, 1903-11-25
ABOUT YINELAND.
Some Facts about our Always
Interesting Neighbor.

A new industry, the manufacture
of ''sweet potato flour" which is pal
atable and nutritious has sprung up in
Nineland and the demand for this flour
is greater than the supply.
In this sweet potato raising region
the problem is now solved as to what
shall he done with the small unmar-
ketable pOtatoes-which heretofore had
been fed outn to the stock on the
farm.
My first knowledge of Nineland was
the discovery of a diagram of the Dor
ough in a Cumberland county atlas.
To my childish mind there was ome
thing very beautiful as well as method
lcal about a town with wide streets
running at right angles. Subsequent
education has taught me that beauty
lies in curves not angles, but | cannot
give up my admiration for the superbly
laid out borough of Vineland. Each
visit to the place makes it more inter-
esting. Nlneland is indeed "a worthy
monument to the man whose wisdom
and forethought builded so wisely and
so well. 1t was the desire of Charles
X. Lands, the founder, to make the
place so attractive that the world would
wonder. Its elevation is III feet above
sea level. The forest which has been
cut down comprised thousands of acres
which Mr.. Lands purchased for the
small sum of $500 per acre to be paid
for only as fast as he sold it.
Three thousand dollars were spent
in advertising in the New York Irib-
une and its editor, Horace Greeley
went to Nineland to lecture and helped
to boom the town. 1t has now a cos
mopolitan population. One unique
resident is Miss Susan Fowler, now 50
years old and looking as If a breath OF
air would blow her away. Miss Fowler
is a Yankee by birth. She was educated
and taught school i'll Massachusetts.
AT the age of % failing health drove her
from the school room into the meTcan-
tile business. When % years of age she
adopted dress reform and has rlgidly
adhered to the wearing OF men,
trousers ever since.
Miss Fowler says the present genera
ton is too much given to surface show.
We are martyrs to the fashions. Health
Is OF little consequence i'll comparison
to following the style. When asked if
the short skirt which came with the
bicycle was not a blessing to Womankind
ullSo GOWlSI ndlu, Les, Dul d hOLIdH
in order to wear a short skirt thinks she
must push "a wheel.
Coming to Vineland with one foot in
the grave as she says of herself, the
out of door life which she has led cul-
livating her five acres of land, still
keeps her spry and bright.
A uniform building line in Vineland,
requires all residences to be set back 20
feet from the sidewalk.
Its wide streets, overspreading shade
trees and grassy lawns make 1t a VERT
able park. The coming generation may
well call it the city of trees, as every
street has one land many two rows of
trees on each side.
After a visit to Boston where the
crooked streets are known to have once
been cow paths, this beautifully laid
out town in Cumberland is doubly APP
preciated.
Nineland was one of the first towns
to manufacture grape juice or "unfer-
mented winep for the general market.
The township has one hundred and
seventy-tive miles of shaded avenues
along its vine clad fields.
The entire Nineland tract enjoys free
postal delivery.
The rapid strides which Vineland has
made all within 40 years are due in part
to a large stone building which has been
the cradle of several industries. Mr..
Lands gave the building rent free for
one year to tempt new industries to
settle there.
The latest innovation for this stone
structure was the manufacture of flour
from sweet potatoes, as first spoken of
in this letter.
Many residents in Cumberland and
adjoining counties little realize what an
interesting place the borough of Vine
land is. -CoRA JUNE SHEPPARD in the
Elmer Times.