The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-14
FRANCES LAND OF PROMISE
FORTUNES MADE AND TO BE MADE
~ ALGERIA.
scientific Plan Of Colonization to Overcome
Race Suicide -rakes Capital to start
Despite Government Foresight Some
Algerian CoIoRIsts whO'Ve succeeded.

- "ettNht 1aINNet ~ -
Despite Government Foresight some
Algerian COI0Rlsts who've Succeeded.
A Frenchman named Fayette emigrated
to Algeria in 1895 with a capital Of about
81 900. In 1905, for statistical and illus
trative purposes, the Colonial Governments
took stock Of his possesisons. This is what
he owned: Two hundred AND fifty acres
Of land growing cereals with bearing olive
trees interspersed, value, o.. 600; 50 acres
used az pasture, $500; "a acres of land
for hay. $500: 8 acres OF beans, $500; az acres
of vineyards, SO. 300; 8 acres OF almond
trees, $500: an orchard Of 30 acres, growing
%locusts, figs, peaches and apricots, $500;
farm house and buildings, cattle and an
oil mill, ti6, 800. a total Of ss7, 600.
His capital had increased nine and a
quarter times in ten years. and he and his
family had lived well In the meanw lille.
y There is nothing in this
experience, they say. Frances substitute
for 60 west. young mani" ii Go SOUTH
or go to Algeria!' The Government ia
making efforts to direct colonization 10 its
territory in the north OF Africa, and il in
having great success. French statesmen
see in the settlement of that regi on not
only an increase in the national wealth
but also a solution OF the race suicide
problem.
In a word. they hope to make Algeria
a sort of annex to France. The field for
settlement is practically unlimited. II is
estimated that there is pastursge for from
10000. 900 TO $4,000. 900 lead OF cattle in
the high lands where agriculture cannot
be so successfully carried on. and the
enthusiastic Algerian sees the ranches Of
the United States and Argentina put out
OF business when France gets thoroughly
awake.
The Government has recently started
a scientific campaign for the settlement
of Algeria. All the railway stations and
public Offices in the country are placarded
with offers, and an sppreciable movement
has set in.
The beet offer 10 made to married men
with families VINO are experienced agricul-
turists. Tracts OF from s~eventy-hve to $50
acres are offered to them free Of cost in the
best regions Of North America. Free
transportation for themselves and their
families is also guaranteed. But they must
have su ficient money to make a fair start in
the cultivation OF the farm, and the mimi
mum amount required is set at 5000 francs
or 81 600.
The centres Of population in Algeria ares
product Of French foresight. II is an en-
bryo village. When the oolonist 10 de-
posted at it he finds a handsome square.
shaded with trees. Along one sid are the
public bu~ildings-the public school. the
Mayors Office, the post Office and the tele-
graph station.
Then there are houses erected in advance
for the butcher. the baker, the grocer. the
innkeeper and one or two other i~ndispensa.
BILE persons. Streets range on In all direc:
ions with row OF eucalyptus trees, and
along these the newcomers select sites for
their homes.
While these are being built they find tenn
porary refugees have been constructed 10
shelter them. Sanitary arrangements have
been scientifically made and water has beeR
supplied by canalization.
The settlers, IL they don't happen 70 %
the very first. find themselves quite at hornes
Their new neighbors are their natural kin
dred. II they came from Languedoc they
find Themselves among people 81 Lam
guedoc; if from Touraine, they find they ara
IN a village peopled from the country around
Tours. The administration takes great
care to locate people that way.
Only the w~hitewashed native huts and a
few Arabs prowling around with their
that they are in Africa. The climate 10
not much warmer than that Of southern
France, and living is a great deal cheaper
because the Government RENTS the taxes
on tobacco, coffee and a number OF other
articles. There are altogether $50 OF these
centres of population, and fourteen new
ones were prepared Tor settlement IN iS~
and this year.
OF course married men are not the only
ones to whom Inducements are offered. but
II is sold on very easy terms, however. to
any one. Cleared land hardly ever costs
more than from % to 50 an acre and pay
ment Is accepted in annual payments OF an
eighth or a tenth provided two instalments
are paid in advance.
In case the purchaser marries and sue
cessfully c~ultivates the land tho last three
payments are usually RENTED. No per-
son, however, is encouraged TO purchase
land who has a smaller capital than 5000:
of agriculture has been established at
Maison-Carree, near Algiers.
When the settler gets his land, the next
question is as to how to utilize II. The
temptation is always to go into wine grow:
ing. because 1t is comparatively easy and
almost all the settlers are familiar with Il.
In the past IL has always been prontabie.
Each acre of vineyard has been rated as
good for $50 net profit. But there are
many signs now that wine growing has
been overdone and colonists are warned
against putting much land or effort into II.
On the other and the demand for table
grapes In o in Paris and Paris IL only
hours distant. An acre OF land
there Will yield something ike o,VOO POUNDS
Of grapes and these sell in Paris at prices
varying from Si2 to SIS a hundred pounds.
The nearness to the great French markets,
in fact. promises Algeria q great future In
truck gardening. An acre OF land dsveosd
TO peas, a%rtichokes. string beans " cucuni-
bers, IL ia estimated. should produce met
revenue OF Sl2O a year. Beside those
products the land Is said 20 be ~uneduAllcd
FOR cereals. and 1000 olive trees Is years old
yield on Easy terms. $1,000 every second
year.
Many fortunes have already beer MADE
by Algerine colonists. The wine king Of the
colony is Michel Pelegri, a Speniard bv
who at the age Of ls was q herdsmsn
SIC a month. From this he t.lved
enough TO buy a small tract OF land and start
a vineyard.
In less than twenty. years he ~A aole
to pay SIS, 500 cash down for ~ estate.
To-day he has 1000 acres Of vineyards and
5000 acres Of other lands under cultivs-
ton. He paid recently 100000 for the
estate OF Bou- Kandara, which once belonged
to Napoleon III.
A young lawyer Of Aveyron, brought up
in the expectation Of wealth. found him.
self with only 81 200 in the world on bis
fathers death in 1852. He went TO Algeria
and bought land. After twenty-five years
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