Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-29
DUPES OF A SCHEMER.
A Colony on the Bellamy Plan Proves
10 be a Dismal Failure.
ALL NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS.
Honest Toilers Who Worked Early and Late
Are Left 10 Mourn.
SOME LETTERS FROM THE VICTIMS

CH1CAGO, November Zo.-Much mas been
said lately of the Kaweah colony, Tula re
county, California. Glowing accounts have
been going the rounds of the newspapers
descriptive of the enterprise and prosperity
of this, the latest of the cooperative COM
monwealths. that was to demonstrate to the
world that socialism was no fad, but prac-
tical scheme; that Bellamyism was to fur
nish final solution OF the labor troubles
that have been disturbing the industrial
world TOR years, and that Kaweah was to be
the little heaven in which the theories e1-
pounded in Looking Backward" were to
find their first exemplifcation.
1t now transpires that Kaweah colony is,
according to the colonist,. a gigantic fraud,
the offspring of the fertile brain of one Bur-
nette G. Haskell; that the leaders in the CO.
operative enterprise are, on the statement of
the self-confessed dupes, a set of self-seek-
ing swindlers. and that thousands of hard
working, credulous workmen and work
women of soclalistIc proclivities throughout
the country are mourning the fact that "the
fools, as the old adage has it, "are not all
dead YETI
,Keweah colony is an enterprise of recent
development. There are now about 600 So
called colonists there. most of whom, it is
said. are trying to get away from the
utopia" Scores of subsidiary or branch
colonies have been established in various
parts Of the country, and thousands OF work
men have given up their hard-earned money
l.. l. Al. Al h.
greatly benefited by their sacrifices person.
ally as we'll as to contribute to the amel1o-
ration of the mass of wage-earners by afford
ing an ''open sesame" to the wished-for Ell
Dorado. One of the chief things accom-
plished, according to the reports issued, has
been the construction of a railroad to the
colony, especially to tract of redwood
timber, which the dupes were led to believe
would reimburse them for, their outlay and
sacrifice.
The fact of the matter seems to be that
credulous Socialists all over the United
States have been asked to contribute toward
the development of tract of land valuable
for its agricultural advantages not less than
for its timber, hitherto inaccessible, and now
owned by a stock company of men who
have adopted Bellamyism for what there is
in it.
The scheme seemed specious enough. and
its originator, B. G. Haskell, had address
and enterprise enough to gain the confidence
of thousands of disconnected but we'll mean
ing wage earners. Looking Backward"
was new book, and Kaweah was Just the
place and Haskell was just the man to put
its doctrines to the test.
DETAILS OF THE SCHEME.
The scheme was simple. Each colonist
IN fal 20 n IN of fhn =
price-S2 so per acre-and assist in building
| a road to get at the timber which, with the
| agricultural and grazing land, was the
stock in trade. No one could join the
colony unless accepted by vote and the pay
ment of $780, $40 OF which was to be paid
| down and the balance of 800 before he Sc
cured work In the colony. The membership
was to be $500, but the additional S40O it
was generously provided could be worked
out"
Money poured into the Golfers of Haskell
| and his colleagues, who, 1t is said, pre-
empted the most valuable part of the tract
| of land. The joint stock company-or the
gang" as the dupes now term the men
who furthered the scheme-was far-seeing
1t realized, according to the statement of
| the members of the commonwealth, that
| the essential thing to- do was to build
a railway to the timber lands, the lumber of
| which would make the owners millionaires.
Be it remembered that the rank and file of
the cooperative commonwealth had no in
| terest whatever in this part of the enter
prise. Their function was apparently to
| furnish the money for the construction of
| the road.
Socialistic workmen bit with avidity at
the bait, and among them scores of the poor
people of Chicago. Throughout the whole
cEan OF
Messrs. Martin, Redstone, Taylor and
Christie, were able. at least till recently, to
pose as bona fide labor leaders and keep the
confidence of the would-be reformers.
HISTORY OF HASKELL.
A word here about Haskell may be
| timely as illustrative of the way in which
he came to be looked up to as leader in
| socialistic movements. His career is thus
described by local labor leader who is
| familiar with his operations for years:
"Haskell, it will be remembered, was the
author of the ingenious outline for the social
revolution that was to culminate on May 1,
| 1889. Printed instructions were sent to all
| members of HaskelPs association directing
| them how to proceed when the fatal day
| arrived: They were to take possession OF
all storehouses and divide the contents
among the needy. They were to get posses
| sion of all records of title and burn them
they were to do a number of very foolish
things which they never did do, but at the
bottom of the circular was a note in large
type that in the meantime all good Social
lists were to send in subscriptions for the
Denver Labor Enquirer. the official organ
of the Socialists, HaskelPs own paper,
price 81 per year, strictly in advance.
GAVE THE SCHEME AWAY.
ssThis scheme did not materialize. About
| two wears before the appointed time it was
given dead away by Bert Stewart, an en-
| thusastic young man who had been caught
| in the drag-net of Haskell's plausible
| scheme, 1t was said at the time that Bert
souealed for money, but outside of his
weekly salary on the paper for which he was
working he did not receive a pistareen.
He gave it away because he thought
| Haskell was a fool and had very
nearly succeeded IN making fool of him.
| With the exposure of this deal the Denver
| Labor ENQUIRER gave up the ghost and
| Haskell turned his attention to the solution
of the problem by another route. This
| time it was cooperation and there was nc
place on Gods green earth where co-opera-
tion could be as successfully inaugurated a.
at Kayeah canyon in the county of Tulare,
State of California. That favored spot was
10 be a second paradise, the starting point
for a new heaven and new earth, and
Haskell was to be the prophet"
FORTUNE ALREADY SPENT.
Up to the present time, it is reported,
s1OO, 900 has already been expended In i'm.
proving the timber land OF Haskell & Co.
| The money has all come from the pockets oi
earnest. hard-working people who were en-.
thusiastic and sangulne enough to think
thar thew were contributing toward solu-