The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-05

RBMAKING The Man
Colony Among the Jersey
Pines Where the World
Weary May Find
Rest.
WHERE ALL Is CHEERFuLNESs
Broken Victims of Drink Grow
Strong Through Rest and
Renew Youth.
WHERE ALL Is cHEERFuLSESs
rsnecial to ..The Jersey city News."l

holic and other temptations of urban lie
has been naugurate in the heart of the
Jersey pines. and it bids fair to be sue
cessful. It is known as the Keswick
Colony. and is located at Gibersons
Mills. about halfway etwee winnings
and BANNER. The founder of the COL
onv is William Raws, who, with the el-
fective aid of his wife, conducted LOT
several years the "Whosoever Mission
in Germantown. The plan has received
the aid and Endorsement of Rev. "iiiahh
Bruce of Germantown. Rev. FRANK van
Hise of Manchester, n. j.; Rev .. VIE
bur Chapman, pastor of Bethany Fresos-
terrain Church. Philadelphia; Rev II. M
Wharton of Baltimore and D. wilson
Moore of Clayton. N. ].
The undertaking is a new one in TINS
country, and is modelled after a successful
colony in Germany. The "WhosoeVer MIS-
sion" in Germantown attained a repu,a-
ton Of having enabled scores of victims
of alcoholism to reform and lead new
lives. and the Keswick Colony proposes
to continue the good work on a much
larger scale than was possible in n
town.
The tract purchased for the use of the
colony at Giberson's Mills contains 421
acres. of which 25 acres is cleared iaho'
on which corn. potatoes. beans ana other
vegetables can be successfully cultivated
There is also on the tract an orcharu'
cranberry bog. 800 acres of fine timber
and any number of huckleberry pushes.
The tract is divided up into convenient
roads. Ranked on either side by a mag
niacent growth of trees. The beautiful
SURROUNDINGS. pure air. etc, are counted
an as aids in upbuilding men. and they
exercise a quickly perceptiele influence
ON those who come to the place as phy-
steal wrecks.
The new settlement was named in hon.
or of Keswick. England, for many years
a resort for its. religious conventions ana
mission work. There are several build
ings on the place. and a number OF ad-
ditional dwellings will be built in the
spring, the lumber for which will be cut
on the track and sawed into boards at
the old mill, which is run by water
power. A good deal of the timber IS
now being cut up into cordwood by the
colonists. who will thus be kept en-
uloved all winter. The lake is well
stocked with pike. and supplies the resi-
dents with nan a toothsome repast. one
of the men is an electrician, and he is
now arranging to set up an electric plant,
to be operated by water power, so that
all of the dwellings can be lighted by
electricity.
There are now four houses. a barn
and other outbuildings on the border of
-, --A I~~~affAfxy C n
the course of erection. and it is proposed
to build a chapel in the spring. Mr.. Raws,
who acts as director general of the coi-
ony, is quartered in a large. roomy' house.
ON the first floor of which is a large, old
fashioned fireplace. He devotes all of
his time to the welfare of the unfortu-
mates placed in his charge. and they in
turn seem devoted to him.. He has but
to express a wish in regard to the man
ner in which he wants anything done in
the colony. and it is performed cheerfully.
The governing principle of the colony
is Christianity. At the outset it was de-
termined not to allow sectarianism to
gain a foothold. and that idea has been
carried out. All the men III come are
given the utmost freedom. They are
impressed in various ways with the idea
tia lltNt 40 ho Aft@AA
made right. and the results have shown
tina at Keswick men can break away
from the drink habit and become useful,
Seif-respecting. Industrious citizens.
The Bible is the BOOK of rules-the court
of last resort. From it there is no appeal.
Religious meetings are held daily. and all
The influences are elevating. The ~colonists
have all things in common. they are
given homes, food and clothing. What
ever they earn goes into the general fund
for maintaining and extending the work.
Should any one desire to leave the coll
ony and seek employment elsewhere they
are aided ein every way. No stumbling
blocks are placed in the road of possible
success.
by the wayside he is taken back and
given another rance to reform. No
matter how often he succumbs to the
temptation to lead a dissolute iife ne IS
return to Keswfck and try again. The
gates are never closed against any one
who is animated by, a desire to reform
piicant. and that is sincerity II he is in
earnest he will find every one ready to
lend him a helping hand.
Many of the ecruits are received from
the missions in New York city and Phil
adelphia. Among the colonists are men
who have been in the various professions.
engineers, carpenters. etc. and who have
greatly improved in appearance since
they came here. They are cheerful and
hopeful and perform the duties assigned
to them IN an lHteiiiSeHl ana pdtnStaklnS
manner. Experience has proved that by
building men up physically it is much
easily to bring about the work of re-
The price paid for the tract on which
the colony Is located was 81. 600, and only
n small part of the purchase none has
been paid, but Mr.. Raws is confident
that enough contributions will be receive
cd 10 ~xtiuguis the debt before another
year. A few days ago a. gentleman in
ferestcd IN the work contributed 81 600.
and other. contributions have been prom
~ land will be purchased. This The men
<v;,l clear and plow, and eventually small
farras will be created Out of It. These
fsrnas viii be sold without the payment
~ any money down to any OF the mar
rid men Of the colony who wish to bring
,tair families here. "A mortgage will be
taken for the farm n the colonist can
nav off the principal in small sums II he
20 desires. 1t is also proposed to form
another colon on the tract for women
ana another one for boys. me latter
Iii he taught trades n given instrue-
Ian such as will eaahle them to become
seif-supporting. -.
In speaking of the progress made by
no colony MI. Raws said:-1t is no long
n an experiment! We have demon
,trated that it is the most praclicapiS
ian vet devised for the Improvement and
regeneration of fallen men. Many men are
reary Of tine lives they have been living
sf,ev want to do better. and many OF them
viii reform If they are given a helplhs
aaud- That is what we are doing. Ihey
want a hearty welcome lovlng MoIus y
Nearly all of them are willing TO work,
md 10 man leaves here without being
benefited ~
rnaae r0na len 0E0Df Z