The morning call., 1891-04-17
A BURSTED BUBBLE.
Probable End Of the KaEsah
Colony Scheme.
The Trustees Convicted Of Cutting Timber
on Government Land.
Bow the BellamiteS We're DuIed By Cunning
Een-Time and Money Of the
Victims Lost.
Epecial TO THE MORNING UAlL.

Los ANGELES, April 16. The Evening
Express contains an elaborate expose of the
Kaweah Colony in Tulare County, which
was established ostensibly to carry out the
nationalistic views of some Bellamites.
The investigation was prompted by the
prosecution in the United States District
Court here of Burnett G. Haskell, Henry s.
Hubbard, Henry T. Taylor, James j. Mar
tin and William Christie, Trustees and lead
ers OF the colony on charges OF cutting
timber on Government lands. In October,
1885, forty-two men made timber entries in
Visalia on forest lands famous for big tim
Der in the northern part of Tulare County,
and two months after the Land Commits
sIoher instructed the withdrawal of these
lands from entry. Meanwhile the filerS had
gone ahead and had partly built road for
eighteen miles through an almost inaccessi-
Bile country 10 get to the timber claims
The entries were refused by the Visalia
Land Office. but the ilers protested and
went on with their work.
The party was incorporated, but Haskell
and Martin succeeded BY underhand work
In breaking up the corporation, and estab-
lished q joint stock company instead called
the Kaweah Colony. Haskell started a
"boom" magazine, claiming the colony
owned 1900 acres of timber lands and 1000
acres of grazing land. The most glowing
descriptions we're given of the delights of
living in the colony, which was run on the
Bellamistic plan, which embodied equal
shares and profits and a common C mpany
property. Hundreds, perhaps thousands Of
people, during period of over three years,
have been duped into the scheme, many
persons spending their all to get to the Ka-
weah Colony, and working for long time,
living meanwhile on beans and bacon.
The workers were not paid in money but
in time checks, system devised by Has
kel, which emitted the holder to the labor
OF another man or of goods bought from the
colony, and bearing interest at the rate Of
Ii per cent. Thousands Of these worthless
bits of paper have been issued, and many
persons have nothing else TO show for their
three years labor but stack of these worth
less checks. The arrangements of entering
were for the applicant TO pay $500; S100 be-
ing cash. and the balance in monthly sums
of So. BY getting recruits through the in
fUence Of the magazine il is estimated that
the revenue of Haskell and Martin, who re-
ceiyed all these moneys, were 5000 aSnonth.
Some persons were permitted by the al
legged Board of Directors to come TO the
colony and work out their $500 balance for
men bership. Thuse the schPmers got the
people to come and finish the building Of
the road for rough board and clothes, and in
time would have had them cutting timber.
Mrs Y. Goodwin, late of New Hampshire,
In letter describes the horrible condition
Of the colonists al Kaweah she having been
one of the colonists, spending her money as
did many persons. Those who could get
out left the place and said nothing about be-
Ing duped. The scheme was to cut the TIM
Der and delude, by the Bellamy plan, peo-
pie with nationalistic ideas to come in and
do the work, the profits. as the facts sug-
gest, being enjoyed by the ring-leRders.
After Congress declared the land a
national park the cOlonists were driven off
the land, and they settled Oh railroad land
twenty miles away. A troop of artillery
will 60 into the forest on May LIST to protect
the timber.
The jury this afternoon found the five
Trustees puiltV.