The San Francisco call., 1897-09-04
The Colonization Committee
Is Coming to Their
Assistance.
It's Plans Are Completed and
Money Is Rapidly Pour
ing In.
Booth Tucker Will Be Here in a Few
Days to Finally Launch the
Project.

The citizens colonization com mittee
have made such progress as to justify the
presence OF Commander BoothTucker,
the leader of the Salvation Army's Amer
lean forces, to be present to launch the
colonization movement. The commander
was here during the month of March,
when be delivered an address, outlining
the proposed movement. at the Chamber
OF CONNIE at which time the citizens
colonization committee was appointed TO
advise and help the Salvation Army work
out the details and put the scheme on a
good bass.
The commander promised Major Win
chell that as soon as the land was secured,
the money and supplies raised sufficient
to guarantee its succe IS, he would visit the
coast TO complete the legal arrangements
and launch the NOV ment. Major Win
che.l has gwen his entire time to this
project through the sum mmer months.
the first delay was caused by the boule-
ward, the second by waiting for the sale of
the Sobranus land and the last was caused
by the change from the Sobranus to the
Ranchitito land, owned by g. T.
Romie. This has been secured, and such
arrangements made as will warrant the
conn ander's visit. wire was sent him
stating this fact, snd he has replied to the
effect that he will arrive here on the 10th
OF Septe N ber and visit the promised land.
He will return to San Francisco and con-
duct public meetings on the 18th and Goth
In the inte rests OF the colony.
In the meantime the committee will
endeavor to raise the $40, 900 which will be
necessary to give the m vement good
start. Two thousand five hundred dollars
has already been guaranteed, and an
active effort will be made 10 realize the re-
mainder, as it would br folly 10 undertake
the movement with less III the scope that
the committee desires to give it TO prove
itself 1t must not fail for lack of funds,
hence will every body interested 1 com m Ini-
cate with Chairman l.. R. Ellerr at the
com mittee's headquarters, room 80, eighth
floor. Mills building?
1t is desired 10 raise the money by loans
in any amount that individuals or corpo-
rations see fit to advance, which will be
repaid after three or four years at low
rate of interest.
The committee urges that every man
who desires to see the unemployed be-
come independent. wealth prod ucing citi.
zen, help inaugurate the movement
which promises TO build up the interests
of the State, and those who have money
lying idle ar the present time to come TO
the front Immediately and they will find
that they are making a safe and profitable
investment and doing a great amount OF
good.
One OF the men most deeply interested
is ex-Mayor L. r. Eilert. who outlines his
views on the subject as follows:
i think that the plan OF colonization is
about the only practicable one for the
amelioration of the poverty-,tricken; that
is, the hundreds of poor people who have
been crowded out by the numerous fail
ureS during the late financial depression,
or have found themselves out of employ
ment from other causes and hocked to
the large cities, hoping to OBJ ain the work
they were only too willing TO do, but be-
ing utterly unable to procure it have
drifted lower and lower until they
found the gaunt wolf of poverty
staring them in the face. Many of these,
driven to desperation, have become Grim
inals; some are picking up a precarious
living doing odd jobs wherever they could
find them, while others, overtaken by
age, have drifted into the Almshouse, or
sadder still have ended their lives and
added another mound to that disgrace to
ou. civiliZation-paupers' row.
1T is true that from time to time efforts
have been made to help these untortu-
mates, but heretofore only temporary re-
lief has been offered. such as the opening
up OF new roads, Improvements In the
park, etc. These plans were all very well
as long as they lasted, but the money
would soon give out or the improvements
be completed, leaving things as bad as
ever
But the plan as suggested by Booth
Tucker of placing each man on little
plat of land which he may cultivate and
enjoy the profits Of will not only relieve
his sufferings but act as an incentive to
him. s,imula ting his industry as he sees
~, kk,a 0f a.
home of his own, and will be of lasting
benefit to the State, relieving our char
itably inclined people OF what is fast be-
coming a great burden on their hands.
"The local branch of the Salvation
Army has taken hold of the matter, and
working III unison with the citizens colo
nization committee the plans are rapidly
has been busily anvassing the City for
loans to purchase supplies, and every
where they have met with a generous re-
sponse in TACT, in many cases where they
have asked for loans they have received
donations.
1--WE need more money now, and as soon
as it is secured Booth Tucker will come
out and launch the scheme. think
we will have no difficulty in securing the
funds, as this is purely charitable pro-
ject, in which it differs from others started
Dy people who had political axes 10 grind,
and which from this very cause have been
failures. l think 1t would also be well for
me to correct an i'm preston made bv a
misleading telegram from the East which
was published in some local paper. The
i'm preston created was hat Booth Tucker
will bring colonists from the East, but.
this is wrong, as il is a purely local pro-
iect and intended only for the benefit of
those living in the State"
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