Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-27
THESE TOWNS REFUSED
TO GROW AND BE BIG

,s%S%SSN~Y%VS%SS@ HH2P2N&0%@3
which resulted in It's birth find in the
recent sale Of the picturesque little
mountain village of Montreal, N. ca
by John s. Huyler, the candy manu-.
facturer of New York City. to the
Presbyterian Synod of North Carolina
additional confirmation of the oft re-.
peated assertion that towns, like po-
cts, are born and not made.
Though Rev. John s. Collins, a
Congregational clergyman, of New
Haven, founded the Mountain Retreat
Association nine years ago. Mr.. Huy-
Ter. who was, one of the original cor
porators and the principal holder of
stock. has been Genarally credited, with
being the founder of the village which
has now been sold. and 1t has COM
monty been known as "Huyler's vii
lage." The original corporators In
tended that Montreal should become
a veritable spotless town. 1t was to
he. as It's name impiicd. a mountain
retreat where desirable persons might
go for residence either the year around
or for n portion of the year. The
original association, made up of bust.
ness men, professional men and min
listers of several denominations. was
chartered by special act Of the
North Carolina Legislature in 1897.
Membership in the corporation was
not limited to any one locality. Tho
stockholders were scattered through
out the United states. Among those
Mr.. Huyler, Charles N. Crittenton,
tor of the Hanson Place Baptist
mr.. th,,.1 ,t
l.. Thompson, secretary of the
byterian Church In the United States
of America, and the late Henry R.
Elliott, then editor of THE Church
Economist"
The general plan of Montreal was
to be something like that of Ocean
Grove, N. j., but it differed in many
respects. No one person was to be
allowed to hold more than five lots
or ten acres Of the farm tract, and all
lot holders were to share equally, In
proportion to the number of lots they
held, in the earnings of the enterprise
through the profits from the sale of
land and from other sources, All
profits were to be adjusted by man.
aging committee for the general bet.
laying out and construction Of streets.
parks and, In short, for all the work
usually provided for by taxation in
the regular ordinary naturally born
city. This arrangement would, OF
course. reduce the taxes for local pur-
poses to mere bagatelle, and, In fact;
an agreement was incorporated In the
leases guaranteeing that such taxes
4 81 kn
assessed valuation.
The project started out well. and in
short time the town had about fifty
permanent residents. about twenty
houses, a store, a temporary bank and
a circulating library. Union services
were held on Sunday, with preaching
and Sunday school, and there was the
mideweek prayer meeting usual to all
we'll ordered communities. Things
looked rosy for Montreal. but after
the first burst of enthusiasm there
seemed to be reaction.
Interest in the project .waned. Some
of the New York stockholders went
down to look the ground over. DR..
G. l.. Thompson was one Of them. He
brance of the visit was that Montreal
years ago, manifesting any remarka-
Bile signs of development. He remem.
bered that the place had then school
house. meeting hall, hotel and a
number of cottages. Personally, he
said that his connection with the pro.
ject had not been a remunerative one.
DIR. Thompson is delighted with the
location of Montreal. however, and
pn
of the North Carolina Synod should
not make n success of their under
taking. Briefly, they plan TO make
/ 1t mountain centre, a summer re.
sort under Christian influences for the
holding of summer schools, assemblies
and religious meetings OF various
kinds-in fact, a kind of mountain
Chautauqua. Montreal now comprises
about forty cottages. The hotel,
which WAS erected by Mr.. Huyler at
cost of about $17,5OO, is commo.
dious frame structure, the principal
building in the place. Other public
buildings include church and a
schoolhouse. A combined roller skat.
ing rink and bowling alley is now be.
Ing erected.
Montreal comprises about forty.fiye
hundred acres lying in an irregular
valley or cove, bounded on the east
by the main ridge OF the Blue Ridge
Mountains, on the west by a spur of
the same mountains. Greybeard
Mountain towers above It at the north,
but there is no mountain carrier to-
ward the south. To purchase the
town the North Carolina Presbyteri.
ans had to raise $4,000. or this
amount $4,000 was to paid in cash,
and the rest In preferred stock, which
the synod has agreed to cancel in ten
years. The plan is to raise at once
$780, 900, paying $4,000 down and MS