The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-10-02
SARGE pLUNKETT
Growing Grapes on the Old Red Hills Of
Georgia.
Atlanta Constitution.

far to see what can be accomplished
on the lands of Georgia.
In two miles of the union depot may
be seen little farm that speaks
stronger than words Of what can be
done on Georgia lands. A few years
ago this land had gone to waste.
Ruts made it unsightly and its owner
was moving with all his energy to sell
and set off to Texas. About this time
there came to Atlanta a family Of
French people to work in the factory
This French family hailed from little
village called Natziller, Alsace-Lor-
rainc. When the war was raging be-
tween Napoleon III and the Germans
these people refugeed from Alsace-
Lorraine and took up their abode in
Paris. When the war was ended and
Alsace-Lorraine fell under the govern
ment Of the Germans these people pre-
ferred to come to America rather than
to return to their conquered homes.
They landed in New York city on May
10, 1881, with only 85 cents in their
pockets, house full of small children
and in strange land. A visit to their
home out West Hunter street, just
two miles, and look at their sur
roundings will impress you of what
may be accomplished in Georgia.
It has been just fourteen years since
the old man Bernard purchased this
seyen-acre lot. 1t was considered too
poor to sprout peas at that time, and
rough, red and unsightly, but when l
look upon it now I feel sorry for the
fool "Georgia Cracker" who sold it
for a song and spent the money NOV
ing to Texas. The whole place has
been bearing grapes for number of
years, the Bernards are rich, good
dwellings, barns and a wine cellar
9Ox11O feet, three stories high and full
of wine.
As have stated these people were
refugees from Alsace-Lorraine during
the Franco-German war. When they
landed in New York they were seen
by an agent of the Atlanta cotton fac
tory and made trade to come to
Atlanta. They sold everything they
had to get to Atlanta and there was
not one of them that could speak a
word of English. But they could
work, and the whole family went at
it, and they went to planning to save
and buy few acres. By the aid of
Governor Bullock and the firm Of
Elsas, May & Co., old man Bernard
was enabled to buy this scven-acre
tract and he at once moved upon 1t
and began planting grapes and improv-
ing the land. The children were kept
in the factories for few years, while
the old folks staid at home and tended
the farm. For three years spades and
grubbing hoes was all they used to do
the work that our folks perform with
the plow. Pretty soon, thoug h, the
little farm began to bloom and bios
som and the ruts began to pass away.
They got them cow and pigs, they say,
ed and stinted till pretty soon they had
more COWS and more pigs. A barn
was built and every sprig of grass and
every weed was cured and put in that
barn. Then their grapes began to
bear and they ceased to raise vegeta-
bles, but planted more vines and at
tended to their grapes. Good dwell
ings were soon built and fine wine
cellar, and so they have progressed till
prosperity and comfort crops out in
all their surroundings and to-day they
rate their place as being worth as much
for the growing of grapes as the lands
of France or any other country.
It is pleasure for "goober grab
bier" like me to get with these French
people and hear them talk about that
country and their customs there.
Economy is impressed upon their
young from the very start of life.
Nothing is allowed to 60 to waste.
We old people in Georgia cannot un-
derstand what Saving means with
these people. They would be horri-
fed at seeing crab-grass waist high lay
and rot upon the ground, as has been
seen by every old Georgian and is
common all over Georgia. Where
briars and bushes grow at the end Of
our rows and on the ditch banks, these
people would be growing something of
profit. Their whole system Of life
and of farming is different to ours and
the results prove that they are the
wisest.
They have told me much about
France that I never knew. There the
landowner builds village, as it we're,
something on the order of negro houses
before the war, I think, except that
the French quarters are of brick in
stead of logs, and the people are pea
SAINTS instead of slaves. From these
villages the farming is carried on.
Instead of having fields there as we
have here, they have rows. No mat
ter how large the plantation, man S
crop runs from one side to the other.
A whole crop may be in two or thee
rows and a row may be mile or more
long. Everything is arranged to make
matters equal between " tenants.
Even the matter Of frewood is arrang-
ed so that there is no waste Of ground
or of timber. They have trees, the
Italian poplars, I suppose, growing
on the farms and each tenant is allott-
ed so many of these trees to make his
fuel. At certain time of each year
these trees are trimmed closely and
these sprigs are tied into little bundles
and make the fuel Of France. The
trees are SC ,ong and slender that they
do not shut out any sunshine nor in
terfere with the growing crops. This
sounds strange to Georgia people, who
are used to seeing thousands of timber
rotting in the woods and log heaps
burning in every new ground. The
little twig business would not suit a
regular Georgia cracker, but there is a
suggestion of economy in it that We
might study on and perhaps profit
from.
These French people say that
Georgia is as good country for grapes
as France is. Anyhow, their place is
a thing of beauty and their success
should encourage us all to be satisfied.
All over Georgia are evidences of the
generosity of our old hills. They
will yield freely of many fruits if We
give them the chance. Start in any
1;rootion from Atlanta and once in