El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-26
WHY 1T FAILED
Returned Topolobampo Co1onist
Says Breidenthal Scheme Is a

Failure.
Geo. S. Kneeland, who came to To-
peka in 1857 and who for many years
lived in Shawnee county, is again in
Topeka accompanied by his wife, and
this time he halls from TopOlObampO,
Mexico, where he went in 1894 with q
large party of colonists. Mr.. Kneeland
Is visiting at the home of Election
Commissioner L. T. Yount.
MIR. Kneeland said: There have
been great many changes in the col
Ony since we first went to TOpOlO bampO.
The colcny.now has just about gone to
pieces, but many of the colonists are
still living there and are cOntented
with their life and are making a good
living for themselves and their fam
lilies. The trouble, and the main reason
why the colony was not success, was
because OF very poor management. If
it were not for that fact the colony to-
day would be one of the richest in the
world. The resources of the country
are very little developed and the coun-
try Is rich, especially in minerals and
the climate ia such that man can
work all the year round. The ther-
mometer very seldom goes above lob
degrees, and seldom lower than freez-
ing,
There are any quantity of mines
there that are good and have been
worked many years ago but have been
abandoned for various reasons. The
native Inhabitants are not a progress
sive people and it needs the people
from the north to go in there and make
q success of the mining and other pur-
suits. Everything that can be raised
here and many additional things can
be raised there aud by irrigating we
can secure plenty of water. The rain
fall is heavy In the months of July,
August and September, and is sufficient
to insure fair crop, which may be in
creased to q good one by the addition
of irrigation. There is no dou BIT that
this country will in time become one of
the best and most prosperous countries
on the globe.
81 would hardly advise any one to 20
there expecting to make his fortune
with nothing to start on. II person
has money then he is almost sure to
There is good opening for
3 good commission merchant, and a
good hotel keeper, but they must I'M
derstand their business and know the
Spanish language we'll. The resources
Of the country are unlimited and a
man who can get q goOd start there is
In fair way to succeed. The colony,
Or rather what there is left of it now
consists of about forty families but
they do not live under any cooperative
basis, but each one for himself. Att
Zines there were as many as ], 200 col
,nists registered an6 the greatest num-
per there for any length of time was
800.
I'VE have plenty of fish, deer. small |
oysters and quail. but the black ducks |
which used to be so plentiful are get
ing scarce. There is very little said |
'r needed in the way of government,
10 the amount of crime Is very small. |
Of course the criminal is taken care of |
md punished, but seldom do we have |
occasion to put man to death. The
indians and natives get drunk aud tea,
Iround and many times do some dam
'ge but we take care of them and in |
heir case the offender is usually shot.
There is bare possibility that the COL |
my will be reorganized and If so it will |
,e put on.sound business bssisand will,
Without doubt, be a success. TO
,eka State Journal.