The morning news., 1897-08-29
THE GRANT TIC MONTGOMERY.
TIE BEAUTIES OF GEORGIA AS
TOLD OF $50 YEARS AGO,

Climate end Scenery as Seen at
That EARLY Day.
From the Kansas City Star.
One hundred and eighty years ago. on
June 10. 1I17, the lords proprieto-s of Car
olina bestowed upon a Scotch baronet,
Sir Robert Montgomery his heirs and as
signs forever, the land lying south of the
| Savannah river the land which subse-
quently became the state of Georgia The
Margravate of Azilis," was, however, the
name by which it was named, in the year
! 1u7.
! The grant bestowing the land upon Sir
Robert required him to settle the country
within three years, and in order to carry
out the conditions of the grant, that an
| cient prospector issued tract for the
! oeSuilng of emigrants for that new co..
| ony he hoped TO found beyond seas. This
| tract would be interesting reading. If
! only as history, on account OF the in
| sight 1t affords into the ideas held at that
| time regarding this new continent. IL
| has another interest for the enterprsing
| American as displaying the methods then
! in use for promoting real estate boom
! But as a piece Of literature it makes its
| chief claim to attention. illustrating as it
| does, the ancient use of many words
! employed to-day in a somewhat different
| sense, as may be noted in the following
| extracts:
The title given to the prospectus by its
| author Sir Robert Montgomery, baronet
| is "A Discourse Concerning the Design
ed Establishment of a New Colony to the
| South of Tarolina i'm the Most Delight
| ful Country Of the Universe"
The "DiscoIrse" opens in lofty and self
confident style: 1T will, perhaps, afford
| some satisfaction 10 the gentlemen OF
| Carolina to know that my design arises
not from any sudden motive but a strong
bent Of genius l inherit from my ances-
J tors, one of whom was among those
! knights of Nova Scotia purposely created
near hundred years ago for settling
| Scots colony n America. The humor
| descended and ran down with the blood;
for my father together with some other
gentlemen, entered into measures for es-
| tabhshing a settlement on Port Royal
| river in South Carolina. The charming
| descript ons, which on this last occasion
| | met with, of the natural sweetness and
beauties of Carolina. inspired me with an
early affection to Il al place, In particu-
| lar"
After this follows the grant, as given
| to Sir Robert by the lords proprietary
| of Carolina, and an explanation of the
| baronets intentions in the undertaking
! but that Is all prosaic enough; the really
|
| to "A Description of the Country"
That happy land ls bounded eastward
| by the great Atlantic sea. Florida, of
which it is a part. received its name from
| its delightful II 1rid and agreea BILE appear
| ance." And here follows a bit of eigh-
| teenth century booming: "It has been
| commonly observed that gay descriptions
| of new countries raise a doubt of their
| sincerity. To shun the prejudice of this
| opinion, whatever shall be said upon the
| subject here is all extract from our Eng
| lish writers, who universally agree that
| Carolina, and especially in it's southern
| bounds Is the most amiable country of
| the universe; that nature has not bless
| the world with any tract which can be
preferable to it: that paradise, with all
| her virgin beauties may be modestly sup
| posed at most but equal to its native eX-
| cellencies. II lies in the same latitude
| with Palestine herself, that promised Ca
! naan, which was pointed out by Gods
| own choice to bless the labors of fav-
orite people. 1t abounds with rivers
woods and meadows. It's gentle hills are
| full Of mines. lead, copper, iron and even
| some of silver; tits beautiful with oderif-
erous plants. green all the year Pine
| cedar cypress, oak, elm, ash or walnut
| with innumerable other sorts, both fruit
or timber trees grow everywhere so pleas
antly that though they meet at top and
| shade the traveller they are at the same
time so distant In their bod
| les and so free from un-
derwood OF bushes that the deer and
other game, which feed in droves along
| these forests. may be often seen near
half a mile betwc& them.
The air is healthy and the soil in gen
eral fruitful and of infinite variety; vines.
ma aturally 1ourishing upon the hills. bear
grapes in most luxuriant plenty. They
| have every growth which we possess in
! England and almost everything that Eng
land wants besides The orange and the
| lemon thrive in the same common orchard
| with the apple AMI the pear tree, plums
| peaches, apricots and nectdTines bear
| from stones in three years growing. The
| planters raise large orchards of these
| fruits to feed their hogs with; wheat ears
| have been measured there seven inches
| long and they have barley. beans, peas,
| rice and all our grains roots. herbs and
| flowers. not 10 speak Of numbers of their
| own, which we can find no names for;
| beef, mutton, pork tame poultry, wild
| fowl, sea and river fish are all there
plentiful, and most al lower rates than
in the cheapest parts OF Wales or Scot
! land.
"The many lakes and pretty rivulets
| throughout the province breed a multi
| tude OF geese and other water fowl; the
| air Is found so temperate and the seasons
| Of the year so vciy regular that there is
| no excess OF neat or tOldt nor any ShhhtH
| alterations in the weather; the river banks
are covered with a strange variety OF
| lovely trees. which. being always green
present a thousond landscapes TO the
eye so fine and so diversified that the
| sight Is entirely charmed with them; the
ground lies slopng towards the rivers
but at a distance rises gradually and in
| termingles like hills Of wood with fruit
ful plains all covered over with wild fiow-
ers and not a tree 10 interrupt the pros
pect. Nor ls this tempting country yet
Inhabited. except those parts in the pos
sesslon OF the English, unless by here
and there q tribe OF wandering Indians
wild and ignorant all artless and uncul-
iivated as the soil which fosters them"
The next section Of this captivating
pamphlet treats "Of the Form Proposed
in Settling" The hrst lines relate 10
what immediate measures will be taken
FOR security against the insults OF the ma
lives during the Infancy of our affairs
Small defense is strong against the poor
unslillfui natives OF America" After Civ
ing a general plan for fertilization. the
author turns TO more engaging topics
1T will not. however. be- amiss. a. you