The sun., 1901-11-24
COLONY OF CONSUMPTIVES.
START MADE IN COLORADO on
THE COOPERATIVE PLAN.

Intended for Poor Men Who Cannot Afrord
10 He Idle, and Planned to BE Self
Supporting 1--we In Tents
and Work Outdoors-2O Doing Well.
DENVER, Nov. 2i.-A cooperative colony
for consumptives, planned to be sclf-sup-
porting, in which patients In the first stages
of the disease can live in tents and work
outdoors in the dry, health-giving air Of
Colorado, has made a start in ten-acre
tract Of fruit land near Barnum. II is
backed by several men prominent in busi-
ness in this city, and about twenty physi-
clans of high standing are watching the
experiment with interest.
If 1t is "a SUCCESS the colony will solve the
biggest problem that the sanitariums OF
this State have to face. and II will probably
save the lives Of thousands Of men from
all over the country who discover the dis
ease while it is still In an incipient sage,
but cannot afford to come TO Colorado
and remain here in idleness.
The great problem with the majority OF
consumptives who come here is how TO
stay in Colorado and TO support them
selves by some healthful occupation during
the long period in which the wasted lung
tissues are repairing in the mountain air
partial cure and then. because their money
has given out and they cannot afford to
live any longer without working. return to
their old homes and unhealthfm occupa-
ton only TO succumb to the disease in a few
months. Hundreds more go 20 work here
IN offices and stores, with the result that
they derive little benefit from their change
of home and only succeed in delaying the end
FOR a little while.
For these two classes OF patients the
colony is founded. II has been Incorporated
as the Rocky Mountain Independent Sani-
tarium. Its present quarters are only tenn
porary. They would not give the colony a
chance to expand. and the dream of its
directors is to see it occupying about 1000
acres, self-supporting and independent Of
outside labor.
1t Is not a charitable institution, nor Is II
a money-making concern. Its constitu-
ton is framed with a view TO prevent 1t
from becoming the latter.
II has been started and got under way
by a few local business men AZ their con-
tribution toward solving the tuberculosis
problem, and their idea is simply to help
consumptives to help themselves.
Only patients who can do outdoor work,
or have money enough to pay for their
board for the present and are likely TO be
able 10 join the able-bodied workers be-
fore that money is spent, will be accepted
at the time They will have good medical
treatment but il is upon the outdoor life
that the principal reliance is placed TO effect
q cure.
To insure tho patients being in the open
air all tho time they will sleep in tents and
will even eat their meals outdoors. This
Il the plan followed in the temporary quar-
ters at Barnum and the results here have
been most satisfactory.
There are now about twenty consump-
tives there. Among them are carpenter
and Il shoemaker. but the majority find
work on the fruit lands which now COM
prise the homes territory.
The institution will stay near Barnum
tll next spring. Then il will seek larger
quarters. When it IL well established 1t
II expected TO make il capable Of living
entirely by itself its inmates supplying
all its wants. The idea is that men of all
trades will go there and ply their trades
30 that the home will not need 10 buy much
of anything but materials
Even in the winter the patients will con-
tinue the tent life. That il the pivot ON
which the whole system hangs.
Some Of the present patients have been
at the sanitarium for about six weeks and
they find that their condition has been
very Derceptbly improved by the life
outdoors. They say that II is uncomforta-
BILE to 90 into heated rooms since their
lungs became accustomed 10 the cold air.
The superintendent of the colony iS a
con valeScent consumptNe. She l. Miss
Margaret ;. dunno. Ia the war With Spain
che served IN Cuba a. a nurse ard ~ tie
close Of the fighting she was put Ia charge
OF the officers wards IN the military hOspit al
Ia Havana. There her health gave way
and -he came 10 Colorado.
She il trying 20 found auSiliary branches
OF the home Ia the Last, with View
o. Interesting philunthropic Institutions
throughout the country IN Il befOr" Il
laurc ch.- ,ut on "a more extended scale. IN.
land IL will take will be- used principally
for fruit cultivation, 49, that giy"- the b'st
h.ld fur labor, but soue Of u will b. graun
and plslur" land.
~ the experiment CONTINUES "a fulhl
tie pf...i,e with which o. has uI"nrd there
ARE plenty IT physicians READY q" rn'uur-
az, o., and Do aill have ~" I1u-l u'd'ru aud
cunpl'tr m'dlcal ,qulpm'ut tltut % ,s IIus-
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