Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-18
COLONISTS co TO COLORADO
Ten Thousand Oroatians Will Settle South.
western Counties,
THEY ARE BENT ON HOME MAKING
settle Already on the Ground and
Others to Follow--A Great Move
ment Into the west-Taking
Possession of Good Land.

| others to Fol1ow--A Great Move
ment Into the wcst-Taking
| Possession of Good Land.
| DENVER, Colo, Dec 17.--(Special.)- 1.-TWO
carloads Of agricultural implements which
left Denver In charge OF nine settlers bound
for the southwestern part of the state one
| day this week marked the beginning OF
movement for the settlement Of the counties
OF San Miguel and Montrose and the Shenan-
doah valley that means much for Colorado
and the western states. The settlers are
Croatians, sturdy race of European people
Of whom there are 100000 in the United
States. Their point OF destination is the
valley Of the Shenandoah, a region seventy
miles south of Grand Junction. This region
is described by those who have visited 1t as
the ideal agricultural district of Colorado,
unsurpassed in soil, climate and irrigation
possibilities and destined to make itself
known throughout the land as population in
creases and the natural advantages of various
portions OF the continent are more fully
recognized.
The nine settlers now en- route to South
western Colorado are a small contingent of
the great army which Is expected to follow.
Already 125 settlers are upon the ground and
their reports have stimulated hundreds OF
their brethren, who look with longing eyes
toward a region which they expect to make
their future home. The movement is the
largest immigration enterprise Colorado has
ever known.
ENTIRE PROVINCE COMING.
1t contemplates the settlement in south
western Colorado of at least 1000 families
comprising 10000 individuals, within the
next twelve months This aggregation of
energy and muscle proposes to found In one
OF the most beautiful valleys Of the world
an ideal community in which each member
will retain the rewards of mis- own eXerticns
= and in which all will labor for the general
advancement OF the community 1t rs pro-
posed to build houses, schools, churches, fac
e tories, irrigation canals and catchment
. basins, establish a newspaper and to carry
4 forward all the operations OF proVlding Tor
e the wants OF the whole community, tnde-
r peadently, if necessary, of the busy world
= beyond the mountains. 1t is proposed 10
c take advantage OF ths federal laws as relat-
4 ing to entry upon government land and every
e head of a family will file upon homestead.
o No man Is received into the colony who is
not a citizen of the United States or at least
e has not taken out the first papers necessary
o for citizenship.
The management of the Denver & Rio
t | Grande railroad is in hearty sympathy with
Il | the moyament and for months past has been
e in communication with the parent society
n which has selected southwestern Colorado as
}, tho location of the great colony The rail
= road company has made rates and granted
II terms which are perfectly satisfactory to ths
d special committee in charge of the move
S, ment and the society has the pledge of the
- Denver & Rio Grande that If settlers are
e located il the valley as promised, branct
e road will be built to the valley from point
4 on the Rio Grando Southern, twenty miles
II away.
LARGEST COLONY EVER UNDERTAKEN
Charles Iiuharch secretary of the society
II and one of the leading Croatiaus of The
,e III tied States, is IL the city. Mr.. Kuharict
? wes seen at the office of the Gulley Invest
ment company, where he was engaged IL
looking through volumnious mail whicl
had been forwarded to him from diferen
Of parts of the country This letters were from
n prospective settlers, railway land agents
IS railway passenger representatives ana 1ncl
al viduals who have axes to grind wheneve
t. e new enterprise is fairly launched.
IN Yes" said the secretary in answer to in
e. quiries, "wh2t you say is true We are 10
VI, eating the largest colony ever undertaken b.
O. the Croatian colonization society and we ar
RS locating the colony in this state. ! vsite'
I'd all parts of the country. north, south an
NJ west, but when my eye fell on the beautifu
III valley which we have chosen as our home
Immediately felt that the end of my Ion
journey had been reached. Banat, eS
,1 ella lined one of our party, and Banat Is tn
= name which we have given the valley.
~ is named after the most beautiful valley c
= the country in which we were born Whil
n land, for we have become American citizen!
~ "; we will constantly be reminded of the scene
ii' of our chilhood.'
The secretary of the colonization society
of a man of marked personality. He speak
or half dozen languages and the COLORADO 81
lie ciety is the third attempt he has made
establishing his countrymen in agriculture
ly- pursuits A colony of 800 in Lvingsto
en county, Georgia, was located few veal
ng ago by Secretary Kuharich and later he G
tahl bad nj I 400 in Russell count
G. Kansas. The Georgia colonists are engage
ais in raising grapes and making wine and Il
d" Kansas colony employ themselves In farmir
a and fruit raising. Both attempts have bee
highly successful from financial stan
be point and the coloniss are satisfied az
ho prosperous. Newspapers of Kansas have r
ia Gently been telling Of the peculiar metho
an Of banking employed by the Croatians
in Russell county. The failure OF sever
banks In that portion of the state warn'
nv the settlers and they now bury their cash
hnI the ground instead of entrusting 1t to Il
m. banks
asst NO PAUPERS OR POORHOUSES.
re- Mr. Kuharich has visited Denver numb
Sc of times, but he never met newspaper re
resentative in the city until yesterday. ~
hat of the first enterprises we expect to put up
my its feet" said he, "is a newspaper. L
tbs plant is now in San Francisco, ana VIII
ON moved to the Shenandoah valley I'm shc
200 time We expect to establish a cannery a
ten on a large scale. Our people are not afra
of getting down on their hands and kne
nc in the fields and our women and children
get as active in outdoor work as the men.
lis fact the women are often more emerge
her than the opposite sex. We are work.
~ people We assume no airs to which we 9
80 not entitled and we have no paupers and
ain almshouEes In our communities. we 9
und proud of our history and the history OF c
ex naticn. 1t is the boast OF my countrym
ere that the Turk never entered our country,
though at times in centuries past the Tt
u, has occupied Vienna and other large cit
"a of Austria. We are nation OF fighters a
,a,o no people are more independent and self s.
tbe tanning. A Crostian despises the Pole "
8 ion hae been the slave OF the czar.
mn "In America" continued the founder OF
Inc colony, 1--WE are recognized in all the regi'
= ne, where our people found as desira
= on class OF citizens. We are law abiding, pea
mn u able and we readily adopt the ideas OF t
o,I an country, for here we enjoy the freedom
!, which we were accustomed In our old hoi
~ We never accept Croatian as a member
| he shows that he Is GA