Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-26
WANT A COMMUNE.
A Stupendous Plan of the Society OF
BrotherIY Love.
COLONY IN SOUTH AMERICA.
There Are tn BE No Poor, No Rich, but All
to BE Equal and Happy According
to the Dream of the Most
Ardent Resormer.

VI. no.
KANSAS CITY, No, Dec. s5.-TEe.so-
ciety of Brotherly Love, which has is
headquarters at % East Missouri ave-
nue., and is composed of about $50 UNI
employed men, is not devotiRg its en-
tire time to securing work for the un.
fortunates who have no money and no
employment. There is scheme
in connection with the organiza
ton which is quite stupendous
1t is the inten ton to ship as many
men from here as will go to South
America sometime next March where
the South American Colonization Co.
which was chartered in Kansas in 1894
by Secretary of State Osborn, has Sc.
cured grant of 9, 500, 900 acres of land
in Venezuela and Colombia One hun.
dred and twenty-five men have already
signitied their intention of going from
Kansas City, while 600 are expected
from different parts of the country,
principally the large cities. The colo
nists will board a ship at New Orleans
about the LIST of next March.
l. N. Merrifeld, business manager of
the colony, and president of the
Society of Brotherly Love, which he
was instrumental in organizing from
the ranks of the unemployed in Kansas
City, recently surveyed the land on
which it is proposed to establish the
colony. lie secured the concession
from the Venezuelan and Colomb ian
governments, The plan of settling
the new country is similar to that EN-,
ployed in homesteading in the United
States. The only thing that remains
it is said, is for the people to go there
and live upon the land which is ready
for settlement. A novel scheme to
pay for the steamer passage OF
those going on the first trip is devised.
Near the mouth of the Magdalena
river in Colombia there is large tract
of land which is covered with guano.
When the vessel reaches the mouth Of
this river it will be loaded with this
rich offal, 1000 tons of which are ready
to load, valued at $35 a ton. This will
be taken back to New Orleans and
sold. Only enough men will be left at
the rivers mouth to load the boat, the
rest of the party pushing on toward
the interior, where settlement will
be started 200 miles from the coast.
The land grant is principally located
in what is known as the Cauca valley.
The 125 members of the Society of
Brotherly Love, who have enrolled
themselves as members of the coloni.
cation company, are enthusiastic over
the prospects of settling in South
America. The others still think the
United States is good enough for them.
1t is the intention to run the South
American colony as commune. APP
plicants for membership must sign this
agreement
u, hereby covenant with the South
American Colonization Co for five years OF
service eight hours per day, Sundays except
cd, for the consideration OF free passage TO
South Anne ica, and board, clothing, amuse-
ment and the enjoyments OF life, as deemed
best by the company. 1 furthermore agree to
turn such lands and property as may acquire
during said period into the common treasury,
and to yield strict obedience to the majority
vote, or forfeit all legal interest except divl-
dend stock in said company
There are other requirements to
mem berShip which indicate cooper
alive commonwealth to be established
in which there are to be no poor, no
rich, but where men are all equal and
happy according to the dream of the
most ardent reformer.