The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-01
THE FITZGERALD COLONY
THEY ARE ARRIVING N WILCOX
AND IRWIN COUNTIES.

LaHu-lhe New Town 10 he called
After Him-South Georgia TO BE the
Garden of the state.
Abbevine. Ca, Aug. sl.-Only a few OF
the colonist who are to be located in VIII
cox and Irwin counties are here. Some
Of them are at present in Abbeville and
others are elsewhere in the country
wherever they could secure houses. The
colony viii be located in the extreme
southeast portion Of Wilcox and the
northern part of Irwin. Some twenty
miles south of Abbeville.
They could not have selected better
farming lands or more healthy section
The soil is very productive. and easily
titled. These lands nave clay sub-soil.
and its lasting qualities are undisDuted.
What a pleasant change for those who
come from the bleak plains Of the north
west, where the winters are severe, and
fuel scarce, TO sunny old Georgia, where
the summers are pleasant and the winters
are mild, and the supply of wood at their
very door. is unlimited. In this section
vegetables can be gathered from the gar
dens every month in the year.
In this section every conner can be
pleased. If he prefers TO settle upon a
hill, the hill is here to greet him. If he
prefers gentle, rolling lands, he will be
pleased If he wants high. level land. he
will find hundreds of acres. II he wishes
low land along ever-fowing creeks, he viii
ind it awaiting him. one who could not
be pleased in location on this company's
lands could not be pleased anywhere and
should be termed an incurable chronic
kicker. The land of this company is not
yet ready for the colonist. The company
will be joint stock company. The shares
are sold for SO each. The company have
asked for a charter, and Judge c. G.
Smith of this circuit will be here next
Tuesday to hear petitioners and grant
charter The charter will be for six years,
and the company will terminate at expira-
tion of their charter. and its business
settled up. Every settler viii be a stock
owner.
Mr.. p H. Fitzgerald, the president OF
the company. is at present in the north
west. but will be here Tuesday next. Mr..
J. O. Curry is looking after the business
OF the company. He has an office here.
and ii is the busiest place in
town. EX-Gov. W. j. Northen
makes Mr.. Curries office his headquarters.
He is busy every day buying lands. He
buys all the land for the company. The
company agrees to pay Gov. Northen
they are to pay him $50 per acre for the
land, regardless of cost price. He has
purchased little over $1,000 acres and has
an option on that much more, which he
is paying for as fast as he can see the
parties who own it,
The governor is the right man In the
right place He is enthused with South
Georgia, and he says il is the coming sec
tion of the state and will soon be the
garden spot of the south. lie is a hard
worker, and tireless In his efforts. If he
wishes 10 see any one he does not let dis
lance nor bad roads deter him. Some
times he is out until late at night in a
buggy, and up and on the road early next
morning. Mr. J. r. Monroe of Abbeville
is Gov. Northen's able assistant lie has
put in some hard work. He secured the
option on all the lands for Gov. Northen.
and he has taken large amount of stock
in the company.
The largest purchase Of lands from one
party was from Drew Bros, 1900 acres,
followed by purchase of 10000 acres from
Judge r. v Bowen. Many of the colo
nists are union soldiers and they will
draw pensions amounting to 100000 an
nually As soon as the charter is grant
ed the lands will be surveyed into lots
TO suit purchasers, and 1900 acres Will
be laid off in town lots. The streets will
be wide, and, doubtless, IL viii be one of
the best laid off towns in the south. The
site for the township has not been Sc
lected. nor has the name been suggested,
bU it is thought that one of the most APP
propriate names that could be given, is
Northen City, complimentary to ex-Gov.
Northen.
The colonists will begin to arrive in fun
force about Oct. 1. 1t is claimed that many
of the colonists are worth from $1,000 to
$4,000 The company has a capital of
5000 They Will expend $35O,OOO in buy
In fnnF,
ments, Saw mills and other industries
will be established. Schools and churches
will be established. Those who have come
have met with warm reception from the
good people of this section, and a genu-
inc old Georgia welcome awaits
those yet TO come. Mr. II. c. Smith,
one of the colOnist says they have come
TO make their home in Georgia and 10
make good citizens for Georgia.
He is a union veteran and says he was
a member of the One Hundred and TWEEN
ty-seventh Illinois Regiment and belong
ed to the Fifteenth Army Corps, under
Gen. Sherman, and was in the march
through Georgia. Now he has marched
to Georgia to become one of her good
citizens
Mr. Smith says that during the march
through Georgia he helped drive the beef
cattle of the army, and when near Sa-
vannah he saw a lady standing at the
front gate of her home, which they We're
passing He wished to appear a little
smart so he addressed her thus: Hello
sis; don't you want a beef?' She re-
Piled Yes" He told her to open the
gate and he would drive one of the larg-
est he had in. She told him to drive
around to the lot, which he did. The
lady thanked him, and requested him to
come back to her home TO supper and as
he went into camp on the old Haber-
sham plantation, only mile away, he ac-
cepted the kind invitation, and he was
nicely entertained and invited to come
back to breakfast, and when he went
back to breakfast the lady told him she
had sold the COW for sos and Of
fered to give him $50 of 1t,
but he declined it. He says he would walk
from here to Savannah any time if he
could only see the lady to whom he gave
the beef He has forgotten her name. Mr.
Smith is highly pleased with this sec
ton, and is almost a full-fedged Georgian
already. He seems to have made many
friends here in a short time.
Savannah will be the seaport of the
colonists, and they doubtless viii transact
their business through the banks of Sa-
vannah.
Every one in this SETON is extremely