Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-30
THE EDITOR WAS IN ERROR.
MT. P. Sid Jones Corrects Statement in
 Trade Journal.

MT. P. Sid Jones Corrects Statement in a Trade Journal.
 MT. P. Sid Jones recently addressed the | following letter to the editor of the | Southern Lumberman, Nashville, Tenn: Dear Sir: In your issue of the 1st in- stant, under the head of "Colonizing in | the South," you state broadly that all the colonies planted in the south have proven failures. This, presume, was | written in all probability before you had l taken the time and trouble to make a personal investigation, and while I can call your attention to several exceptions l to your statement in the way of prosper ous colonies along the line of our road, l will ask for space to refer to only one or two that you are possibly familiar with.
 Some twenty years ago Colonel Gull man, a political refugee from Germany, | located on Sand mountain, on the Louis vile and Nashville road, and started a | colony of Germans. This colony built | the town of Cullman, Cullman county, | Ala. About 2500 population live in the l corporate limits, and is considered by us railroad people to be among the best l towns of it's size along the line, and to verify this fact I would respectfully refer you to any travelling salesman travelling out of your city. Surrounding this town about 40o0 hardy Germans, with their 1 families, are living. They have their l own homes, are very prosperous in ag- ricultural pursuits and in diversified rais- | ing of fruits and berries.
 | The wine industry alone at this point | is a success beyond question: Now, If l this was not success, and a perfect one. long ere this, this location would have reverted itself into its original wilder undesirable land at that time along the | line of our road), but through their early education and with the persistency to the end sought to be attained, they have | surely brought good results, for they nave stuck to their lands and made them give excellent results. Enough for Gull man.
 I desire further to call your attention I to the fact that within the past year I have established another colony on our
 line in Chiffon county. Alabama. This Is a Scandinavian colony, composed of en- | terprising young farmers from Iowa,
 I Minnesota and the Dakotas- This prom l ises to be equal in every respect to the | Cullman colony. They are building a town called Thorsby. They have already built a nice hotel, two store houses. saw mill and blacksmith and wagon shop, and I others are coming in, Already seventy families are on the ground. are happy l and contented. They. up to this time, l have set out about 10000 grape vines, l together with other fruits.
 | l attflDuIo tHiS success 10 the Iact that
 they are in @ colony of themselves. where I they are among their friends. have their own schools and churches and are as | much at home here in the south as they I were back in their cold northern homes. | I am satisfied, after having given this l matter considerable thought. that the
 I only successful way to keep these people l here in the south Is by colonization: oth- l erwise they become homesck and in a
 short time return to the scenes of their | childhood. A living demonstration is
 right here at hand. where man that I brought from Dakota Is having a hard l time to keep his wife and seven children | from pulling up friends and returning to
 l their Dakota friends. simply from the
 1 fact that they are strangers in a strange l land"
 | could carry this subject on at length. l hut simply wish fo call your attention to those two especial facts.
 Trusting you will give me space re-
 I ferred to I am. respectfully.
 P. STD yONES. zn Charge of immigration.