The sun., 1902-03-09
COLONIES FOR The CITY POOR.
COMMANDER BOOTH.TUCkEh
SAYS TIE PLAN rs 4 SUCCESS.
All the Coionists ON the salvation Army
colonies Now Prosperous Money
Needed TO Rescue More OF the CITY
poor Country Poor Also 20 Be Helpeh


Poor - Country Poor Also 10 no He'pe"
Commander Booth-Tucker looket up
frorn an appalling pile Of papers as THE
suS reporter stepped into his Office. Then
ha smiled. and when the Commander
smiles every one near him is convinced
that the world Is fairly good place and
rsoidly becoming better.
syon want TO talk to me about our country
honas for city poor7 or course III talk
about IL. That scheme lies very near
nv heart, and as 1t happens was thinking
OF Il when you came iherss ie''e''
/ wish you'd read 1t.
The Commander took letter from
nile and handed 1t to the reporter a
nrIssissippi man had written offering 10
give the army 1000 acres Of rich land in
M;ssissippi near yicksbug. provided an
army colony would be settled upon the
land
The proposltion was a business matter
aura and simple. The man owns 5000
acres ~ good land, but has been land poor
ance the war. His father derived fine
incoms from the property, but the pres
ant owner cannot work IL, and the land
lies idle. save for small plots rented at
small rents to tenants who are former slaves.
The,owner believes that II the Salvation
Army would found q colony upon 1000
~ the acres the colonists would 20 increase
the value OF their holdings that his own
900 acres would rise greatly in value.
This belief is based upon the results ac-
oomplished by the army colonies already
in operation.
Il haven't answered the letter. said
the Commander. Il understand that
tho land would be exactly suited to our
nirpoee, but we haven't the capital TO
mt into the work. Too bad. isn't 1t, that
we must let such an opportunity slip for
hck of n little capital. especially when
our other colonies have proved that capi-
tal 10 invested vii! from the start pay good
interest.
But we've a tremendous number OF
irons in the fire and we must keep them
all red hot. Then, too. we already have
three colonies running and we mustn't
hamper their success by undertaking too
much at one time.
could you find oolonists for another
colony2'.
The commander sighed.
Find them? Why, we don't know what
70 do with the applicants. We arc flooded
with applications. have q letter here
from one Of my chief helpers.
He's very severe with me. He says
we ought to withdraw our offer at once
and not send out any more application
blanks, for we have reached the limit of
our present capacity and we have no right
to encourage false hopes In thousands
Of eager hearts.
Il suppose he is right, but we still have
land to spare in our three colonies. II is
only the capital to send out more colonists
that is lacking,
sWe shall be able to send out few fami-
lies at a time, and it Is heart breaking to
turn away worthy applicants without
hope, when we know that there's poor
mans paradise waiting for them, II we
could only put them in II, and give them
chance.
Leaving the city poor out Of the qestion,
we could I'll every acre Of the land we now
hold, with country people. Yes, know
that sounds queer, but you see It's this
way.
You hear a great deal about the young
country boys eagerness 70 60 to the city.
Some country boys do 20 to the city be-
cause they are crazy 10 do IL. A host Of
them go to the oity because they can't marry
and have families in the country.
If a man can save money and get q
but If he's merely working for other men,
he can't marry. A farmer wants single
men for helpers. There's no place for
the family man and his family.
In the city the young man can find work
and have some sort OF home OF his own
at the end Of work hours. He can have q
wife and family near his place OF work.
so the country lad goes 10 town. Perhaps
he does well. Perhaps he and the family
he wanted starve.
He would rather marry and go TO one
OF our colonies than run this risk. We
That's why say We could fill colonies with
country poor.
I'd like to take them, but we started
the work 10 relieve the congestion In cities
and that's the crying need. There Is a
class in the city slums that wouldn't go TO
the country, wouldn't be happy there,
but we found thousands upon thousands
Of honest, ,hard-working unfortunates eager
TO escape
They hated the city squalor and misery.
but could not get away from IT. IL was for
them that we started the colonies. 1t is
from them that the stream Of letters pours
We give tho preference 20 people orig
inaly from the country. men who have
drifted TO the city and in spite Of honest
effort have been unable 10 win out against
the fierce competition and the unfavora be
conditions. They have had some country
experience. understand the sort of life to
which they are going, have some idea Of
how 10 go 10 work and don't expect a crop
10 be ready for market before the seed is
planted. Farming tires a city mans pa
tnce. Nature won't hurry.
There are thousands Of country born
and bred men down in our slums. III they
are honest they are our ideal colonists
Still, some Of our best farmers are city blood
through and through
Our best farmer. or at least one OF the
best, was never outside OF New York be-
fore he went TO our Fort Amity, Col. He
had a little one horse express wagon on
the East Side; but he took 10 farming as a
duck takes TO water and he walks of with
alarge share of our prizes.
Going back to that matter OF the family,
the family is the big ling block In
the way Of charity and philanthropy. II
Is the puzzling problem.
II Is easy enough TO help single men,
and single women, but what In the wcrld
70 do with the family. There's the rub.
Poor men will marry. They will have
children. II Is natural II they are not
fortunate, wife and children will sink them
deeper In the mire OF poverty. What can
we do for them7
When charitable organizations step in
u usually means the breaking I'D of the
family. and that the poor people will fight
with their last breath. Being miserable
and poor doesn't prevent their feeling the
natural affections In fact. / think family