The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-09
TOPOLOBAMPO
ONCE MORE.
The Grant in Mexico May Yet
Be Populated.
Revival of OVENS SOcialistic
Plan Suggested.
A MIR. CIV. LINDSTROM,
OF Enterprise, Kansas, ReOr-
ganizing the Colony.
DR.. Wheeler, of Denver, is San
guine About 1t.

Denver, March 9.-The News pub
fishes the following:
The revival of the Topo1obampo COL
onization scheme has created no little
interest in Denver.
AS told in the telegraph columns yes
terday, c. w. Lindstrom of Enterprise.
Kan, is about to tsart for Mexico to
resuscitate the cooperative colony
which was started in the early SOS un-
der such promising conditions, but which
ended SO disastrously
Members of the family Of DR.. B. A.
Wheeler of Denver were among the col
onists and some of them are still in
that country. DR.. Wheeler is thorough
ly familiar with the project and has
visited the district. He says the plan
is practicable in every way. Internal
dissensions caused the final dismember-
ment of the colony.
HISTORY OF THE SCHEME.
The Topolobampo colonization scheme
was one of the most gigantic ever pro-
jected. The originator of the scheme
was Albert K. Owen of New York, a
social reformer. Owen was styled a
dreamer, but his dreams resulted in one
of the greatest concessions ever made
by the Mexican, in fact by any govern
ment, to induce the colonization of
lands. Owen was a civil engineer by
profession and while making a hunt for
a suitable spot to found his socialistic
colony hit upon the notion of turning
the arid lands bordering upon Topolo-
bampo bay, on the west coast of Mex
leo, into a garden and establishing
great seaport on the bay. The bay is
one of the finest natural harbOrS In the
world, measuring "a miles square and II
miles of this has a depth of from 80 to
80 feet. Vessels can come into the shore
and without the aid of breakwaters or
other precautions will be safe from all
storms. This natural harbor is, how
ever, bordered by land which is barren
unless irrigated.
OWENS TREMENDOUS PROJECT.
Owens engineering skill enabled him
to see without making much of an in
vestigation that the land easily could
be irrigated. He learned also that the
harbor was 400 miles nearer New York
than San Francisco and he conceived
the gigantic project of building an irri-
cation ditch, turning the country into
a tropical paradise and building a rail-
road across Mexico to the United States.
With this object in view Owen Sc
cured a grant from the Mexican gov
ernment Of lands aggregating 10000
acres, with privileges that gave the
opportunity for immense wealth. Con-
cessions were also granted for a rail-
road 800 miles in length to connect with
United States lines at Deming, N. M,
and San Antonio, Texas. This trans
continental system would be not only
400 miles shorter than any other line be-
tween the two oceans, but would never
be blockaded by snow.
DITCH BADLY CONSTRUCTED.
The concessions which went with the
right of way included some OF the hnest
forest and mineral lands in Mexico. The
colony was firmly established within
short time with 800 souls. Work on
the irrigation ditch progressed rapidly,
but fatal errors were made by the en-
gineers who had charge of the work.
The first part of the grade had fall
of only six inches to the mile and the
n
filled up with sediment and impeded
the flow Of water. There should have
been fall of four feet to the mile at
the beginning, lessening down to SIX
inches This ditch represented an out
Law of 5000 600 and it is almost worthless
now However, had not other matters
interfered, this could have peen rerne-
died and the colony would have pros
The secret of the failure of the
scheme was summed up by DR.. Wheeler
yesterday in a few words:
''It was due" he said, ito the selfish
spirit of many of the members of the
colony. They were willing enough 10
enter into the scheme of cooperation
as long as they were benefited, but
when it came to carrying out the true
spirit of cooperation and helping others
they declined to do their share But for
this, the scheme would undouoteoIy
families who now compose the Topolo-
bampo colony do not operate tnelr
farms on the cooperative plan- Most
of them are prospering. One OF the
latest industries which is fiour1shlng IS
the sugar industry. A great deal OF
cane is being raised there now and
several sugar mills are in operation
Ocean traffic has never been inaugur-
ated but the possibilities in that re-
spect are better now than ever ABOUT
/ 900 acres are under cultivation and
everything is being raised that -four
ishes in semi-tropical countries, such
as oranges, bananas, lemons, pine
apples and figs"