The age-herald., 1901-12-01
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
 Richmond. Va, November 30.-Virginia Is perhaps the only State in the South which is to have in the near future little town inhabited entirely by negroes. and for the purpose of agricultural and industrial training with a view to i'm proving their condition. For years travellers and visitors have had their attention attracted by little village about two miles west of Orange Court House populated entirely by negroes and familiarity known as Slabtown. It gets it's name from the fact that two or three hundred cabins occupied by the inhabi- tants are roofed exclusively with rough slabs These cabins are made of rude logs stuck together with red clay. They are scattered over an area of half mile square and are connected with rough-and- tumble by-paths grown up in summer with weeds.
 It Is a peculiar sight, this little negro town, where white face seldom appears Slabtown is laid out with no system There is not a store in it, although there are more than 200 dwellings.
 But the new town which Is now being built for the colored people has a good object in view. Already work has begun on it and will be pushed forward as rap idly as possible. It will occupy tract of land of about 1000 acres around Fort Lee, on the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail- way, a few miles below Richmond. The surveyors who were employed to lay off the town have marked out park which is ta be beautifcd artitfcially In the win ter. and in the spring pavilion and oih imp-Jvcra Ets will De added. The frsi rgVsc vii sqCn pf begun, and In few months hcurishing village will have arisen where now there are only timber and undergrowth
 This movement was started about year ego by Dr. R. E. Jones, we'll known and skillful negro physician here, who has manifested a keen interest in the wt flare and improvement Of his race and has done much to elevate them both In commercial and intellectual way. It was through him that a large industrial and training institution was established here in which negro women are taught to sock, act as trained nurses. keep house and follow other useful pursuits. This institution has appealed to the sympathy and support of many leading white citi- sens of Richmond and vicinity. Dr. Jones, assisted by several other negro citizens, purposes getting the village started and then turning the property over to the Women's League Training School. above referred to. The property will cost many thousands of dollars, and the leaders of the movement already have a large mount on hand to start the work.
 The main plan is interesting and carries one back to the early settlement of this country. Dr. Jones and his associates hold the opinion that the reason that so many of the negro race. and white people, too, are coming to the cities to live and leav- Ing the farm lands to go to waste, is that man is a distinctivey gregarious animal and is not satisfied to live separated from his fellow creatures that man will come to a large community and half starve provided that he enjoys the company of his fellow men, rather than live in re- mote districts where he enjoys no social Intercourse Dr. Jones further holds that If a man can farm and still have the so- ciety of his fellow men he will be happy for the reason that farming is one of the ereest and most wholesome occupations.
 From sixty to a hundred houses will be built and this will be sufficient to house a community of at least 800 peo- pie. To each house will be assigned not less than five acres of land located at some distance from the village proper. and in that portion of the tract. which will be devoted to agriculture principally and to some minor industrial pursuits. and all will be pretty much alike. re- sembling in some respects the familiar milling towns dotted throughout the Car olinas and other states.
 The lands assigned to each household