The herald., 1896-06-28
TAMALE DICKS EXPERIENCE
Why He Ceased to Be a Candidate for
the South Seas
Capt. Frair Shows Himself to Be Q Fighter as
Well as Organizer-Thc Collapse
oil Wild Scheme NJ

Down at No. 5051a East First street a
jovial soul named r. w. Morrison con-
ducts a tamale and lunch stand. He is
never called by his given name, but an
swers to the appellation of Tamale Dick,
and as such he prefers to be known.
Dick is in trouble and all over his con-
nection with charity colony which was
intended to populate group of islands
in the south seas. He was a prime
mover in the enterprise, but is out now,
and glad of it, so glad that he has ex-
posed the whole scheme, which he once
thought so innocuous but now char
acterizes as q fake.
About two months ago one Capt. G..
Frair, 40 years of age, came to this city
and took residence at 462 Turner street,
where he lived with his mother. The
captain was a man of large converse
tional abilities and soon Interested Dick
and several others in a scheme he had on
hand. He represented that he and his
brother owned two vessels and had con-
troll of four more which he proposed to
utilize in conveying people to group
of south sea islands which he intended
colonizing
He had been to these islands and gave
glowing accounts of their richness of
soil, productiVeneSS, climate, etc. In
line with his ideas, with several kindred
spirits, about three weeks ago the Los
Angeles Charity colony was organized
at Frair's house on Turner street. There
were five charter members besides the
captain-Tamale Dick, A. Slosson, j.
Weeks, and two others named Brown
and Gardner A set of bylaws was
adopted by which the affairs of the col
ony were to be run on equity, human
justice and the golden rule" Members
were entitled to join the colony on a
unanimous vote of all present, one black
ball rejecting. 1t was to cost $50 per
family to transport the colonsts to their
destination by Capt. Frair's fleet and
$25 each for single men.
Several meetings We're held and all
went swimmingly, apparently. At one
of these meetings Capt. Frair got up and
read letter from his brother refusing
to allow him to use his ships any longer
in his mind. The brother was psalm
singer, but Capt. Fair, while here, had
been converted to a free thinker and the
two religions would not jibe worth a
cent. F'rair did not propose to have any
missionaries on the islands, anyway, and
was glad of the change in affairs The
only difference it would make would be
that the colonistS would have to buy
their own vessel. mere trife
Tamale Dick is no fool, and began to
smell mouse. He and the others had
dug up 20 cents apiece for charts of the
south seas upon which to locate their
islands, which had been accommodate
ingly done by the captain, although no
land appeared on the map where he
placed his group. This did not bother
him a little-the islands were there any
way. for had he not been there? Dick
finally made himself obnoxious by his
too minute inquiries, and Friday re-
ceived note worded as follows:
L. A. Charity Colony
June 25th headquarters
Mr.. Morrison. Sir, you will please con-
slider yourself expelled from this colony
so it will not be necessary to come to
the meet on the Goth inst.
Yours j. Weeks
A. Slosson
G. Frair