The San Francisco call., 1897-10-07
CHARLES GILLESPIE.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL.
o. q Z

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL
90S Broadway, Oct. 6. (
The first contingent of the eclonists to
20 to the Salvation Army colony at Sole
dad, Monterey County, left Oakland this
morning. The party consisted of Lieu
tenant TillsIey, Captain Thompson,
Charles Gillespie, F. Trayeler and II. Lau-
renee.
These men are the pioneers of the Beet
Farm Colony, and their leaving was a
matter Of great interest TO the Salvation
Army, which has undertaken to carry out
the plan, with the assistance of the in
fuential San Francisco committee
Major Wiuchell was on hand 20 give tbs
advance guard few parting words OF ad-
vice, and this afternoon the four-horse
wagon started on its journey southwark
The first installment of material for the
farm consisted of several plows, harrows
and other agricultural implements, which
will be followed within the next week bv
several loads of other material and colo
. nists. The men who went to-day have
signed provisional agreement, which will
be supple by full legal contract
after they have had enough experience to
enable them to decide regarding the prob
ability ot their taking up the plan per-
manently. Two of the men who went
down too day are married and have fami-
lies, but while they are candidates for the
work their families will be locked after by
. the army until such time as the colony is
ready 10 receive them.
''Ihs beginning Of our great plan, 8"
said Major Winchell to-day. reminds me
somewhat OF the recital by General Booth
of the es ablishment of the little mission
in the east END of London that was the
pioneer movement of the great Salvation
Army. This project of colonizing large
tracts OF land with SURPLUS population is
necessary to the worlds physical well
fsre as :he teaching of the army is 10 its
Spiritual progress. | believe that it will
gov 10 as large dimensions as our spirit
ual work. 1t is however, largely in the
nature OF an experiment, although We
have attained enough success with our
similar institutions in England to prove
that it is practicable. Within a week an
other contingent will take down a CON-
plete outfit for q blacksmith shop, another
one will take down Iumb Der, and another
wIndmllls and necessary fittings.
We are sending down our stores by
rail. as We consider that the safest plan.
have given Lieutenant Tillsley a COM
nilsson which authorizes him to do a lot
OF canvassing on the way down to Sole
dad. he is at liberty to ask for cows.
hens, horses, chickens and all kinds of
i've stock, and anticipate that before he
reaches Soledad he will have quite pro-
cession of live stock.
THE horses are all fine animals. and
I although they are little frisky, we have
some fine trained cowboys on our ranch.
and the horses will soon learn to respect
them. There are two or three houses
already built that we can use, and il is
hoped to get in crop ot beets that will be
harvested next season, and which will
place the coionists on an independent
basis.
I'VE have drawn up an official contra ct
which contains no more restrictions tha n
is considered necessary to guarantee good
faith from both parties. 1t provides tn at
notless Ian 81 80 a week shall be paid by
the colonists on each acre of land 1hev
take up, but this PAYNE is not rent for
each coionist is created with the amount
on the purchase of his little farm. No
ore will pay q cent more for the land or
the i'm mprovement than il actually costs
ana il is presumed that at the end OF te n
years the colonists will be sole owners of
their farms. If we can accomplish this
we shall consider we are doing a great
work. During the time these payments
are being made the colonist agrees to
abide by the rules and regulations that
may be necessary for the preservation OF
discipline. and also agrees to submit to
he ecision of the officers of the colony
in any case where they may be called
upon TO arbitrate. With honest, prac-
teal, hard-worktng men this scheme can
not possibly fail"