The morning times., 1895-12-29
w. e. SMITHS COMMUNITY.
To He Located on the Bank of the
Sacramento River.

To He Located on the Bank of the
Sacramento River.
There has been con nsiderable interest wax
ened lately in new colonization scheme
Tor Americans, which, the men who have
planned it say, is neither philanthropical
nor commercial, the latter word being used
In the sense of large speculative profits.
Neither is 1t communistic In the ordinary
sense of the word, although itis cooperative
in q limited sense.
The plan is the result Of the observations
OF William Z. Smith, editor of the "Irri-
CATION Age" and for two years president
OF the National Irrigation Congress, and
has for its object, primarily. the reclaiming
of so-caIled arid lands by irrigation, and
the establishment OF agricul-
tural and manufacturing communities on
IA sound financial basis, in which the
coloDists will own individually small farms,
and will own in common, as members OF
a stock company, the manufacturing inter-
ests Of community which will be closely
connected with the agricultural Interests.
The plan of Mr. Smith is the outcome of
study Of the various colonial systems OF the
world, and claims to embrace all their best
points. with most OF their bad ones elimi-
mated. The plan, in short. is as follows:
A company, of which Mr.. smith is one OF
the leading members, gets an option on
large tract.of land. A village site Is chosen
and divided into a number OF plots. One
hundred of these are of an acre in extent
and are to be used for the homes OF the
colonists.
The site of this proposed colony Is the
Ashurst ranch in the Sacramento Valley, IN
Northern California. II is tract OF lO,OOO
acres, the property OF Cam. B. Ashurst one
OF the California pioneers. The property
for forty years was one of the most Famous
ranches in California. But
wheat raising in California Is beinR given
up rapidly on account OF Its unprofftab Die
ness, and the ranch of late years has been
because, from lack OF trriga-
ton no other products can be profltabiy
raised on IL. @Eo
The college is TO be organized on the basis
of a farm village. Inmany parts OF Europe,
where small farms are the rule, the people
have their homes in central village and TIL
the outlying lands. This plan was generally
adopted in the very successful Mormon col
onies in Utah, and in several successful Cali
fornia colonies. For the purpose of such
village, central tract OF 900 heres has been
reserved in the colony tract The rest ofthe
land will be divided into twenty and ten acre
farms for the use of the colensts. Eacn
purchaser OF a twenty-acre farm VIII re-
ceive without extra charge, an acre lot In
the village, and those who purchase ten
acre farm will receive h3lf-acre lot The
village site has been marked out SO that each
of this class of lots will front on broad,
circular boulevard, which viii extend com
pletely around the village sitS. The land
enclosed by the boulevatd Will be reserved
for and ali theselots will belong to the colony
company and be sold for the benefit OF It's
treasury.
This colony company is another feature
of the plan that is somewhH out oil the
ordinary. 1t viii consist n those who
purchase farms. Each purchaser OF land
will have to purchase as many shares or
stock in the company as he does acres of
land As soon as the colony Is organized
it will become owner of the village site
and of the irrigation system. These two
properties go with the land, but the VIII
lage site must be paid for at the same
rate as the farming land and upon the
same schedule OF payments. The capital
of the company will thus be used for the
requirement OF the village site, vliage
improvements, and industrial plants. Every
coionist will thus be .stockholder, in the
proportion his land holding sustains to
the total area of the colony tract, In the
various Industries to be created, as well
as in the irrigation plant, the domestic
water supply, and electric light and power
plant. s-'.
The industries to be created are to De
closely connected with the farms; In lact,
they are intended solely for the disposal of
the farm products. There will be a cream
cry, 10 use the surplus milk. cannery
for the surplus fruit, packing house aud
a starch factory for the surplus potatoes.
The most important feature of the pro-
posed colony is the irrigation system, upon
which. of course, the very life OF the enter
prise depends, for without 1t no agriculture
is possible. With the land goes the absolute
water right, for the title to the water ap-
preparation and canal system goes to the
company without charge. While the rain
fall In the Sacramento Valley is sufficient
for wheat and early vegetable crops, 1t Is
not sufficient for the diversified farming
and intensified cultivation contemplated.
BY having Irrigation until the middle OF
July, as is desired, 1t Is possible to raise
successive crops of vegetables and berries
and get the highest results in the orchards.
Theauthor of this scheme, when he formed
It. had In mind the emigration of thrifty
class of Americans to the West. where, with
a small capital, they could attain com
petence. At the same time there would
be formed q number OF communities OF
small, prosperous farmers, adding to a class
that constitutes the backbone of the country.
A community like the one proposed has al
ready been started in Payette Valley, Idaho,
and I'm the two years of its existence 1t has
prospered greatly. 1t Is estimated that 9
capital of $67O is sufficient to start family
in the new place-tbat is, on twenty acres
of land, and SAT- on ten acres.
In return for this, it is said, that ever
when prices are low, there can be made
from $50 to 500 net per acre above
the yearly living expenses In the way
of products are mentioned all the grains
berries, vegetables, and fruit, and sucf
semi.tropic products as oranges, lemons
lines, pomegranates, olives and figs. Th'
colony borders on the Sacramento River
so besides good railroad facilities, it hai
clear waterway to SacraInento and Sal
Francisco.
T. B. wakeman of New York city, who Il
interested in the colOny.tSayS that the lde;