The herald., 1896-04-18

estimated that the settlement will num-
| ber 10000 souls when New Year is next
| celebrated there.
1t is an interesting story--thc way
| this project originated. All will remen-
| ber the cry of desti,ution which came
| from Nebraska and the adjoining region
during the winter Of 1S94-95, in conse-
quence of the failure of crops from
draughts during the preceding season.
| At that time the cornbins of the South
ern planters We're abundantly filed: and
it occurred to Mr.. Richard Edmonds,
| editor of the Manufacturers Record, of
| Baltimore. that the South might well
show its sympathy for the Northwest
by sending a train load of provisions and
clothing to relieve the suffering. Hc
7 communicated with Tx-Govefnor Nor
| then. of Georgia, who took charge of
the matter, and as a result twenty-seven
cars loaded with Southern products roll
| ed out of Atlanta one afternoon in the
latter part of January. bound for the
afflicted district The governor soon be-
gan receiving letters of gratitude from
those who had been relieved. Among
these there were some from old soldiers
who had taken up farms In the West,
expressing a wish to come South and
make homes there. Governor Northen
answered that they would receive a
| hearty welcome. and that he would aid
| them in every way possible. This start
| ed the idea.
Z. III. Fitzgerald, of indianapolis. Ind.
r. C. Welch. of Mcpherson. Kans. Pc
ter Dinger. of Gilman, ILL.,. II. c. Miller
of Stanton. Neb, ana j. NJ. .Deniston.
| of Lapaz. Ind, were delegated by Grand
Army posts in their respective states to
visit Georgia and investigate These
| gentlemen made such a favorable re.
port that Il corporation was organized
under the title of the Soldier Colony
Company to buy land and make the
necessary arrangements. The plan de-
c'ded on was that of n stock company.
each colonist paying ten dollars per
share. In return he was to be allowed
| five acres of farming land for each
share, or a lot in the colony town. so
eager was the desire to become mem
berS that $4,000 worth Of the stock had
| been paid for, three months before the
| first settler reached Georgia.
| In August last the movement of the
! veterans to the South land began. AS
nearly all the Western and Northwestern
states are represented, Il dozen or more
families started about the same time
| from their old homes to the new. The
| big farm wagons covered over with tenn
porary roofs of canvas. in the ''prairie
schooner style. formed slow but COM
Portable means of travel. AS the colony
land was not open for settlement until
last September, the immigrants were
| obliged to wait in the vicinity; and for a
month before the opening. over 800
families were encamped about Abbe-
vile and Tifton. the nearest villages.
Since the days of the last corn har-
vest. Fitzgerald has been the Mecca
of hundreds of families. BY twos. by
threes, and by dozens have the white-top-
ped wagons appeared. slowly rolling
along the single highway which leads to
this place. There is but one railroad in
the vicinity. and its nearest station is
six miles distant: vet for two months
several extra freight trains have been
run. loaded with the household effects
Of the settlers.
These people have come from as far
as the northern boundary of, North Da-
kota In fact they represent all parts of
| the great NOrthWeSt,--anda all ordinary
vocations. for mechanics. professional
men, merchants and real estate dealers,
have taken shares as we'll as the farm
ers. The colony does not lack men.
| The old soldiers did not come to Fitz-
gerald for its historic associations. The
principal attractions were the cheapness
of the land, the agreeable climate and
the fertility of the soil. This is in what
| is termed the wire-grass region of Geor-
| gia. but the title is deceptive An in
dustrious farmer with a long-eared
Georgia mule can make barren-looking,
sandy soil yield enough from few
acres to furnish food for himself. his
wife and dozen children. 1t is near
the orchard and vineyard country, and
most Of the tree and bush fruits will