The farmer and mechanic., 1910-06-14

thrift. and willingness he already
knew To allure this foreign help 50
far from any of its centers OF eIa'l-
tation-North IA Carolina is State
where Italians are practically un-
known-twO inducements were helu
out that would appeal to any human
being, the prospect Of living anon 3
fellow countrymen and the promise OF
good gains. So rose the colony OF
ST Helena in the swamps north OF
Wilmington, n. G., not 1ar from the
Atlantic coast ST. Helena is COM
posite name adopted by the cOlon1sts
themselves Helena for the popular
queen of Italy, sanctifed to satisfy a
desire latent in those simple peasant
souls to keep good with the royalty OF
heaven also. Chosen to be the god
mother Of a new VILLAGE, the holy
Helena must feel herself In duty
bound to stand sponsor for it. even
though it be merely an earthly cOlacl-
dence that selected her rather than
some one other of her twenty-five
companions in beatitude.
Into ST. Helena only Italian farm
ers are admitted, and only northern
Italians. In fact, those there present
about 500 in number. are all from
the same Venetian provinces. This
insures to them the society Of fellow
men Of the same dialect, the same
ha bits. the same tastes, the same
methods of work, and guarantees to
them that which is so necesSar ry to
pioneers struggling against the will
derne ness-the support Of ones kind.
That these peasants had no spare
money when they reached this coun-
try is needless to say. Some Of them
even had difficulty in being admitted
because of their want of means The
company headed by Mr.. MacRae had
to advance the whole amount necessa-
ry to carry them to st. Helena, give
them lodgings. and keep them until
the land was cleared and under cul-
tivation: but it has had no reason to
regret it's largesse. as is illustrated by
the noteworthy case of Berto. one Of
the cOlOniStS He is the veteran Of
the settlement having been already
about sixty years old when he arrived
in this country. His age made the i'm
migration inspectors look askance at
him; they doubted that a man on tn.
verge of senectitude could provide for
himself. In search of elements for
definitive ruling, they asked him to
show how much money he had. BertO
trfum phantly drew from his pocket
and waved in the air a dollar bill. all
his earthly riches-I am not sure it
was not borrowed and wnen an in
sector dryly said, rs that all?" Berto'
gasped in surprise. and retorted with
the greatest ardor, But this is five
francs" For a moment the old mans
fate seemed sealed; the inspectors
were not deep psychologists; they did
not know their man, nor realize his
meaning. However, somebody was
found who agreed to stand surety that
he would not become a public charge,
and Berto walked through the gates
Of the United States at the barge Of
fee, wondering why his show Of
wealth had made 80 little impression.
Now Berto, we'll on in the sixties.
lean. wiry, tanned like an explorer,
is the best worker in the colony and
his farm among the most prosperous;
a vigorous old man, he manages we'll
his many acres and his four robust
sons at work upon them, rain or shine.
whenever the land requires their care
The company's contract with the
immigrants was made 80 that to each
immigrant it sells a small farm of
ten. fifteen, twenty acres according
to the size Of his family and his work
ing capacity. The unit size is ten
acres The price for the farm Is thirty
dollars an acre. While this sum may
at first glance seem high for land "as
is. utterly unimproved. the fertility
OF the region and its mild climate.
which knows no frost and makes pos
Sible the raising of crops throughout
the winter, justifeS the price; indeed,
results show that such an amount is
actually very low. The company
builds for the immigrant-anda at his
expense small, but Well-constructed
bungalow Of three rooms, costing $3.50.
1t gives him also the implements and
animals needed for a successful start
FOR all this the company requests no
payment in advance. If an immigrant
begins with ten acres, his debt will be
about $500, asid from the money that
he may have borrowed for his voyage.
Supplied with a house and the re-
Qulsite tools the peasant finds himself
face to face with his ten-acre swamp.
heavily wooded. Long. weary toll
must yet be his before he can get
crops from his land. While in high
rubber boots he fe1ls his trees and
stumps his fields, he must also eat
The company has provided for this as
we'll. An the wood he cuts it buys. at
the rate of ninety cents a cord, which
gives revenue Of dollar to a dol
lar and half per day to every laborer
When he has cleared and sowed his
iand he may cut wood in tho MOO rbu