The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-05


''Adamless Eden" of which so much
has been said lately around the Bay.
The idea of the promoters was to
gather a company of from fifty to 200
active men who were willing to work
on a cooperative or socialistic princi-
pie, each having an equal interest in
the affairs of the colony and contribut-
ing an equal amount of money.
The sum of $50 had been suggested
as the amount TO be contributed, but
if the number were Iessened it might
be found we'll to make the amount of
each individual contribution larger.
Wilgus says there are already thirty
five men in San Francisco prepared TO
pay in 500 each and a score or more
of others were ready with $50.
1t is proposed to frame constitution
and bylaws for the colony, and to hold
quarterly congress at which all mat
ters relating to the colony shall be dis
cussed and all legislation enacted. The
President is to be simply the Executive
with no veto power, only vote, such
as would be exercised by any other
member In short, the colony would
be on the same footing as those of AL
truria The island which it is row
| proposed to take possession Of is one
of the Caroline group. 1t contains
| fourteen square miles and belongs to
Spain. The promoters have been IN
communication with the Consul-Gen-
eral of Spain in Washington and have
received considerable encouragement
from him. He has written to his home
Government on the subject and an ear
ly decision was expected.
The main business of the colony
would be the preparing of copra and
trading with the natives for that ar
ticle. Each member would be assigned
his work, and be compelled to put in
four hours labor Of some kind every
day, and would be at liberty to leave
| he colony at any time. No bartend er,
waiter or barber would be eligible for
c9bership, and each member viii
have to try and get along with one
wife-a restriction that may perhaps
cool the ardor of some intending col
onists of polygamous tendencies. This
wife, says Wilgus, must be an Ameri-
can, or at least white or half white
woman.
The Colonel did not say that such a
rule would be enforced if any member
of the colony chose to fall in love with
one of the dusky natives of the other
| islands of the group.
He expatiated on the fact that all
the members would be under military
discipline and be fully armed-not, as
he said, for the purpose of waging war
| with and robbing the natives, but for
the purpose of protection. The colony
would be governing in every way,
but the promoters have apparently for
gotten that Spain has way of her own
of governing her territory, and while
| it may be true that an American colony
would. as Colonel Wilgus said, be well
coined by the Spanish authorities,
Spain will doubteless continue to exer-
else her sovereign powers regardless Of
the constitution agreed on by the col
onists.
Colonel Wilgus has had, he says, con-
siderable experience in colonizing eX-
petitions. He describes the islands as
being a paradise, with a perfect climate
and the chances for making living
with four hours work daily being Of
the very best. He had not been in he
islands himself, but had seen a few
persons who had, and their descrip-
tons were very glowing.
A number of Sacramentans had, he
said, already signified their Willingness
to join, but he was not altogether sat
isfied that they were the right kind OF
men, as some of them came within the
prohibited classes.