New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-19
A DREAM OF HEAVEN BELOW.
THE CREDIT FoNCIER OF sINALoA

BOUNDING A soCIAIIsTIC STATE ON THE PACIFIC
PLANS TO REALIZE THE VISION.
IRON A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF rHE TRrRuSE.l
HAMMoNToN, N. j., Dec. 1s.-ldeas are scant and
we'll worn and life is dull and decorous a slow
Going country town like this hidden away amid
the gray sand drifts and scrubby pines Of southern
New-Jersey. One would as think Of finding
the data Of q Partisan novel here the stir and
ferment of socialstic theories of social discomfort
And no people, perhaps will be more surprised than
the Hsmmonton villagers themselves to hear that
for more than year past little group of Jealous
Eourierites amongst Them has been plotting the
foundation of new socialistc colony. which, IL
successful, will eclipse the peaceful triumphs of
the New-Lebsnon Shakers, OF. failing, will vindi-
cate more signally than the melancholy
lessons of Brook Farm. 1t is just eighteen mouths
ago tn &C the new venture-a cooperative city
the shore of the Pacific. in the State of Sinaloa,
Mexco,-was launched here by Marie and Edward
Howlani, both weilknown writers among the
sociastc and labor reform parties of this country.
Edward Rowland had been q master in the
Grange, and a prominent Green hacker in the time
of the " soft money craze his wife had written
some socialstic novels and is the translator of NJ.
Godin's Solutions Sociales." Under their direc-
tlon little eight-page paper was started. called
The Credit Foncier OF Sinaloa," the scheme itself
being known to its subscribers as the Credit
fOnclcr lDc OIcuib was V SVipoA"eoh VI osoN@
company with 100, OOD shares. at $40 share. and
each prospective coIonist took one share or more.
The tiny paper had a fair success The stock was
scattered far and wide over the West and South,
bit by Dit at first then block by block. The details
of plan Of government and living were worked
out. Land in Sinaloa on the Bay of Topolobampo
was bought; concessions from the Mexican Govern
ment were obtained; the Credit Foncier was incor-
porated the actual settlement has begun. There
are now about 1000 men and women enlisted as
colonista Over $4,000 shares of the stock have
been sold Ground will be broken gradually at
Topoiobsrpo but by next spring nearly the whole
of the new colony. then swollen in all probability
to $500 or ODO will reach its destination, and this
fresh experiment with the forces of human nature
combative as well as cooperative. will begin.
I. Brook Farm. and the American lPhalanx at Red
Bank tailed, as their spoogists vii! have It,
through lack of isolation Of fair chance to try
the community life under thoroughly self-depend-
ent conditions in fresh fields far from the echo OF
the old world of competition. The Credit Foncer
hopes now to build city on virgin soil cut of by
nature from hostile civilizations where the cooper
alive life MAJ work out its own salvation I'M
trammeled, or fail by its inherent impotence, and
that alone.
ORIGIN OF THE SCHEME.
The beginnings of this striking colony scheme go
further back however, than eighteen months ago !;
20 the wanderings in fact of Its real protector A.
K Owen in Mexico in 1872 anc 1873. Owen has
had an adventurous career from boybood as a
traveller and surveyor, rambling afoot over nearly
every country in Europe and through Palestine.
and crossing and rerrossing the Western plains
before the days of railroads or stage lines de had
learned civil engineering in Chester County. PENN
and plunged with great vigor into railroadDg at
thirty years of age. Getting through with some
work in Colorado he went dow into Mexico in
1872 with General w. J. Palmer to survey what is
now the Mexican Central Railroad. For eleven
months he pushed his explorations through Central
and Western Mexico; and in September, 1873.
travelling by chance along the coast of Sinaloa. lie
discove red Topolobampo Bay. This bay. 1t seems
opening off the Pacific by narrow passageway.
like the Golden Gate at San Francisco. had escaped
the notice of geographers until then. About h all
way between Guaymas. poor roadstead TO the
north, and Mazatlap. another poor one TO the
south; lying inst where the Gulf of California
no.roes with the ocean, with spacious iand-iocked
barbor deep water and gently sloplng Shores II
seemed I'd otter rare advantages for commerce.
The Young surveyor saw in fancy the broad haroor
covered with SHIPS a splendid city on It's northern
edge. with wharves and towers and palks' the
terminus of a mesh of railroads and OF huge sleann-
boat lines. And thas dazzAne picture VI "eai'" anu
industry he never lost
cams now his fondest projs set At the Governors
Convention In Atlanta, in the Virginia Legsiat-
urs in the United States Senate and House OF
Observation-Disclosures and wherever the op-
portunity odered-Owen urged the clalDs Oh us
Great Southern Trans-Oceanic and lnternatl nal
Airline Asia to Europe via Mexico" PRESIDENT
Grant in his second term. ordered survey OF Iopo-
1ohanpo Harbor and a report on 1t by ooard OF
IJnited States engineers was published IN the " ar
Department. Two committees In Congress recon-
mended the railroad scheme favorably before
1s7e hnt hard times followed and nothing came
Al IL Owen NE an lille had joined the Oreenoack
marty and gone into all sorts OF labor reform move
ments and ~ ans he KniSS,
NJ abor From soft money" he ran by degrees
into socialism fercely attacking the olo competl.
tive order his pamphlets ana aaVocaIine mndV
IL. Ills in recent work the Sinsoan colony.
q Intepral Cooperation" Full OF theso soclalistlc
ideas he went To Mexico once more In 1913 ana set
afoot nlans for digging vast system of canals and
drainage for the Valley OF Mexico, ana Ioi pullulne
the Mexican State railways us pronOsas ~ VIZ 70
Eew.York to organize a syndicate for the Work;
General A. . A. TarDort was AT the mead OF III, anu
0uen sailed 9Th him and seventy -four others TOT
Ustico agalu in the City of Vera Cruz. The
steamer foundered of Florida and all put owen
were lost. U. ). Grant IT., was next ulaie nea o. "a
the svndicate, but by this time the Mexlcan zen.
traI and Franco Egyptian banks had got contro OF
the public works and Owens schemes were
dropped. 50. $3.50. o.r.nizea nav railroad
corporation and apply for concessions OF iand anu
.Ohpsia;es for buildi1g The Texas, Iopclobampo
and Pacific Railroad COMPANY was formed Eith
ex-senator Window as President, and Genera d, n
Ertler ex-Mayor Prince, OF Boston, Oeueral
G Gr,,el' Wendell Phillips, Minister Romero f. A
Buck and John II. Rice ON the Board OF Directors
In $50 one hundred miles OF road were sur'eyedd
aas,ward from Iopoobampo. Owen ninsei nau
cIsr~c of it and of the north and south branches
A CIV was needed badly at the terminus OF tue ran
Toad. Inducements would have to be given &c
sottiers Here was a chance for OWENS socia.lstle
frsnds' one that he knew they wonld enthusa -
tcay snap at 1t was at his speseson 'S Ssao Ine
nas Started. and of the Credit itself he became
practically the leading director tie crew Up otS
Seclaration of principles for the cooperative Guy
end has been its recognized agent in all hnancia