The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-06-02
1t Is Being Built Up in the
Ozark Mountains, Mo.
ONE HUNDRED THERE
Many More Are to Come From Iitlr
Home Land.-They Have EstAb-
lished Dairy Farms According 10
European Methods It fccse MAX
ing Their Specially.

Ozark Mountains OF southwest Miss
oun. one hundred OF these Swiss
have bought land in the eastern part
OF Howell county, near the tows ot
Brandsville and are clearing away
the dense timber, building substaH-
tial homes, planting orchards and
truck gardens and carrying on dairy
farming according to improved Euro
pean methods Many others are to
come from Switzerland Six thou-
sand acres OF land have been resery-
ed for the colony and an option is
held on another tract of 5000 acres.
The first Swiss colonists in Miss
ouri arrived at Brandsvlle one year
ago last April and they have been
coming at intervals since. The col
onists are from the north of Swift
zerland and most of them speak the
German language. A few speak
French and Italian.
This thriving colony is the reallza-
ton of a dream OF S. X Fry. a
Swiss journalist, who was banished
from his native land thirty years ago
on account OF his advanced ideas on
cooperative communities. The eX-
lie went to New York city and en-
gagged in cigar manufacturing He
never ceased TO give expression to his
hopes. A few years ago he told his
plans of w. r. Haight, an attorney
in New York city The lawyer had
broken down in health and was al
ready planning TO come West
Mr. Haight became interested in
the Swiss colony idea and the two
men went to St. Louis where they
were joined by the Swiss Consul.
Many points in the Ozark Mountains
were visited and finally 1t was de-
cided to found the colony In the
vicinity of Brandsyille The st.
Louis and San Francisco Railroad
aided the men In their project. The
land was purchased and the settle
In Switzerland directing his country
men to the new colony in the Alps
of Missouri"
i Mr.. Haight, the New York attor-
hey, has charge of the colony He
/ locates new arrivals on their land
and is friend and adviser TO the en-
tire settlement. Some of the emf
grants are as helpless as childreh
when they arrive in this country.
Mr.. Haight tells the men how to be-
gin the work OF clearing the timber
and establishing a farm. The wo-
men, too, often seek his advice
The Swiss pay from So to sl5 an
acre for the and. with an average
price of about sl2 an acre. Most
of the land is sold in forty acre and
eighty acre tracts. A tract OF eighty
acres Is regarded as larg farm by
the Swiss, accustomed as they are .
intensive methods of farming. The
land is sold to the cSlOnists on the
partial payment plan, except in cases
where they have enough money 20
pay cash down for a tract. Some
times the Swiss families have only a
few hundred dollars when they ar
to farm and given an opportunity
10 pay out on IT, The timber in
many cases when mads into cross
ties, posts and mine props goes far
toward paying for the land.
When the colonists are unable to
build houses they are furnished
tents by the colonization company,
until they get start. A log house
in the Ozarks, however, is not ex-
pensive, and cost of the settlers build
comfortable homes shortly after they
arrive.
The land that the Swiss are buy
ing is thickly timbered with oak and
hickory The soil is a brown loan,
and in some places the surface is
thickly covered with small rocks.
This land is well adapted for fruit
growing.
The Swiss will adhere to their own
superior methods for truck garden
ing and butter and cheese making,
but they will adopt the American
methods of fruit raising and general
agriculture They are progressive
and are ready to adopt any American
customs that are an improvement
over their own.
It is agreed that the art of cheese
making has reached its highest per
lection In Switzerland More Swiss
cheese is imported to America than
and other kind. Many of the colon
sits are expert dairymen. As soon as
they arrive they begin making high
grade butter and cheese that find a
ready market at Brandsyille.
A creamery and factory where
Swiss cheese will be manufactured
on a large scale are soon to be estab-
lished In the colony. At the pres
ent time the farmers are making the
cheese at their homes with practi'
cally no equipment.
Long-Seryice Record.