The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-15
THE SALVATION ARMY COLONY.
| Commander Booth.Tucker Reports On
the California settlement.

the CALIFORNIA settleuleut
New York, Jan. 15.-Commander
Booth-Tucker, of the Salvation Army.
who has just returned from CalifOr-
mia, where he superintendent the open
ing of the new Salvation Army colo
ny, has letter in the World today, in
which he says:
Il am delighted With the prospect of
our new colony in the valley along the
Palinas River, in California, near the
famous Hotel Del Monte. Ii might
seem a little strange to open an agri-
cultural colony in midwinter. but in
that happy valley one may say that
summer and winter have kissed each
other. so that it appeared quite a nat
ural thing for the colonists to be taken
there now, while planting and sowing
arc being carried on.
The colony has tract of 500 acres
On this we have placed large two
story building, which will serve as
store, meeting place, office, etc. Group
ed around il are ten-acre tracts or
land, each with a coy little cottage,
that to the family which will occupy
il is a home. The owner OF the land
has given us 1000 ornamental trees,
and in a short time the colony Will pre-
sent quite "A appear
The thirty families whom we have
now planted on the land number about
200 souls. They were selected from
about 400. representing 1000 souls. We
have selected a good SJalWart set OF
men, who are not afraid of work and
who are accustomed to handling the
land. We are arranging 20 establish
| all of our colonies within easy reach
of some safe market where the colo
nists can dispose Of their products. The
present instance Is no exception.
The valley is famous for the pro-
duction of sugar beets. Already there
is a large factory, which is able to
/ deal with ! 900 tons of beets a day. The
! new beet factory. which VIII be in op-
/ Grafton this year. will have a capacity
/ of 4 900 tons per day. Mr.. Claus Spreck-
1 els. the sugar king, tells me that he
! wants beets cultivated on 10000 acres
i'm the valley. He has bought tract
/ Of 5000 acres for this purpose himself
THE colonists had a magnificent Ova-
ton in San Francisco. There was bar
/ becue at which three oxen and eight
sheep were roasted. These supplied a
/ feast for four thousand persons. Mayor
! Phelan presided at mass-meeting IN
/ the immense Mechanics Pavilion. and
spoke most warmly of the undertaking,
/ backing up his words with gift Of
7 $3.50. EX- Mayor ElllOtI Is chairman OF
the citizens committee, which includes
thirty of the most prominent citizens
/ in San Francisco, among whom are the
president Of the Chamber of Commerce
and several bank presidents One Of
. the latter is treasurer OF the commit
tee. and has loaned $1,000 to the pro-
ject.
The plan is to have a chain of these
colonies linked one to the other, reach
ing from New York to San Francisco.
( The only reason why the start was
made in California is because that
State was the first 10 provide the nee
essary capital 1t is proposed To To-
/ cate the second colony about midway
across the continent in the fertile val
ley of the Arkansas River in COlora-
do. but before beginning this we are
[ anxious to raise a sum of $lOO. GOO to-
ward which $4,000 has already been
promised.
The entire project practically was
the conception Of Gen. William Booth.
the commander-inchief of the Saliva
ton Army. who comes tomorrow for
the purpose of consulting some OF the
wisest and ablest citizens of this coun-
try as 10 the best methods for adapt
ing his scheme to the needs Of Amerl-
ca.
Il do not think that it is too much to
call him the Columbus of the poor. who
has discovered across the atlantic APP
parently new world cor the moral.
physical and religious regeneration of
the masses