The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-01-12
ToPoLoRAMPo.
Visit OF Inspection by the U. S. S.
iroquols.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 81, 1

Il
beth went to Topolobampo, so | will tell you
all / know Of the place for the benefit Of
| their friends
| Topolobampo Is to be situated ON bay Of
the same name that is perfectly sheltered.
easily Of entrance and obstrueted only by a
bar OH which is two and q half fathoms Of
water at low tide so in moderate weather
vessels can cross 1t easily. In front Of the
| site Of the town is deep harbor, almost too
| deep, as 1t ranges from sixteen to eighteen
| fathoms, but vessels can drop close in to the
/ shore without grounding and very sh0r-
| wharves are required for loading and unt
| loading goods. This harbor is protected by
| an island to the southwark and westward,
| and by high. mountainous land on all other
sides except where small strait to the north
| and east connects it with San Carlos bay. a
| large basin ten miles in diameter and navi-
| gable In southwest part. The town Is to be
| built on the northeast side of a hill to the
| north and east Of the anchorage. Already
| they have built large house for the compa-
| ny and the Mexican government has prompt
| ly saddled them with custom house whose
| officers are supported according TO Mexican
usage by the receipts of the Office. The rest
| Of the dwellings are tents, but the climate is
mild and do not think that they suffer any
hardships after they get used TO that kind OF
| life.
THE BOOM.
At the beginning of the boom no extrava-
CANT bait was thown out, believe, yet there
was enough hinted and hidden from the
common eye to make the bait very attractive
to people possessing little money and great
ambitions. The scheme collected a swarm
of people of all kinds, classes, nationalities
and religions from the honest Maine fisher
man to the German Socialist and Russian
Nihilist. A large part of the recruits set ont
with the intention Of living on their fellow
colonists. These were true social economists
who thought the world should be changed
because under the present laws they have to
work for their daily bread. Some people,
invalids and the like, were really deceived
into thinking that they could live without
work but they soon found out their mistake.
So did the others who had conscientious
scruples against labor for they soon found
| food very scarce and clothes scarcer still.
Then, while the workers plodded on, the
theorists began to cry out. Because they
could not have their bread buttcred on both
sides they said they were starving. The
company experienced difficulties from the
Mexican Government in having some cloth
This told on the people very heavily. One
man said that he had TO go about without
trousers, and that he was not popular in so
ciety on that account. To be sure most OF the
colonists were not used to pioneer life, and
the hardships told on them. Then the ex0-
dus began. Everybody not suited TO the life
managed to get away, by hook or by crook.
Some were thrown upon the humanity OF the
United States Consul at Guaymas. who as
sisted them without remuneration, and at
considerable expense. Some escaped to Ma
zatlan, and thence to the United States. FL
ally the colony was weeded out, and only
those remained who were content to work.
who did not expect too much, and who We're
suited to the life. These set to work with
will bought a tract Of available land on
credit, and made some improvements, besides
planting one crop. The the man from whom
they had bought the land became afraid he
would not get his money, so he took adyant-
age Of technical error In the deeds and
claimed the land back again. 1t was turned
over, improvements and all. Then they
started on another tract of land, and, when
we arrived, were commencing to realize from
it. While one party are at work around the
coast settlement, the other party are on this
farm inland on the river. Lieut.. Norris,
who went up to this settlement with the cap
tain, describes the farm as the best land he
ever saw, very easy to irrigate, and apparent
ly very fruitful. When you realize that they
get two CT ops a year from this land, you will
see at once that the colony cannot help but
IDTlNb. Ut COOptldtlNC oyotCul ID uuuouOt-
edly the best in the world, because it does
away with buying through number Of
hands and paying profits to number OF peO-
pie, and this IS essentially cooperative COM
pany.
THE MoDUs oPERANDI.
Each man, upon joining the colony, IS sup
posed to buy lot in the town upon which
to build. These lots sell at say $40 for the
first hundred. $40 for the second hundred,
and so on, and tie owner is not to sell his
lot to anybody but central committee. All
the houses in each block are to be built on
exactly the same plan as the first house put
up in the block, and no houses are to be
erected until the central committee has ap-
proved the plan. Nobody is allowed to talk
religion or politics on the street. Move
ments have been made to keep the men from
using tobacco and whiskey. Moral lectures
are given in the dance tent every three or
four nights, and then dancing is in order.
Social intercourse is promoted by all hands.
That is harmless and pretty form of social
ism. As yet there is no commerce at Topolo-
bampo, and II there were the company would
do all the bartering and the eolonists would
buy from the company at first cost. So the
people do not need money, nor have they any
use for it. The ranks Of the colony are re-
cruited in great measure from the routed
battalions Of the Greenback party, and these
people nurse their pet scheme by discarding
| money and paying men, women and children
| for labor in units Of account" on the books
| L have not discovered as yet the value of a
..unit Of account" but do not think they
| will know themselves until they begin TO sell
| their produce, and then they will have to de-
| crease the value, probably, or Increase II, In
| order to make the stock of exchanged goods
| 20 around the whole colony. That scheme
| seems we'll enough while there is no com
merce, but with such good harbor and with
/ the railroad that New York capitalists wish
/ to put through, this state Of things will not
last. Strangers passing through will smile
/ at the units OF account and Will use hard
| cash, that will circulate around the colony
| and will be used to buy luxuries. while the
| units are saved for necessities. The scheme
may hold, but it has doubtful tenure ii
| Topolobampo becomes commercial town.
| The railroad has nothing to do with the col
/ ony except that the colonists are offered
i work on 1t as soon as II can be started.
| But what promises to be more troublesome
to the growth, peace and happiness Of this
| colony Is the Mexican government. a gov
| ernment running over with officers who do
| nothing and have to be provided for by the
| people upon whom they are quartered. So
| far as have seen no Mexican city thriyes.
| maLdtlldIl ID uiiCQ Og lOlciSucio YET lntIt 10
/ not half the life or business there that you
| would find in an American village of half its
/ size. The government is very affable now
| before the colony is firmly established but it
/ will change and all the meanness and treach-
/ cry of the Mexicans, and their meanness and
/ treachery are unfathOnable, will be turned
| loose upon our friends at TopOlobampO. The
/ stopping of some provisions and clothing for
| the colony for nOn-payment of duty ut Quay
| mas, when the Mexican government had
| given permission for them to enter free; IS
| an instance of the faith that subordinate Of
| fcers keep with the government promises.
| Appeal to the City of Mexico is tedius and
| may be fruitless. The fact of the matter is
| perhaps that the customs officer thought the
/ government was coming down on those peO-
| pie sooner or later and he might as well set
/ the ball rolling.
Topolobambo is a success II you look upon
| 1t as an association Of farmers working on
excellent land and working in earnest. As
Utopia 1t is failure. Those there now do
not want to leave because they have all their
money invested In the scheme and they nave
| no other place to 60, while there they are
| sure of something 10 eat ana suihclent
| shelter for their heads
have given you as accurately ana un-
| prejudiced an account as 1 can and | hope
' It will calm the apprehensions OF our Port
landers whose friends went out there.