CLEARING THE LAND 185 



large one, which is difficult to handle from lack of time 

 and labor and an unwise proposition for the East under the 

 most favorable circumstances. 



Ten acres of scraggy-looking woodland was purchased, 

 sixty-eight miles from New York City on the north shore of 

 Long Island. The plot had a few second and third growth 

 oak and chestnut trees and "sprouts" along the borders. 

 All else had been burned, and the center of the acreage 

 exhibited the mangled and blackened remains of a once 

 thrifty woodland. 



We proceeded to choose as our helpers native Long Is- 

 landers whom we were desirous of allowing to work. We 

 succeeded by strenuous efforts in getting together a "gang" 

 of both colored and white men to the stupendous number 

 of eight. They fell to work with a right good will, at first 

 cutting down here and trimming up there as directed. How- 

 ever, after giving them a fair trial, we decided that they 

 must be replaced by Italians. The question of housing the 

 eighteen Italians soon came up. Tents might be adopted 

 or even the unsanitary "dugout" be allowed to mar the 

 landscape. A shanty was entirely too ugly to suit our tastes, 

 and also expensive, and useless when the men were through 

 with it. Tents were too airy, as we knew the work would 

 continue until freezing weather, and perhaps well into the 

 winter. We "passed" on the "dugout." The ideal was 

 something that would be of use after the work of clearing 

 was completed, and for that purpose we decided upon " con- 

 demned" freight cars. They cost but ten dollars each, the 

 railroad being glad to get rid of them. We bought two, 

 ultimately using one for a chicken house and the other as a 

 barn. In the meantime it was decided to remove the stumps 

 by dynamite, as trying to yank them out by stump pullers 



