The buildings in a few instances bear assessed valuations of $1,000 or more, running up to $1,500, but in the majority of cases they are assessed for $300 to $600 per farm. In a good many instances the assessors' valuations are much less than the purchase prices of the holdings.

The progress in material welfare is shown in some measure by the following table, which exhibits in juxtaposition the values of property brought to the locality by the Hebrew settlers and the net values of property now owned, with the number of years the immigrant has been farming in the locality. Some of the first arrivals have little more now than at the beginning, whereas some of the recent comers have done well in a short time. Further details concerning the progress made by these families are shown in the typical family table at the end of this chapter.

TABLE 8.-Value of property brought to locality, net value of property now owned, ana number of years since first lease or purchase.

and Colchester Several farmers on their horses Of milch cows Very few beef

Almost all of the Hebrew farmers in Chesterfield have horses-one or two-and a very few drive oxen. have two teams of horses. The average value placed by the Hebrew owners interviewed was $86 a head. there were 212 on 24 farms, valued at $35 per head. cattle are produced, the calves being sold when a few weeks old to the local butcher or stock buyer.

No sheep are kept, and only one of the farmers interviewed reported hogs raised for sale.

The general aspect of buildings, farmsteads, and crops in the settlements under consideration is depressing. With few exceptions the homes do not speak prosperity and progressiveness. The attempts at farming seem amateurish, and many of the farmers seem to be discouraged and pessimistic.

On the other hand the men are shrewd, seem to be hard, almost indefatigable, workers and good bargainers. They save persistently, not to establish savings-bank accounts, but to buy income-producing property. They try all sorts of means to supplement the farm income. But the number of the well to do is not great, and of settled prosperous farmers still less.

The children usually work in the neighborhood or in the cities and contribute to the common fund. The women do little work out of doors, but the indoor work when boarders are kept is heavy.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT.

There are not many opportunities for employment in the vicinity of Colchester or Chesterfield. A few Hebrews were reported as working by the month on farms, at wages of $18 to $30 a month and board. A number of cotton factories and one or two paper mills in the vicinity employ immigrant labor, but Hebrews are employed therein. As a rule the children remain at home during the school age, but afterwards a good many go to New London, Willimantic, Hartford, or New York City to find employment, frequently in tailoring shops. Some children and a few of the adults work in a woolen mill at Niantic, Conn., receiving from $5 to $10 per week.

STANDARD OF LIVING.

The standard of living among the farmers under consideration seems to be somewhat higher than in many of the immigrant colonies visited by the Commission's agents, but it does not appear that they are unduly extravagant in the matters of dress and food.

So far as could be learned the Hebrews eat a wide variety of meats and vegetables, consume a good deal of milk, butter, and poultry products, and maintain as abundant tables as the ordinary Connec ticut hill farmer-perhaps with a better variety of food. The advent of the summer boarder has improved the daily dietary, according to some Hebrew authorities. The boarders wanted plenty of fresh, wholesome foods. The family did not wish to live less well than their boarders, and after the boarder departed the adopted standard remained, until now a better standard is universal in the Hebrew districts. This at least is the testimony.

SOCIAL CONDITIONS.

The social and recreational side of life is, of necessity, little developed, owing to distance and poor roads. Socially isolated and economically handicapped, the opportunities for recreation, relaxation, and community sociability are limited to occasional neighborly meetings, to visits to the neighboring towns or the larger cities, and to the activities incident to the presence of summer boarders. The means of recreation are less varied than in the New Jersey colonies, where a good deal of effort has been put forth to organize several forms of social activity. The public recreation halls, the numerous lectures and entertainments, and the variety of extra educational classes such as are found in New Jersey are not in evidence here.

There are four farmers' associations in the district, all branches of, or with purposes similar to, the Federation of Jewish Farmers of America of which account has been made in the New Jersey report. Officers of the Jewish Agricultural and Industrial Aid Society visit these organizations and give occasional lectures. In general their

purposes are social and educational; the members meet bi-weekly or monthly for entertainment and discussion. They hope to organize later on a business basis, but up to date little has been done in this direction with the exception of the cooperative buying of paris green and some seeds and fertilizers. Perhaps 30 to 40 per cent of the farmers belong to these organizations.

The social diversions of the non-Hebrews do not draw many young people from the Hebrew colonies. There is little commingling of races, and the Hebrew young people must provide their own amusements. There are almost no intermarriages. For these reasons, where the settlements are not large in numbers nor compact, the Hebrew country boys and girls have been under the necessity of seeking congenial associates and marital mates in the cities. This draws from the country many of the more desirable young people and maintains a constant shift from city to country and from country back to city again.

The family relations are held very sacred, usually, and there are practically no scandals of any sort connected with family life. The children either remain with the parents during minority or send home their wages for the fathers' use.

MORAL CONDITIONS.

Except for the occasional accusation that some of the farmers are not strictly honest the moral tone in the colonies is high. Disputes over boundary lines or quarrels about the trespassing of cattle are rather frequent and occasionally there are cases of perjury or violations of peddlers' license laws, but during the entire history of the settlement practically no crimes have been recorded against the Hebrews. Cases of petty larceny are reported, but few complaints lie against the old Hebrew settlers who seem to be held in high esteem in most instances. In fact some of these are now considered to be among the first citizens of the community.

EDUCATIONAL.

In every instance within the scope of the Commission's inquiry the native-born children over 6 years of age are able to speak English and all over 10 years are able to read and write English. Of the foreign-born, about 80 per cent of all interviewed (90 per cent of the males) over 6 years are able to speak English, and 94 per cent of the males and 84 per cent of the females over 10 years of age can read and write either English or their native language. Nearly all read Yiddish. The children are frequently able to speak none but the English tongue, but a few know three languages-Yiddish, Russian, and English. In most homes there are a number of books and papers, usually one in Yiddish and one or more English periodicals or newspapers. The tables following show in considerable detail the data collected by the Commission in this regard.

TABLE 9-Ability to speak English of persons 6 years of age or over, by ser and genera! nativity, and race of individual, 24 typical Hebrew farm families, Chesterfield and Colchester, Conn.

TABLE 10.—Literacy of persons 10 years of age or over, by sex and general nativity, and race of individual, 24 typical Hebrew families, Chesterfield and Colchester, Conn.

There are fairly good schools in Colchester and all the Hebrew children of school age are enrolled. Of the 279 pupils in the ele mentary and grammar schools of Colchester in 1908-9, 159 were of Hebrew or Polish origin, according to the school committee. In the high school are 66 pupils, but a slightly smaller proportion of Hebrews, owing to the distance at which many of them live from the village and the further fact that a number are sent away to school in Willimantic, Hartford, or elsewhere, where better educational opportunities are offered. There are some Hebrew pupils in every high school graduating class, and all evidence goes to show that they are quick, apt, very intelligent, and carry off many honors. There are several who have attended a normal school, the State College, and a few have entered universities-Yale or Harvard-or Williams College.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS.

Out of a total of 24 males interviewed, who have been in the United States five years or more and were 21 years of age or over at time of arrival in this country, 6 are aliens; 8 have first papers, and 10 are fully naturalized.

In Colchester out of a total of 50 farmers who paid taxes and several additional adults of voting age, native and foreign born Hebrews, the town clerk reports 26 voters of Hebrew origin. In

Montville, Salem, and Niantic townships (the Chesterfield settlement) of approximately 94 males 21 years of age and over, 37 had filed first papers, 26 had their second papers, and 31 were aliens. This is not as good a showing as that made by the New Jersey Hebrews, and it is rather hard to account for the apparent political apathy. There have been a number of Hebrew township officers at one time or another, but usually they are reported as manifesting little interest in local political affairs.

EFFECT ON THE COMMUNITY.

It can not be said that the advent of the Hebrew has been of great material benefit to this section of the State. They took up exhausted farms and a declining, decaying agriculture. In most instances the farms have not been rendered much more productive and, as has been said, the present higher values are in a large measure speculative. The city Hebrew, eager to get out into the country on a piece of land of his own, like that on which he spent his summer vacation, is likely to compare land values with those in the vicinity of New York City rather than with the actual productivity of the farm. The shrewd seller knows this and makes the most of it. The Hebrews have introduced no new crops and almost no new methods. In fact, they have been not altogether successful imitators of the oldtime farmers in most lines of farming.

In some senses they have raised the social, moral, and educational standards of the settlement. They are ambitious, if pessimistic, and a good many have more energy than some of the native stock. A more or less healthful discontent pervades the communities, but the desire to get on materially leads to more or less shifting and short tenures. Very little race prejudice manifests itself in business or educational affairs. There is a social race cleavage that is mutually respected and generally observed. And, of course, there are no religious affiliations with Gentiles. In general, the Hebrews are respected, especially the early settlers, as neighbors and citizens, but the opinion prevails that the majority are not good farmers.

The summary table following shows the economic history and present financial condition of 10 of the typical Hebrew families interviewed by Commission agents in Chesterfield, and a like number in Colchester.