Agricultural Colonies ^United States)
THE .lEWISn EXCYCLOPEDLV
one Hiiyyim Pankiii, a Russiau Jew, aided by Baron ilc Ilii'scli Fund, lioujrlit a farm near
1892,
the
Chesterfield. IK' scxm siuceeik'd in inilucini; 2y other .lewish fiunilies to settle near the same |)lace. They all eiigaired mainly in (lairy^arMlinl.^ as (he soil was not rich euonj;li to make market gardening prolitable.
although eaeh farmer raised his
own
foil-
and the potatoes and other vegetables rciiuired The general method by which these for his family. farms were purchased was by the payment of one-
tier
third to one-half in cash, the l)alanee remaining on .» or 6 per cent per annum. Later, the Banm de Hirseli Fund made loans on second mortgage to some of the farmers, to enable ihem to improve their holdings. The liojiulalion of I'liesterlield has been unstable. Of the ".iS families that settled in August, 1892, only ~t remained in the autunui of 1894; but 18 others had come in the meantime, so that in the latter year the total nund)er of .lewish farmers was 33. In 1897, through the good otliees of the trustees of the liuron <le llirseh Fund, a steam creamery was erected and a synagogue was Ijuilt. In .size the farms range f rom ;}'3 to 13Jaeres. theaverage being about GO; the i>riee jiaid, including buildings, averages §15 an acre. While some of the original settlers who were unsuccessful left the colony, newcomers took their places, so that the population has not decreased. The general statistics of .lewish Agricidtural Colonies in t'omiecticut may be summarized as follows: In .pril. 1891, 2,370 acres of farm land were owned liv 19 Hebrew immigrant families (compare "American Jewish Year Book," 1899-1900, pp. 281 and 283). These farms cost S2l),80ll. of which sum §."),840 was The total Jewish farming jiopulation I)aid in cash. at that time was 143 persons. In January, 1892. the nundier of acres of wooilland and pasture owned by Jewish farmers was 7.813, of which 1.420 acres were The purchase jiriee of these lauds was cleared. S89,()U0. of which S36,0.50 had been paid, the balance per cent. These remaining on mortgage at 5 or farms were owned by 53 families, consisting of 491 persons. The farmers ownid 229 head of cattle. In December, 1899, there were 600 Jewish farmers in New England, mainly in Connect lent, with some scattered in Massachusetts. It was estimated that $1,100,000 had been invested by them in their holdThe prinings, §1,2.")0.000 remaining on mortgage. cipal grotips of selllemenis in Conneeticut are at
mortgage at
Chesterfield, Colchester, ami Montville, with others near Norwich and New London. Of all the Jewish Agricultural Colonies in the United .Status the most important are those founded With few exceptions in New .Jersey. New they were all established in the southirn part of the state, and ineluile Jersey, Alliance, Rosenhayn, Carmel,
Woodbine, Montefiore, May's Landing, Halberton, Malaga, and Hightstown. Of these only the first four still (19011) remain. There were 300 Jewish farmers in New Jersev at the beirinning of the movement in 1882. 200 in" 1893. and onlv 70 Through aid etend<-d by the at the end of 1896. Jewish Colonization Association of Paris in 1897. the colonists were given effective help, so that in 1900 it was estimated that there were 2.50 Jewish farmers in the state most of whom were settled in the southern part. Of these probably not more than 100 families make a living exclusively by farming. The colony of Alliance is situated in Salem county, New .lerscy. aliout a mile north of Broadway a station on the New Jersey Southern Kailroad. It is about 43 miles southeast of Philadelphia, and 4 miles from Vinelaud, the nearest market-town.
—
—
The colony was named
260
after the Alliance Israelite which provided fun<ls for its foundation. Three large wooden buildings were erected to afford temporary shelter for the colonists, who were brought thilher in May, 18,82. The soil is a light sandy loam covered with the bush and scrub-oak common in southern New Jersey. At the outset 2."> families, principally from cities of southern Russia (Elizabethgrad, Odessa, Kiev, etc.), settled at Alliance, but this numbersoon increased to 07 families. The lirst winter was ])as.seil by the colonists crowded together in the three buildings mentioned, their needs being provide(l for in liartbythe Ilelirew Emigrant -Vid Society. 'I'henext year the land was divided into lifleen acre farms; houses consisting of two rooms and a cellar were erected, wells sunk, and other improvements made. Contracts were entered into under which each farmer was to pay within ten years §3r)0 for Ids holding, the house Iteing reckoned at SMO. The number of acres devoted to coutmnnal imrposes. school-buildings, factories, burial-ground, etc., was l.'JO. Each family during the tirst year of settlement received .?8 to Sl2 per month for 9 months, according to the number of its members, and §100 worth of seed for jdantin,;:. ¥aic farmer also received some furniture, cooking uten.sils, small fanning implements, elc. The second yi'ar each family received .830 worth of seed, and about .50families'wcre also supplied with sewing-machines. One of the large buildings above referred to was converted into a cigar factory during the second winter; but, the hands being unskilled, wages were very low. This industry was discontinued the next year, and the colonists suffered very much in consecjucnce. Owing to these liardshijis and discoursigements, by the end of 1884, 17 farmers abandoned their holdings, which reduced the population to ."lO f:imilies, comjn-ising 2.")0 jiersons. About this time a i)arty of delegates from the Mansion House Fund of London, England (Samuel Montagu, Benjamin L. Cohen, and Dr. A. Aslier), visite(l and investigated the condition of the colony, with the rcsidt that §10,000 was sent for its aid to the New York Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society, the Alliance Land Trust being formed by Henry S. Hemy. Isiac E))pin,ger, Leopold Gcrshel, Leonard Lewisohn, S. jMidir, F. de Sola blenAbout §7.000 was devoted to the des, and others. completion of the inirchase of the land in behalf of the colonists generally, the remainder being used to buy horses, cows, implements, etc., for the more deserving among them. New contracts were made whereby one-half of the farm was to be given to the holder free of charge, provided the other half was l)aid for in equal instalments extending over thirtythree years. Among the local industries established at Alliance were a shirt factory and a tailors' shop, the employment from whidi materially aided the Local colonists during the winter months. Industries. In 1889 the population of the colony was .')29, of whom 282 were males and 247 females. The farmers owned 1 .400 acres of land, of wliii h 889 were cultivated. There were 92 houses in the colony, a synagogue (dedicated July 29, 1888), Through a library, a post-otfice, aTid a night-school. the joint efforts of the Baron de Ilirsch Fvuid and the Jewish Colonization Associatitm of London, tailors' shops have been established, thus affording a local market for produce. The most recent statistics obtainable regarding .Vlliance show that there arc (1900) 96 Jewish families, aggregating •")12 persons, Of in and around the colony (including Norma). these, 33 families devote themselves entirely to I'niverselli'.
