Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-15
4 COLONY OF PENSIONERS Something About the New Town
 of Fitzgerald, Ga. SETTLED BY OLD SOLDIERS Of the Union Army-The People Now on the Ground Represent Thirty-Hve
 States.
Jacksonville Times-Union.


 An old soldiers colony has been estab- lished in Irwin county, Georgia, at the crossing of the Brunswick and Western and the Georgia Southern and Florida railroads. and where a few weeks ago there was nothing but the virgin pine forest there are now 1500 people.
 This colony is made up of old soldiers, who draw pensions from the government, and their families. It was originated by P. H. Fitzgerald of Indianapolis, Ind. a pension agent who. for the past three years, has been working with this object in view.
 "The colonists have decided to call their magic city Fitzgerald" said a prominent railroad man. It is near the postoffice, formerly known as Swan, In pafrwin county, Twenty-Five miles north east of Triton, but now the postoflce IS known as Fitzgerald. The colonists pur- chased seventy acres of pine land, ana have plotted a city of 1000 acres, which is rapidly being settled by pensioners of the United States government In Sep tember the town site was in the pine woods, unmarked. It is now pelng cleared and will soon be built up. Ten days ago there were 120 colonists at F1tz- gerald. Last Thursday. when was there. there were 1500 people llVing at Fitzgerald By December there Will pc at least 5000 people there. and by January 1. 1896, 1t is expected that l00OO people will be settled in the town.
 The people now on the ground repre- sent thirty-five states and others are coming from nearly every state Tn the union Each of these persons draws d pension of from $20 to $SO per month. The colony expects to draw a total ln- come of $f,O00000 per year, which Will be spent in this locality. The colonists ia1 tn 10 IapiSlat t1rP of CeOr- gia for a charter for the city of f1tZger- aid. and they intend to shortly have the county site located there. A court house is to be built and also an opera house. There are now already in Fitzgerald four butcher shops, six restaurants and two barber shops. Other places of business are to be established. The residents of the new town are now living in tents and slab huts awaiting the allotment of bonds, which will take place in few days The building lots will be assigned and the settlers will then tear down the shanties and build comfortable houses. The average cost of these houses will be $500.
 The larger portion of the settlers came from west of the Mississippi river and travelled to Fitzgerald in covered wagons. They are fine body of people and are ready to begin work at once.
 The plan is cooperative one, and each person will select an individual lot. The alternate lots in the town site are to be sold to outsiders, who will have no inter- est in the land originally selected.
 Negotiations are now pending with the Western Union Telegraph company, and 1t Is expected that telegraph station will soon be established.
 Several thousand acres outside of the town tracts are to be plotted into lots of five acres each to be transformed into gardens and truck farms by the colonists, and later a large percentage of the lands is to be cleared up and used as truck farms The colonists at present on the ground are perfectly satisfied. The wo- men say they are .contented, and the prospects are that the colony will be big success.
 A majority of the colonsts have lived in a cold climate and have raised wheat The extreme cold weather and the low price of the cereal have discouraged them They have removed to warm climate, and all are satisfied. They have an ample income, and care nothing for crops at present. It is in reality a pen- sionerS city.