The San Francisco call., 1897-07-13
COLONIES
ON SUGAR
BEET LAND
Several May Soon Be Es-
tablished in This
State.
PRELIMINAREES In FINE SHAPE.
Probability That Settlers Will
Be Located Within a
Few Weeks.
MANY VERY GENEROUS OFFERS MADE.
It Is Believed the 0olonists Will Be
Almost Self-Supporting Prom
the Start.
MANY VERY GENEROUS OFFERS MADE.
It Is Believed the Oolonists Will Be
Almost Self-Supporting Prom
the Start.

California gives good promise of soon
being able to contrib butte most important
factor toward the permanent solution OF
the great problem of work for the unem-
ployed.
In the sugar beet and in those most
directly identified with the industry of
beet-sugar manufacturing lies the hope of
success.
1t is but few months since the idea OF
locating the unemployed on sugar
land was first agitated. Since that time
Major WinchelI ot the Salvation Army
ana ex-Mayor Ellert, the committee ap-
pointed by the citizens committee to in
Vestigate the matter and make report o.!
the result of their labors TO the main com
mittee, have been assiduously at work.
II wall be remem bered that when the
idea was first broached it was thought ac-
Visable to have conference with Claus
Spreckels. This took place and proved to
be extremely gratifying 10 the sub-com-
mittee. Dir. Spreckels entered most
heartily into the project and promised to
give all She aid he could. He agreed to
put certain lands at the disposal OF the
projectors and to provide practical in
slruction for the coIonists.
At the time the first conference was
held Mr.. Spreckeis was negotiating for
the purchase OF 900 acres of the Sobrantes
estate. The deal had proceeded so far a
to need only the confirmation of the Pro-
bate Court to the sale made 10 Mr.. Spreck
els. This has now been secured, and it is
understood that this tract will be set aside
for the first experiment of colonizlng the
unemployed. For the last few weeks MIR.
Spreckels had been out of town. He has
now returned, and in a day or two another
falr Mo haftU i'm,
and the colonization committee.
Meanwhile Major Winchell and ex-
Mayor ElIert have paid two visits 90 the
tract IN question and are more than salts
fed with the prospects.
While on their last trip of inspection
they met with unexpected and substan-
tial encouragement.
At Santa Cruz they were met by F. A.
Him, a millionaire lum ber- dealer with
an offer OF large quantity of lumber with
which to build the necessary structures
for the coionists. a peculiar feature of
the generosity of Mr.. Him is that he and
Mr.. Spreckels have been at outs for some
time. He declared, however, that he con-
sidered the proposed scheme such good
one that he was willing to drop, for the
time being at least, all differences that he
might have with the sugar king.
At Paraiso Springs they were offered
the use of large tract of land by c. T.
Romie.
But the most tempting offer came to
them from William K. Brown, the mana
ger of the Salinas Valley Water Com pany.
He represents a wealthy syndicate inter-
ested in an extensive Irrigation project in
the Salinas Valley. On behalf of the cor
poration Mr.. Brown has offered TO donate
to the colonists on certain conditions q
tract of about 1900 acres, valued between
$4,000 snd $4,000. This land is part of
the Arroyo Seco rancho, near Soledad.
He further agreed to hire 400 men for a
period of three months at 81 % a day to
build bitches. Such a source of income
will be most acceptable to the colonists,
as it will afford them the means OF living
while they are putting in their beet crops
and sowing portions of their holdings TO
vegetables.
Plans for all the colony buildings have
already been prepared. They were con-
tributed by William Brown of Oakland, a
contractor closely interested in Salvation
Army work. He has also agreed to super
wise the work OF construction, providing ii
IS done by the coionists themselves. III
the colonists should find it inadvisa Bile 10
do the work, he will have it done at a
nominal cost to the colony. 1t is pro-
posed to erect schoolhouse, cottages for
the settlers, hotel and colony Office
building, a building for a general mer-
meeting g-hall above; a structure for a
blacksmith and a carpenter shop and
barn for stabling about torty horses.
Reviewing the situation in its present
aspect Major WinchelI said yesterday:
1T looks now as if we will be able to
plant the first colony this summer, and
with a fund not greater than $1,000.
Everybody has taken hold of the idea
with enthusiasm. Even so well posted a
sociologist as the Rev. Josiah Strong, who
is now here in attendance at the Chris
tian Endeavor Convention, has indorsed
the plan and believes that it can be made
a success.
I'VE already have more than 400 appli-
cations from intending colonlsts. We
have received letters relative to the mat
ter from as far east as Brooklyn, n. Y.
The matter has received great deal of
attention in the Eastern papers since the
excellent account of the scheme was pub
lished in IHE CALL, including the inter-
view with Claus Spreckels."