The Topeka state journal., 1897-07-24
CHARGES AGAINST OTIS.
The Colorado End of the Co Operative
Colony is Heard From.
(From the Chicago Record.

b appears an arI1cl6 from a Spec1d1 cor
respondent at Topeka, Kan, heated
''Populists in Colony; Kansas Expert
ment Fails"
Intentionally do the Colorado co-opera-
tive colony an injustice and knowing
that you have been misled in publish
ing the article by a misrepresentation
of the real facts, we, as early members
of the colony, in behalf of the colony,
ask you to publish the following state
ment of facts. In the first place, the
article is printed on the authority of
John G. Otis, who for more than a year
has sought every opportunity to do the
colony an injury.
The Colorado Cooperative company
was Incorporated under the laws of the
state of Colorado on February 16, 1894,
by seven residents and citizens of this
state, who eschewed not only all politi-
cal parties but all religious tenets as
we'll, leaving every member free to
make such POLITICAL affiliations or to
worship in such manner as his judg-
ment or conscience should dictate.
Nearly two years after the organiza-
ton Mrs. Annie Diggs, who had visited
five other states in search of suitable
location on which to plant colony of
Kansas people who believed in the col
lective ownership of land and homes,
came to Colorado to examine a tract of
land called ute Park near the now
famous Cripple Creek gold camp. She
did not find the tract true to represen-
tatfon and came to Denver. While
here she called upon and conferred
ton of the Colorado colony in Table
guache Park in Montrose county.
Satisfied that the differences of the
two companies could be harmon1zed,
Mrs. Diggs, with DR.. McLallin, who
came out to join her, visited the COM
pany's location in Montrose county. and
after a thorough inspection returned
and reported that they were thorough
ly pleased with the location and salts
fed that there was a sufficient amount
of land that could be irrigated to try
49, rOJo Of hot Rh1
In accordance with such resolution
some of their followers joined the Col
orado colony notably John w. Breid-
enthal, bank commissioner of Kansas;
John G. Otis, J. H. Blake, James Shear
er, Mrs. McLallin and Mrs. Dfggs. But
of this number Otis and Blake alone
came to do active work. OF all the
members of this party who Joined all
are members today except MesSrS. Otis
and Blake. These two men, after hav
ing read our constitutions and bylaws,
protesting to fully understand our aims
and objects and subscribing themselves
as members, entered into a league to
transplant their own ideas into the
workings of our company instead of
attempting to harmonize their views
with ours. They succeeded in securing
six other members as converts to their
cause who formed themselves into bat
tling obStructioniStS at every meeting
of the colony. At length further endur-
ance became impossible and eight
members, including the two above
with whom went ten others. For mon
eys paid in and for labors performed
5000 was paid these men and it was
paid in 80 days.
Not being able to establish a theoret-
ical Utopia upon our lands they formed
themselves into the Altru- ia 1 Co-Opera-
tive association, with John G. Otis as
president, and proceeded to establish
Utopia on paper. They located upon a
tract of land u miles from the tract
which had been selected by our COM
h af<1I1
tracted to purchase from the Gurley
Investment company. Here they drew
plans for a large apartment house as
HEADQUARTERS, which they did not even
begin to build; they entered into con-
tract to build mile of ditch at so low
a figure that they were compelled to
throw up the contract; they began TO
cut hay for farmers on shares, which
they sold at a loss, and, finally, while
digging a well on their proposed loca-
ton they disappeared one by one, Mr..
Otis returning to his milk farm near
Topeka to miSrepresent a colony that
would not have his eccentric ideas en-
grated into it.
Meanwhile the Colorado Co-Opera-
tive company continues to grow and
has not even thought of suspension of
effort, much less giving up entirely"
From less than 40 residents at the col
ony one year ago there are now 100.
The stockholders or members have in
creased from about 100 at the same
time to more than 225 active members
for membership ranging from two to
ten each week. One week in June
brought eleven active members, 20 head
of horses, with harness and wagons and
80 head of milk cows, 100 sheep and
other supplies
Four and three-quarter miles, or one
third of the ditch, including the head
gate, will be completed by October 1 of
this year. This will include about four
miles of f1uming and numbers of tres
ties, one of which will be 10 feet high
1OnO This norton of the
ditch included a great amount of heavy
rock work. The remaining portion of
the ditch will require small amount
of rock work and comparatively little
fiuming and trestle work.
The supply of water will be unlimi-
ted for our uses, as this is the first
ditch taken from the San Miguel river
for more than 10 acres of land and
the supply of water in the river even
in the dry period is sufficient to irri-
gate four times the amount of the tract
in Tabeguache Park.
The land is entered as desert land
and is held in severalty, so that the
land and the products thereof and the
profits accruing therefrom are as much
Individual holdings as is a mans horse
or his bicycle. The ditch is construct
ed by cooperation, so that the poor
contribute his labor and receive in ex-
change for such labor the means of
subsistence while so laboring; event
ually, when the ditch is completed he
will have a water right as good and
perfect and of the same extent as would
be that of any millionaire, for one
person can secure water right in this
ditch for more than 40 acresI IF land.
Every member over 81 years of age may
secure that much, SO that a man and
his wife may secure a water right for
80 acres.
But the theoretical co-operator who
is not willing to work out a small part
of his theory at time will continue to
find fault, misrepresent and n1isle nl