The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-22
ANNIE DIGGS. COLONY.
Two Washington 2 oung Men the
Latest Addition to the Colo
rado Community

GAAO G04G4uAAtJ
Washington. Dec. 22-Two Washington
young men started westward yesterday to
grow up with the country, as members of
a cooperative colony with sociaHstic ten
dencies. which has been established in the
southwestern part of Colorado. The young
men referred to are William Kent, son of
Rev. Alexander Kent. and Carl Z. Julihn,
son of DR.. Julihn. a local physician.
This colony is located in the southwest
part of Montrose county, fifty miles south
of the town of Montrose. The town al
ready established by the colony has been
named Pinon. A tract of government
land has been acquired by the colony,
which is known as the Colorado Cooper
ative company and each person becoming
a member of the community is entitled to
take up land under the homestead grant
act by paying the nominal purchase price
to the government 1t is the intention of
Messrs. Julihn and Kent to take up land
as soon as each becomes of age, each cal
culating to acquire forty acres, and in
time transform it into a paying ranch.
The inducements held out to persons to
become members of the community are
the acquisition of land and the working
of it to the advantage of all concerned.
The location made by the company is an
ideal one, and the soil is as rich any
the company is building immense ditch,
fifteen miles long, for irrigation purposes.
When this water is available the land of
the community is expected to be worth
five or six times what it is now. Each
member of the community working on
the ditch receives in return the water
right to his forty acres, and, in addition,
the number of days each member works
is placed to his credit, so that if he wishes
Tic he haG q
ert himself more
One part of the plan of the colony is
that all officers, who are chosen by the
members, have to do as much work as the
rank and file, and receive only the same
credits for their work as any other La
borer.
This altruistic colony, it is understood.
manages its affairs for the good of ALL
There are no private enterprises. Each
member upon entering, states his partic>
uIar preference in the matter of occupa-
ton. and he is then put to work at the
trade for which he is most suited There
are no definite or binding terms entered
upon by the novitiate desiring entrance
into the community. He can leave it
sshen he pleases and he always retains
his right to the lands acquired. In case
any member desires to transfer his lands
to others. he will find himself somewhat
hammered by certain restrictions of the
company, but, in general, the administra-
ton of the affairs is such that after he
once joins there are few reasons for sew
er1ng connection with the community
The original members of the colony,
numbering about twenty, founded a SINH
lar colony in Mexico about five years ago.
but on account of the laws of that coun-
try and the superior advantages offered
by residence in the United States, they re-
moved to Colorado and settled on this
tract of land which had been govern
ment reservation for the Ute Indians prior
to their removal to Utah. Among the
original organizers was Miles D. Bowen,
a well known free thinker of this city,
who formed the colony in connection with
Judge p A Simmons, E. L. Gallatin, J.
H. Gabriel of Denver. Mrs. Annie l.
Diggs of Kansas and Prof. E. G. Brown
of Philadelphia
Women are by no means ruled out in
this colony. They are entitled to hold land
in their own name, and take as important
q. part in the administration of the affairs
as the men.