De LIE
MENT.
Their Property Was Selected by
Their Own Agents, Was Sold
Them at SO Per Acre on 20
Years Time and at 5 Per Cent.
Correspondence Charlotte Observer
The editor ii the ObserUer is in
receipt of a private letter from friend
at Morganton, a member OF the Nor
canton Land and improvement Co., in
reference to recent publications in this
paper about the Waldensian colonists,
and although the letter is, as will ap-
pear, 4 private one, we feel that it
should be laid before our readers. In
introducing it, we want to. say that
nothing has been further from our
thoughts than to reflect upon the land
company. We have several times
heretofore stated the price and terms
upon which the land in question was
bought, and it goes without saying
that the best agricultural property in
the State can not be had at So per
acre on 20 years time and at 5 per
cent. interest-it would speak very
badly for the State if it could. We
may say further that the members of
this company have been kind, in many
ways not mentioned in the letter, to
the colonists that while the original
contract was for 10000 acres, the
Waldensians feeling afterwards that
this was more than they needed the
company took back half of the land.
This IS the letter referred to, and if
unintentional wrong has been done
the Morganton Land & improvement
Company we think this will set it
straight:
Dear Sir: | am sure you are the
last man in the State who would do an
intentional injustice, and yet | feel
that the expression in your Sundays S
editorial to the effect that the Wal
denses in this county are settled on
sterile land, followed up by an echo of
the same expression in Gen. Barrin-
gers card, and supplemented by Col.
Fred Olds' remarkable distortion of
DR.. TrOn'S letter to Gov. Carr, are,
i'll their combined result, we'll calcu-
lated to work very serions injustice
to those who have been connected with
the establishment Of the Waldensian
colony in Burke. The undertaking, |
may assure you, has been attended
with no little trouble, with the expend-
iture Of many thousands Of dollars in
cash at time when cash is something
of an item, aid with the constantly
added annoyance Of having people pre-
dieting the failure Of the enterprise and
constantly insinuating that we have
entrapped and are now engaged in the
systematic plunder Of too confiding
people.
In the first place, I think that your
Characterization Of the Waldensian
lands as s'steriIe' is bit too sweep
ing. The land is not by any means
the best, and some Of the old fields,
carelessly cultivated and neglected for
many years, are very poor indeed. But
| less than 10 per cent. Of the holdings
of these people is cleared land, and Of
this amount there are several tracts
| which last year bore most excellent
crops. This year the freeze and the
drought and besides the ignorance Of
| the Waldensians in the use Of Ameri-
| can farming implements, have all con-
| spired to make the crops short. Y ct
with all these drawbacks, and before
they have time to clear but very little
tcf@ 4 @J,.of l., Of 1,0
cOlonists will this year make enough to
carry them through the winter. Next
year every one Of them can, am well
assured, make enough for bread, and
when their grape vines, for which all
their lands are remarkably well suited,
begin to bear they will be on safe
ground. [ may add that tobacco-grow-
ers have pronounced the Waldensian
lands as the very finest for the produc-
ton Of yellow tobacco and that some
of the farms are in the celebrated
- frostless belt'' where, until this year
with its phenomenal March blizzard,
the peach and apple crops have never
failed within the memory Of man.
Several Of the Waldcnsian farms are
already orchards of from so to 200
peach and apple trees. The colonists
have large quantities Of fine timber,
which, now.that their houses are about
all finished, and a number Of their men
well trained in operating the steam saw
mill, ought to yield them no little reve-
nue. They have this year, with all
the other work they had on hand, cut
on their lands about $500 worth Of tan
bark, and the bark trees will be con-
verted into lumber and cross-tIes dur
inc the summer and fall.
But apart from all this, it should be
borne in mind that before these colon
lists purchased an acre Of land they sent
committee ofvery intelligent Walden
sian farmers who after inspecting vari-
Gus tracts, selected the Naldese lands.
and recommended their purchase, be-
cause they thought them well adapted
to the needs of their people especially
for grape-growing, and moreover, be-
cause they could be had without pay
inc a cent down in cash, for $500 per
acre on 20 years time, and at ) per
cent interest. The 1900 acre tract O
land on which their village is locat 2,
was purchased from Mr.. w. II. { ,on
nelsy, of Connolly Springs, for ONE
thing over $500 per acre, an adj ,oinin,
tract Of 200 acres was bought a o.
per acre, and farm lying If side tn
boundary was bought at $40 per acre
and it all went in on the 50 90 per acr
basis, and Oh the long tim rate of in
tcrest basis besides. \. steam say
mill was presented To- the colony. an,
since their arriya! mere we have ad
vanced them in Cash te. buy supplies
horses, cattle, mules, wagons and t
| assist IN building their houses nearl
$1,000 in cash, and ha received from
them ali told only 81, 900 on the frs
! payment on their lap ds. The advance
ments we have made to them have al
been IN cash. the accounts have bee
audited and approved by their owl
officers, by DIR. Iron and DR.. Prochet
and we are now advancing them ever
/ month enough money tn br1y Irpa