Arizona republican., 1893-10-31
THE COLONISTS.
Eight Thousand Persons
for Arizona.
Fruit Growers from Pa
lermo, Italy. 4
The Founders, Monks of the
"ServantS of the Poor"
The Result of a Conference Between
Governor Hughes and a Re-
preventative of the Order.

The colonization scheme for Arizona,
of which a telegraphic account was sent
out from Washington last week, is
more gigantic than appeared from the
dispatch, and is so near realization that
it may be now considered a certainty
An Arizonlan now in Washington,
thus writes of it, the causes of the
movement and the meeting between
Governor Hughes and a member of an
Italian religious order sent out to find
homes for 5000 persons:
"After short conference, active
neg citations were opened to the better
un derstanding of which slight sketch
of the proposed enterprise, which is
quite unique in many features, may be
desirable.
"Over in sunny Italy, land much
like our own in topography, climate and
productions, there is an order of monks,
most of whom are taken from the ranks
of the landed nobility, but who, in
emulation of the example of the divine
Carpenter of Nazareth. call themselves
their lives in humility and poverty to
the amelioration OF the conditions
which surround the oppressed and
struggling peasantry of their native
land. To fit themselves for such mis-
sion these worthy and self-denying
fathers spend years OF preparation in
themselves acquiring thoroughly all
sorts of mechanical arts, as we'll as
practical and scientific education in
agriculture, arboriculture, viticnlture,
and all the rest OF it. Having received
this education, these monks are dis
tributed among the peasant COM
munities to whom they teach the arts
and trades best suited to the capacity
and environment of the people.
around Palermo in Italy, there is a
district which in practical way may
be said to much resemble the condi-
tions to be found in many localities of
Arizona. The people are the finest
specimens of farmers, vine and fruit
growers in the kingdom. Unlike the
| lazzaroni of the cities, or the lawless
coast people of some Neapolitan dis
tricts, these Palermese are dignifed,
quiet, law abiding moral citizens.
Temperate and frugal, upright and in
dustrious; they are noted over Europe
az representing the best type of the
Italian common people, while in their
own country they are so we'll thought
of that 1t will not be with any good
grace that the Italian government will
see any of them depart. But with all
their good standing at home and COM
| fu faa1
ground down by the oppression oil
taxes, which an impoverished govern.
ment is forced to squeeze out of all its
citizens, and, again, by the compulsory
military service, now more onerous
than ever, and more than ever sug-
gestive of an impending cruel war in
the issue of which the masses every.
where feel that they have nothing
whatever to gain.
Considerations like the foregoing
have led to agitation among the Pa
lermese and finally to an appeal to theil
trusted friends, the Servants of the
Poor" to Spy out for them and assist
them to locate and esta ablish themselves
in some land of civil and religious lib
erty where they might be free from the
|
peasant life in Europe. Thus one o
the ablest of this noble congregation o.
fathers came to America and entered
into negotiations here and there, il
connection with confreres already il
New York. He has been offered lavish
inducements to 90 to one OF the South
American states, to Mexico, the Mis-
sissippi valley, to Texas, but had con
sidered nothing seriously until Ari
zona was brought to his attention
when he was attracted by the similar
ity of its conditions and productions t,
those of Italy.
ut was very fortunate that Governo
Hughes was in Washington to meet tn,
reverend father. More was accom-
plished in the one day of verbal ne
gotiation than could haye been done il
six months of correspondence and tn,
net result is as follows:
"It is purposed to arrange for tn
planting of colony of 1000 families
or about eight thousand souls. some
where in Arizona, the exact spot to b
settled within few weeks by the rep
resentative of the colonists and tn
governor. As soon as the selection ha
been made an advance guard of 10
men will be forwarded, who will g
into camp under the direction of one Q
the fathers, and prepare quarters an
some preliminary farming work for tn
second party of 200, who will brin
with them their own families, as we
as those of the advance guard.
They will rapidly make provisio
for the support Of large number an
within a year the entire colonial com
plement of 1000 will be on the ground
The representative has assured th
governor that if the colony shoul
prove successful not less than froI
ten to fiften thousand families from th
J.. same district would eagerly follow.
is the intention to establish scientif
lcally the production of cereals, grapes