The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-12

Fears Inspired by the Exist
ence Here of the
Commonwealth.
Meanwhile the Co-operationists
Are Eking Out but a Meager
Existence.

There was a report circulated yesterday
that band of red-fag socialists and an
archists is in this City plotting bloody
revolution. When the matter was thor
oughly looked into it proved to be nothing
more than the fears of a few persons,
based upon the existence here of the "Co-
operative Commonwealth mere hand
full of struggling unfortunates, who form
erly held meetings in the old German
Church on Geary street
The "Co-operative Commonwealth" was
started about two months ago by Mrs. M.
e. Squires of Portland, Or, and e. J.
Jeffries of Seattle, Wash, in this City in
the stone building at PIG Geary street, and
has not had a career of phenomenal sue
cess from business point of view.
1t was the intention at first to utilize the
old German church as headquarters for the
oppressed and needy of the land, and to do
business on purely cooperative basis, by
which the members would pool all their
efforts and returns and work out an ex-
istence, share and share alike. The scheme
was to sell whatever available labor the
commonwealth controlled for the best
price it might bring in the market, and
then divide the aggregate compensation.
But it did not work as it was hoped.
Mrs. Squires, when she came here from
Portland, went to G. J. Behlow, the owner
of the premises, and commenced negotia-
she said, but thought she would be able to
pay in day or two. Mr.. Bellows terms,
however, were cash. Unbaffled. Mrs.
Squires went to the agents OF Mr.. Behlow,
so the story goes, and by some means OBJ
tanned, with twelve other commonwealers,
possession OF the premises.
Shortly atterward George Sells, whose
name has become more or less familiar
with the public through his connection
with similar movements, was made mana
ger of the commonwealth, and when Mr..
Behlow grew extremely pressing in his de-
mands for some pecuniary return for the
use of the premises Sells was equal to the
occasion with list of names of well-known
citizens, who, he represented, would stand
by the commonwealth and cover the item
of rent.
This did not quite satisfy Mr.. Behlow
and he complained to Captain Douglass OF
the police, charging the commonwealers
with unlawfully occupying the building.
The captain explained to him he could do
nothing and that if Mr.. Behlow had
good grounds he could begin eviction pro-
ceedings against the alleged trespassers
by the usual methods of law. Finally,
however, the collector 1Or MT. benlOW
agents succeeded in getting them to move
out after some little trouble.
The headquarters of the Cooperative
Commonwealth" are now at 56 Natoma
street, the south half of dark-red, tumble
down, two-story frame building there now
serving that purpose. There are nine
members altogether living there, nearly
all Germans, eking out wretched exist
ence, doing odd jobs whenever the oppor-
fnnitU ic 4hoirc nd eli ha Nj
ing sleep of poverty on wooden benches
of their own improvising. George Sells
is no longer manager, ne having been de-
posed owing to some disagreement over
the handling of the funds of the common
wealth, so said Walter Joyce, last night,