The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-17
MODEL VILLAGES.


The dispatches a few days ago an
nounced that Mr.. George Vanderbilt
would shortly begin the building of a
second model village in North Carolina,
between Hendersonville and Brevard.
He has already built one such village,
at Biltmore, near Asheville, on his
great estate at that place. The Bilt-
more property, village and mansion
combined, cost Mr.. Vanderbilt several
millions of dollars. The understand
ing is that he is prepared to spend ST.
600, 900 on his new model Villages! The
village Of Biltmore is quite an attrae-
tive settlement. It's principal residents
are persons connected in one way or
another with Mr.. Vanderbilt's farms,
game preserve and household estab
lishment. His vast landed possessions
require the attention of small army
OF persons, hence he had at hand the
material from which to people his
model village at Biltmore, with the adj
dition of only few outsiders who were
anxious to avail themselves of the mod
lage houses. In the case of the new
village, if we understand it, Mr.. Van
derbilt Will seek to attract as citizens
a majority of persons who are not in
his employ; farmers, gardeners, stock
raisers, mechanics, etc. He may be
able to do so. We hope he will, be-
cause the model village, constructed as
it will be on scientific and hygienic
lines, viii afford a better living, or
rather the opportunity for a more COM
Portable and healthful living, than is
to be had in the village that. like Top
sy, Just growed."
A number of ambitious experiments
in model village building by men and
corporations of means have not been
attended by the success anticipated by
their founders. Mr.. Pullman, the
sleeping car man. founded such a COM
munity near Chicago; a manufacturing
company OF Dayton, o., founded an
other near that city: big manufac-
turer Of felt goods founded another at
Dolgeville, N. Y. These three pro-
jects were looked to for big and graft
flying results. But singly and several
~ they have proved Disappointing,
They we've in manufacturing eonmuni-
ties. Maybe Mr.. Vanderbilt will have
better fortune in an agricultural COM
munity. He has the money to make
the experiment. and it's success will be
welcomed. Whatever tends to improve
the home life of rural settlements is
a blessing.
Usually the prosperous village, after
wards the town and then the city, is
not created but just happens. 1t begins
with a house or two at a crossroads
or a good river landing; then other
houses and stores and shops are add
ed as occasion requires, until the mu-
nicipality comes into existence. In
connection with this early growth lit
tie IL any attention is given to q me-
thodical plan Of streets and squares
or to health precautions. Cow paths
are followed in the building Of houses
and later become streets. and water
supplies are polluted. In after years
efforts may be made to correct these
things. but in its earlier existence the
average village lacks cleanness and
symmetry. II Mr.. Vanderbilt shall
succeed in planting q model village az
a place where no natural demand for a
village had previously existed. and In
peopiing 1t with thrifty. frugal work.
ers. he will have done very well In
deed.