New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-06
PLANTING COLONIES.


PLANTING COLONIES.
There are no chapters in the early history OF
our country of more painful and more thrllilns
interest than those that tell the story OF the
unfortunate companies of adventures VINO
landed on the shores of the New World only
to die of starvation in the wilderness. how
many ship freighted with fair hopes passed
through the dangers of the stormy seas, ana
left its passengers to perish miserably on the
inhospitable coasts of an unknown country
The gold-diggers of Virginia, the follow-
era of Ponce de Leon and La Sale, ana
harder immigrants who made futile attempts
TO settle on the bays and rivers OF New-En-
gland have left a tragical record OF dlsap-
pointment, suffering, and death. Such Incl
dents are unavoidable in the colonization OF
distant and unexplOred countries. Ordinary
intelligence cannot provide against the eXi-
gences of life under an untried climate, in land
whose soil and productions are but half I'M
derstood. That it should be possible, however,
for colony of some hundreds of men to en-
dure at this day, in any part OF North America
such disasters sometimes befell the Amer
lean Adventures of the 10th and 18th CEN
turtles, can only be explained by the myster-
GUS propensity of mankind to rush need
lessly into danger with their eyes WIDE
open, or to offer themselves a prey to swindlers
of the most transparent character. III Is per-
hans too soon to express a decided opinion
upon the recent disastrous attempt to estab-
lish a colony in Lower California. The story
of the projectors of that expedition, if they
have any to tell, is not yet published, and we
are therefore in some doubt whether to accuse
them of roguery or only rashness. According
to the accounts brought back by the famished
cOlOnists, nearly four hundred men, including
seven or eight families, were persuaded by a
Newly agent of the Company to go out to
Magdalena Bay, desolate part of the Pacific
coast near the southern end of the PENN
sula of Lower California. The Mexican
Government was to allot to each man
liberal grant of land, and the
Company was to guarantee tho set
tiers employment in gathering orchilla, or sea-
moss, at $50 a month and rations The story
is soon told. The country about Magdaena
Bay is sandy waste. The land is useless for
agricultural purposes There is little or no
fresh water, except in remote lagOons. The
moss gatherers were not paid; and to save
themselves from starvation large parties of
them trudged many days journey along the
dreadful coast, until they reached a Mexican
settlement. Some died on the way of thirst,
sickness, or fatigue. The miserable remnant of
about 100 were at last rescued by vessel sent
to their relief, and brought in a deplOrable
condition to San Francisco.
Since we ourselves had a slight land innO-
cent? share in leading some of them into this
pitiable plight, by remarking that the name
of Mr.. Richard Schell as President of the
Company would be a guarantee of its integ-
rity and sound business management, we desire
to make emphatic this evidence that it was not
Ordinary prudence on the part of either the
Company or the men ought to have avoided
the catastrophe. Trying to plant colony
without knowing whether the selected spot is
capable of supporting life is sheer folly, and
the man who goes to establish himself in an
inaccessible and unsettled region, without
taking pains to ascertain something about it,
has himself to blame if he is starved for his
trouble. America is so far explored now that
the colonist has all necessary facilities for
making an intelligent choice of location. He
never need be led blindly into sandy desert
where there is neither water nor vegetation.
Thousands of miles of virgin land, in ter
ritories where the soil is fruitful and
the heavens are kind and intercourse with
the rest of the world is only matter of
few hours instead of weeks lie open to his
choice, and he may have his share for song
The Greeley Colony of Colorado is an example
of the new method of planting the wilderness,
whose prudent management and consequent
success offer a strong contrast to the rashness
of the Lower California enterprise The men
who founded the Colorado Colony did not
trust their fortunes to a Land Company, but
took them into their own hands. They chose
a committee of their own number to select
site for the new town, and having satisfied
themselves that the selection was good one,
they packed up their effects and removed to
the chosen spot. There were hardships at first;
but every cOlonist expects to face privation
and hard work; and now they are getting
their reward. Not only has the success of the
venture been everything that could have been
expected, but its example is bearing fruit, and
new settlements are forming on the same
sensible plan. When the,histOry and the pros
perity of this undertaking become more
widely known, we shall hear no more of fool
ish or dishonest spectators enticing hundreds
of men from one side of the continent to the
other and then leaving them to perish on a
sand bank.
EnRTE JJTE