Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-11
A COOPERATIVE COLONY.
What is Being Done by n Swiss Com
munity i'm Tennessee.

From the New York Commercial
There are more than one thousand Swiss
people in the Hohenwald colony, recently
settled in Lewis county, Tennessee. II is
one of the most prosperous foreign colonies
in Tennessee, and agents of the colony are
, now in Switzerland securing another col
ony of more than one thousand people, for
which lands have already been provided.
The Hohenwald colony is a cooperative
union, though it is not patterned exactly
like the altruistic town of Ruskin. in Dick
son county, Tennessee The union owns
3o.o9o acres of land. All the colonists are
members of the union. and none bat Swiss
members are allowed 10 join and become
residents of Hohenwald.
The lands are divided into three classes:
No. !, valued at from 81 to s. an acre; No
>, from $40 to 500 an acre. and the union
lands. worth So to so an acre. Each
member has to pay in at least 81 an acre
before he is allowed to participate in the
drawing. If he wants forty acres he must
pay In SO, and put in a like amount Tor
every additional forty acres that he may
want For the purchase Of The union land
twenty cents an acre has to be paid all
nually by each member. There is also an
extra fund Of 500 to he paid into the union
10y each member. to insure the support OF
himself and family, before he is allowed to
settle in the colony.
If a man wants forty acres Of land al an
average price oil - an acre he pays $40
down; the second year he is required to
pay nothing; the third and every succeed
ing year he must pay % per cent until the
land is paid for, the interest on deferred
payments being per cent. Whatever the
price of land. fixed by the committee,
20 per cent is paid in cash, and the remain
der emitting the second year, in four equal
inStallments.
one important feature among the men,
bers of the colony is that every family has
enough TO live on for twelve months or
more, and the new members as they come
in and who not so provided are cor
daily assisted 10y the union. There Is the
greatest abundance OF food and Of the
highest quality daily served upon their
tables.
The colonists have a general store, the
profits Of which are divided among the
resident members Of the union. They have
work stock and utensils belonging to fl IL
Vidual members. Their farms are well
stocked with sheep, hogs, cattle. fowls and
horses, brought here from the north. The
farms already planted with berries,
tomatoes, fruits. potatoes and other veg
etables. They are establishing mea lows
and pastures and planting large vineyards
They are preparing to go into the dairy
business on large scale and make wine
for shipment.
The town site. which has been surveyed
and set aside, contains $50 acres. of which
l'2 acres have already been laid of into
residence lots. Two acres of this will be
offered to Lewis county for public build
iags, for the colonistS have already started
a movement 10 have the county seat moved
10 Hohenwald. The site of the town is
high and very slightly rolling. a large
public park near the town has been re-
served. They nave an attractive depot,
and 1t is crowded with goods all the time
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