The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-06
HISTORIC OLD PLANTATIONS.
Purchased by n shaker Colony from
Union village, Ohio.

Union Village, Ohio.
Brunswick, Ga, Feb. 5.-The recent pur-
chase made here by the Shaker colony
gives possession to this society of broth
ers and sisters two of the most historic
places in Georgia. The Abama and Hope
ton plantations, which the Shakers have
acquired were formerly owned and oper>
ated by John Copper and James Hamilton
Copper, Esq. of Glynn They are locat-
ed on the Altamaha river, some thirteen
miles from Brunswick. Before the war
the property was valued at $500. 900. After
The war both places passed into the hands
of r. w. Corbin of Seventh avenue, KIe-
Der, Paris. France Il was from Mr.. Cor
bin that the Shakers secured the grounds
and buildings. There are about 800
acres of magnificent land much of which
is cleared and can easily be put in shape
for cultivation For the entire holdings
the Shakers paid $4,000. They will ex-
pend $4,000 additional in improvements.
These will include complete buildings.
fences, etc, for cattle ranges and blooded
stock, which will be raised extensively.
Inc colony at present consists of three
Drothers and three sisters, headed by Elder
j. X. Slingerland, who is minister and
trustee of the Union Village community
or Union Village, O. They declare their
Delet that Southwest Georgia is unrivaL
ca In temperature and adaptablity of soft
Tor farming purposes in all its branches.
1t is their intention TO extend their colony
ana eventually move all the
shaker communities 10 Georgia
This will mean an influx of settlers rival
ing the Fitzgerald colony In numbers and
composed OF the thriftiest and most moral
type OF people one could wish for
In their Glynn county home the Shak-
ers have secured that around which the
romance OF history of Georgia's early
Gays cllngs Altama and Hopeton, under
the guiding hand of James Hamilton Cou-
per and his sturdy brother. were opened
ABOUT the year 1875 They were originally
intended for sugar plantations and for
several years sugar cane was the chief
crop cultivated, after which came cotton
ana then rice On these places which
nnally became James Hamilton Couper's
sole property, We're worked $50 slaves In
IoIf ABOUT LOO acres of swamp land was
cleared and ditched and this added to the
Ola nelds gave him a rice plantation of
immense proportions. simultaneously with
the plantlng of this new land extensive
rice works were added to the sugar mills
ana for fortyodd years Couper success
tuliy managed his place. The war came
"a "iN HesIoyeu much that Copper
owned, besides freeing the hundreds ~
slaves who yielded wealth to their former
owner. In 1868. Mr.. Corbin came into pos
session or the property. and until the re-
cent transfer has held 1t intact except
Tor the inroads that time and the eIe
ments have made Upon 1t.
Coupers residence at Honeton u,ss do
stroyed by fire some years ago but the
one at Altama remains. They were both
VeiltaDIe mansions, two stories high buiIt
OF prick and marble, and maryeIs Of arch
itectural skill, while strength and durabiI-
i.S are prominent features of the construc-
tiol, Inc Coupers made them winter
headquarters, and all the rice planters of
TINS section annually gathered to eniov
Inc hospitality of the owners. Thronrh
an open doorway can be seen two i'm
mense rows of trees, some iftv wards
apart their branches meeting overhead
ana forming canopy through which the
sun rays struggle to reach the green
sword underneath. At the farther end Of
TINS avenue the ruins of the plantation hos
pital stand, mute evidence of the time
Wlefe SICK slaves received medical aid
from the masters physician. To the
right, TAR above a group of cedars. rises
me RUNS or Couper's once famous mills
INehcs or the past bear evidence Of the
luxury the Coupers dwelt amongst Tho
enormous mills, with machinery imported
direct from Sheffield, England costing
then a sum which would be considered q
fortune in these days. and the mill house
covering fulIy half acre of
grounds, all tell of how freely
money was spent by Georgia s
carry settlers. Looking down from the
nights of the Old mill walls an artists
picture OF nature can be realized. There
Is a flash of water disclosing the course
OF Coupers canal, green rushes and wa
ter Niles, green turf sparkling with the
dew of morning and for years untouched
by the foot of man. and slopes that shely,4
downward and enclose the grand old wv
covered ruins; an emerald landsca De on
one side and wrinkled sparkling rib
Don OF water on the ether while above
BIRDS of bright plumage fit merrily and
undisturbed over the disused rice fields Of
other days.
Under the caves of the old ruins the
decaying form of a boat lies narrow and
thin. its graceful sides taperlng off to
point sixty feet away. 1t is the remains
of the "Walk-away," Couper's once fam
ed racing she'll which with its crew of
eight trained slaves. distanced the sun
ny South, King Cotton "Pearce But
Ter, and Randolph Spauldng's historic
'Sapelo," in the days of long ago.
On the Altamaha the planters regattas
were held and each year marked the ar
rival of MANY yachts bearing spectators
from all the South lands. Never did Har
ward and Yale crews pull more manfulIv
to distance one another than did these
slave crews.