The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 17, 1897, Page 19

1 am not a pauper in any sense of the word, but I believe y is going to be good for me and I shall enly be too 3 happy to bring my far tiens for tl i 20020900229 0200000 mmzunmzm,unx&wlj ily down as soon as we have accommodas 3 1em.” d the Sa.vation Army colonists in that little white house lump of trees. Five of them there now. All got g in a big wagon hauled by the finest horses I going to solve the labor problem and I kinder think they will from the way they have started in. Never seen such workers in my life.” Lesving my informant by the wayside I arove over to the little white by the clump of tre=s. The wind was blowing as it only can in the Valley and the Little clumnp of trees were singing a weird song and ir branches wildly when I got there. enough, I thought, as I iooked about. The barnyard was excepted for a few chickens that were huddled together in the a watering-trough, where the wind could not strike them. No came out to greet me and for a moment i feared that I had rected and had come to a place whare nobody lived. There other house to be seen for a mile, only the vast expanse of almost 1 covered with the orcher-colored stubble of the last hidden in a faint haze to the eastward I could discern d a cloud of dust marked the three miles of road ven to the new Salvation Army colony. door several times before there was any response deserted, s.elter as opened wic y, come r upset j it in,” said the young man who held the knob, t now. Ouoly got here yesterday, as that was “ourse we did no work in the way of tixing up, Major Winchell next room.” oked about and saw wky there were no signs of human n the ouside of the house—the men were all busy on the inside. Some one was employed in each of the five rooms and working so hard as 10 be entirely obiivious of what was going on elsewhere. Five happy and ‘contented men. In the kitchen was Colonist Traver, investigating the mysteries of an In one of the front rooms Msjor Winchell was working on his acco In the next room Civil Engineer Haskell was fizuring on how the tract of land couid be laid out soas to be utilized 1o tiie bast advantage tbe coming coloni: Captain Kilsey and Colonist Gillespie were in torercom arrar y obtained when wanted. **Certain being oil ng the piles of provisions so that they could be And what a pile of good food there was. they were, the pioneers of a movement that may be worldwide. The first concentrated attempt of a big institution to practically improve the con- dition of the poor by giving them an opportunity to help themselves. And yet they went about everything they did as if they were simply starting a little farm of their own. But then it is their own, or at leasta part of it is. “How do you like this arrangement of the tract?’’ asked the engineer of Major Winchell when he had a plat laid out on a sheet of drawing paper. “You see here,” he con tinued after the sheet had been spread out on a flour barrel top and scanned carefully by all present, “this is the outline of our land—517 acres altogether. It is something like a triangle with the top cut off. Now here, just along the upper edge, the county road runs. hat is the highest part of the land, so the drainage will be all the other way. “Now, I think it will be a good idea to start two roads at a single point ou the county road and run them down hill parallel to the sides of the land. This will give us two oblong pieces with a triangular piece in the center. *Itis my idea to cut up the oblong tracts into ten-acre lots that will have nearly square corners. The lots in the triangle will naturally be ir. regular in shape. Here at the apex of the triangle I think we will locate a park and lawns and also the offices and stores. Blacksmith-shops, car- penter-shops, etc., can also be located here. You see, these lots are so queer in outline and proportion that they would make very undesirable farms. A ten-acre lotin here would bo over a quarter of a mile long. Of course, there will be roads ranning along through the triangle and a few cre farms just below the office buildings. What do you think of the plan?”’ The drawing was carefully considered for a long time and ciscussed by all present. Major Winchell made comparisons with a notebook, and at last sai I think that will do. Yes, I am sure it will do. It seems to meet ali the requirements of the present and of the future. I do not think it can be improved upoa. You can get cut your instrument and go five: less than an hour Engineer Haskell had startad to locate the fir.t Of the five men on the ranch it turned out that only two were really future colonists. Of course, they will all be there more or less, but only Traver and Gillespie will make it their permanent home from the start. Thev are really the first colonists in this big movement. “How do you like yournew home?” I asked Colonist Traver about the time he got his oil stove in working order. *“1am pleased with it,” he replied, “and think it will be just w:-at I want, But Idon’t like the way some people look upon us. [ am not a pauper in any way. 1am able and willing to earn my living, and always have done so. But I think the colony is a zood thivg and only wish my family was down here."” o — GENERAL VIEW OF THE SALVATIONISTS’ fog, we dre e into an inclosed piece of land covered with vines and fruit trees. “This is our orchard,” said Major Winchell. “Here are twenty acres in full bearing. There is a large variety of good trees, comprising nearly all of the fruit grown in California. Itis our intention to reserve this for the colony. That is, none of the colonists will have for his own. All the fruit grown on it will be divided among the different families, according to numbers. There is more than enough to supply the needs of all who will locate here. There will be all the fresh fruit they need and also enough to be canned and preserved for winter use. We will not attempt to sell any of it.” Just to the west of the orchard is a county rosd runninz toward the north, and at a point on this we came to a place about fifty feet higher than the country to the eastward. Here the whole tract of the Saivation Army’s colony lana was spread out before us. *'1t looks ratuer tare now, with only that little house in the middle,” I said, as I looked toward the east. “That's true,” replied Major Winchell, “but in a year from now it will be covered with farmhouses, surrounded by gardens, and have a population of neaxly 400 people. There will be a big crowd of people hers by Christmas.” “This land,” the major continued, “is what has be:n known as the Romie ranch. The owner has allowed us to have it for four years with the option of buying. We do not have to pay a cent until tnat time, and then only a small percentage of the price of $30 an acre. But if we de- cide 1o take it we must pay for it in ten years. “Most of the mazerial, machinery and lumber, we have also obtained on about the same terms. Besides this we have received donations of many things we will need. In fact we will have to spend very little money except for freight. . “‘All the cash we have to start with is about $5000, which has been subscribed by different prominent men throughout the State. Of course, under these circumstances, the money will go a long way. Still we need about $20,000 to perfect the scheme, and I have every confidence that we can getit” “But,” I asked, *‘don’t the people need to have any money who de- sire to become colonists?"” “Not a cent. In fact we will not take people that have money. What we want are strong, willitg people who will make the best of their advantages. We take them on probation for two vears, and, if they are not satislactory they will have to go. O course we will not take un- married men under any circumstances.” “But how will these people maintain themselves, or will the colony support them as a community ?” I asked. “There is to be no communily scheme about it,” Major Winchell answered. *“‘Each person is to be treated as an individual and must work out hi: own destiny with the same advantages as his neighbors or give up. While our plan is co-operative it stops at the door of each man’s home. DOMAIN, In less than a year this ba:rea-looking piece of land will bs covered with small farms and dweliing=hous s. Major Winch-Il estimates t at it will have a population of neacly four hundred. The chances are all will be prosperous and happy. T gy : T TP i) LG /| { LOCATING THE FIRST CORNER. 0 = all farms, There was not a stick of furniture in the house, thy toor and boxes did auty for chairs and tables, ¢'lt have all those things down in aday or two, when the other cd is come,” Major Winchell explained. “Until then we will have to ge™:long the best we snow how. I think we have everything else we need."’ Be s were made on “We haven’tany baking powder,” Colonist Traver put in at this peint, “'so we can’t have any bread for dinner.” “Ob! yes we can,” said tle engineer. ‘“‘Make Missouri cornbread. at aon’t need any baking powder. Only flour and water.” All agreed that Missouri cornbread was good enough and so Missouri cornbread it was. ““Well, we couldn’t be expected to remember everything,” said Major Winchell. “We'll have everything we need in a few days.”’ As these five men procecded with their work they impressed me a; Dot realizing the importance of the undertaking they were starting, Here (i, Before the colonists had been on their land forty-eight hours Engineer Haskell 1 his transit at work and in a short time had located t e first corner of one of the remain until other buildings are erected. Colonist Gillespie had very little to say. He hardly seemed to realize the great change that had suddenly come to his way of living. Bat he was satisfied with his lot. *‘It1s a.beautiful piece of land,” he said, “and I thiok the colony is going to be a big succ:ss. Iam very proud of being one of the two first colonists.” ‘‘Come with me,” Major Winchell said after he had laid out a number of little things to be attended to, “and I will show your our land and explain to you how we will improve it, and also how we may irricate it.”" The wind was not biowing now and the air was clear and warm. To the east and west high mountain ranges could be seen melting away in the b.ue distance. Truly it seemed like a paradise, and certainly a more desirable piece of farming Iand would be bard to find. We left the ranch Louse where the colonists were domiciled and drove toward the west. The land sloped that way, but so gradunally as to be hardly perceptible. Just at the base of a range of foothills, sheltered from all wind and Hnniicohantta 4 et Hid ) f M Ul Lt | W —— el e = Eees < ety ) 0 U T vt e ,w‘fi A ) - ‘.l, T RA\LY ] ""M”“u i/ i , i : < | P SALVATIONIS'I"S IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE. When the colonists and officers arrived on the land they took up their quarters in an old farmhouse, Y [N 22000 0y TGS S B S 6B SBEB 0SB Y “This is certainly a fine picce of land, and I am surc our colony is going to be a success. Iam glad to be here and proud that Iam one of the two first colonists to arrive, [ now have a chance to work and am my own boss." ) TITIRRRLL 20229208 umm,umnmxxmfi assure him $250 next October. The Salvation Army may establish a market in San Francisco for the disposal of surplus produc With such advantages I don’t see why people cannot earn their living. If a man can save §1 25a week he can pay for his home within the time of our option to buy-—ten years, When a2 man has paid for his iand he will be glven a clear title to it. ““There are to be no restrictions nor obligations on any of the colonists. We will have a store, but when a man draws against his account he is given coin, and car spend it where he pleases. There is to be no charity fund. People who cannot support themselves must go to some one of our other institutions. This is a place for workers. “You have no idea of the class of people who apply to become colonist Many of them have several bundred doliars laid by and are willing to make a good payment at the start. Bat we have to refuse them all, because this is for people who are not able to help themselves.” Bv this time we had driven around the colony tract and reached a point on the Mission rasch just back from the banks of the Rio Seco. Here there is a fine pumping plant and an abundance of water all the year around. The Saivation Army may buy this plaut or make terms to have water supplied to their colony tract. Thev have several broposi- tions under consideration, so that the water problem is an easy one. For domestic purposes it is the intention to put in a number of wind= mills along the roads through the ranch and connect with the houses by pive. A rerfect sewerage system will also be established. When we got back to the ranch house threz of the men were just ready to start plowing. Six horses were hitched to a double plow, and, when all was ready, off they went, tearing through the soil as if it were play. Actual farm work haa commenced, although the colonists had been on their land less than forty-eight hours. Surely that is industry and enterprise. *“‘We are going to plow the whole thing except the roads, and we will build the houses on top of the plowea fields. This is simply a time- saving scheme, so that the land will be ready when the veople come. Next year each man can plow his own land. ““We expect to commence building within the next ten days—just as soon as the lumber comes. All the houses will be alike in size and shape. There ought to be some families here inside of a month, and after that they will keep coming right along.” OFFICE OF THE COLONY. 3 Owing to lack of accommodations, the office of the colony has for the time being where they will to be located in an old tent that for many moons has been in the service of the Sale vation Army. ‘It is purely a business proposition. We are to have a sort of a bank. When the head of a certain family comes on the land he is given credit for from $200 to $250, according to the number of children. He is also given a house, barn, farming utensils and ten acres of land under water for irrigation. He really owes the Salvation Army the money he has been given credit for, and he has the privilege of puying the house and land at what both cost. He is treated as if they belonged to him. “When a man moves into the colony and is located in his own house he has the privilege of drawing coin against his account. w, ifa man is industrious he ought not to need all of the money for which he is given credit before he gets returns. ““Those who get here before Christmas can get their land in such shape that they will be sell-supporting almost from the start. They can vlant alfalfa and keep a cow, and also a few pigs. There are accommoda- tions for chickens in the barn. Vegetables can be grown from the start. Then besides each colonist can put five acresin sugar beats, which wiil I then asked Major Winchell what the name of the colony was to be, to which he replied that it was not yet decided upon. “How- ever,” he said, “we will very likely make use of the popular word ‘Santa’ in the name. It has been suggested that we call it ‘Santa Claus’ colony, and I think we will. This witl be appropriate on account of the time of year we will arrive, and it will also contain the name of our most liberal contributor.” “There will be lots of happy people here by Christmas time,” con- tinued Major Winchell, after a pause, *‘and I wiil then feel that our work is progressing properly. We wiil be raising human beings out of the slough of despond and giving them a home and hopes for the future. And I think that is 2 good deal better than starving in the city.”” As I drove away from the colony tract I looked back aud wondered how such a carefully planned, weil backed and commendable enterprise - could fall of success, and concluded that it will ail depend on the colonists, WiLL Spanks.