The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-16
BOHEMIAN COLONY
NEAR PETERSBURG
New Bohemia and How the New
Tillers of Soil Have
Prospcred.
by F. II. La BAUME.

made a trip down to Petersburg
The other day to meet some friends
who were to take me out to the pros.
porous, thriving Bohemian colony. lying
east OF Petersburg and covering an
area of several thousand acres My
friend James E. Cuthbert, president of
the Pyle & Company Association. was
waiting for US With his car and We
Immediately started for tho centre Of
the colony at New Bohemia in Din
widdie county. On tho way we stopped
at the homes of several OF the most
prosperous Bohemian farmers. inciud-
Ing Joseph Wagner. Joseph Machat,
Paul kutchan, Frank Kvasnicka and
j. v. Hanslik These men are
leaders in the community. and their
farms average from two hundred and
nifty acres to twelve or fifteen hun
dred acres. each.
Wonderful Prosperity.
Paul Kutchan. a Bohemian farmer.
and one OF the most prosperous in
Dinwiddle county. has a farm OF I'VE
or six hundred acres with as sub
stantial Buildings. as good live stock,
as lovely orchards and farm crops as
can be found anywhere in the United
States and he has made II all in the
last ten or fifteen years. since coming
to Virginia His property to-day is
easily worth forty or nifty thousand
dollars. and / doubt II he would sell
II at that price.
Joseph Machat and Louis Malon also
have excellent farms. They were the
drst Bohemian settlers TO come to this
Hection and are looked upon as leaders
y their community to-day.
All OF the farmers named above.
with dozens of others. are prosperous
and contented in their now home. and
the colony has a total of over 1000
people. They are practically all farm
ers. and nearly all own their farms.
They have been especially successful
with peanuts. which generally yield
from thirty-five TO one hundred
bushels per acre and sell at an aver
age price Of 81 per bushel.
General Farmers They Arc.
They also raise the general farm
crops In abundance. including corn.
hay. wheat. barley. oats, potatoes.
tomatoes and other vegetables. All
OF the farmers have live stock, and
generally keep a good supply of hogs
cattle. sheep and chickens. Their
stock looks we'll. and while the farms
originally were not of the most fertile
type. they are day In a good state
OF production. The people are very
Industrious. honest and thrifty A
number of them occupy official posi-
lions in the county. ]. V. Hanzlik is
deputy treasurer. and also president
of the Bohemian slavonic Fire Insur-
ance Company Joseph Wagner Is a
county supervisor, and number of
others occupy minor official positions.
H. l. 81
Of land have been cleared up and put
into cultivation by these people, and
the neighborhood at New Bohemia is
good illustration of what has been
and may be accomplished
There are four Catholic churches
in the county--one at New Bohemia.
two near the county courthe@se. In
Prince George county. ane one in
Dinwiddie county
More Are Coming.
New settlers are coming into this
territory almost continually. and are
buying very good farm lands at prices
ranging from $40 to $40 per acre
Very few. If any, of the settlers
have left. and there is no question
but what this section offers better
inducements to Bohemians with small
means and who want to locate in
fne climate with good social sur
any other section of the country. Pc
tersburg. with a population of 10000.
is only four or FIVE miles distant
Richmond with population of 10000
is about twenty-five miles. and Nor
folk. with q population of over co.
600. lies seventy-five miles to the
east The Norfolk and Western Rail-
way Company's experimental farm at
Ivor, Va. is only about thirty miles
distant and this railroad company
offers every encouragement to new
corners" who settle in this territory.
Inducements Are Yet Offered.
There are dozens of farmers around
New Bohemia who came here not
many years ago with little or no
capital and are worth from five to
fifty thousand dollars apiece to-day.
New settlers are welcome. and any
good. Industrious honest Bohemian
with energy and Willingness to work
can make a success here If he can
anywhere.
The Pyle & Company Association.
at Petersburg has been very active
in interesting Bohemians in this sec
ton. and in locating them sat!sfac-
torily after they come down. They
will be glad to answer any and all
questions. or letter addressed to any
of the Bohemian settlers will receive
n prompt reply.