Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-29
c0L0MzING SCHEME
Humanitarian Project That
Promises Entire Success.
HOMES AND FARMS
RELIEVING CITY CONGESTION
AND IT'S EVILS
Three Of These Experimental Colonies
Described - Crops and
Results.
Written for The Evening Star.

the farm colonies Of the Salvation Army in
the United States were first organised in
the spring Of 1893 for the purpose OF en-
abling stranded but worthy families to
keep together and ultimately by their own
exortions and payments to become homo
owners. Experience has shown that while
1t Is comparatively easy to take care Of the
unmarried poor In the cities and to find
sufficiently remunerative work for them
there. the case is different. with the family.
In case Of sickness or loss of work the
position of the women and children is espe-
cially distressing Rent has to be paid. hun
cry mouths have to be fed. clothing pro-
vided and the numerous requirements OF q
growing family must be met.
The Salvation Army colonies were spe-
cially organized for the purpose Of reliev-
ing city congestion and OF preventing
families from being broken up. the theory
Of redemption being thus formulated.
place the waste labor in the waste land.
by means of the waste capital. and thereby
convert the trinity OF waste into unity Of
production.
In the United States the experiment now
comprises the following colonies: Fort Ami
ty. Colorado in the fertile valley of the
Arkansas river: Fort Romie, California,
near the bay Of Monterey; Fort Herrick.
Ohio, about twenty miles from Cleveland.
At Fort Amity.
The Fort Amity colony was established In
April. 1888 On a section Of land consisting
Of $40 acres. which since has been increased
to nearly 1000. 1t Is on the line of the
Atchison railroad about 2S7 miles east of
Denver. An abundant supply Of water
from the Buffalo canal Is supplemented by
still more abundant subsurface undefffow.
while an immense system OF inland reeer-
voirs. in course Of construction. will serve
to frrigate vast tract OF land in the
neighborhood. The soil is rich and the
climate superb, the elevation being $500
feet above the sea.
The principal crops include the famous
Rocky Ford cantaloupe. sugar beets
alfalfa, which IS used to fatten hogs and
cattle; small fruits and vegetables. while
dairy farming. cattle raising and the max
ing of honey adds to the revenues of the
farmers.
1t is intended in the near future to es-
tablish a sanitarium for working men.
An orphanage has been erected at a cost
Of $4,000 with the intention that as the
orphans grow up they may marry and set
tie upon the land. forming ultimately the
best colonists. An agricultural credit as
ISOLATION has recently been established.
modelled upon the plan of the Raneisen vii
lage loan association of Germany. Two
school houses have been built and shortly
will be replaced by a much larger building
the children Of school age numbering 40
There the now about 300 colonists in the
Fort Amity colony.
The Fort Romfe colony Is located on fine
sweep of 519 acres near the bay Of Mon
tefey, California Inc lan0 mas been Qt-
vided into ten-acre tracts. cottages have
been built, and an irrigation pumping plant
has been erected to supply water from the
river. The soil Is adapted to the growth of
sugar beets potatoes and alfalfa, as we'll as
all ordinary agricultural products There
are several beet sugar factories in the
neighborhood. and the potatoes raised In the
valley command the highest prices. There
are now about seventy colonists and one
family already has paid for its holding.
The Fort Herrick colony, near Cleveland.
is located on a beautifully situated tract Of
288 acres. all Of which has been cultivated
and upon which thirtysthree persons are
settled. The owners Of the land. Myron T.
Herrick. who with his friend. Senator
Hanna, is deeply interested in the Salvation
Army. and Mr.. James Parmiee have decided
the land to the Salvation Army for coloni-
zation purposes. Contributions amounting
to $4,000 have been received to start the
colony. which Is to be made a model for
western experiments.
The financing of the experiment Is. Of
course of the first consequence. Com
mander Booth Tucker describes the finan-
ciai plan follows:
LAS the colonies are intended for the
worthy families of the city poor. who often
have no money even for their travelling
expenses. 1t becomes necessary to provide
the capital. The fact that the surplus
more readily transfer itself to the country
districts is not due, as Is often supposed
to their attachment to the former and dis
like for the latter If the necessary capt.
tai is forthcoming. and they are placed in
position to become home owners. and not
mere tenants or farm laborers. the move
ment of population can be carried out with
CELEBRITY and success.
Another mistake commonly made In the
attempted removal of the city poor has
been the effort to colonize the unmarried
poor This is false economy. The family
will prove cheaper in the long run. since
the wife and children supply unpaid labor.
To illustrate: On one OF the colonies at the
time of a recent visit the father was found
cultivating his own land. while the chill
dren were earning much as Sc daily,
picking berries for a neighboring farmer.
The wife meanwhile looked after the house.
the baby, the meals and the poultry. All
were busy all were earning money. The
family had but recently arrived, and were
already self-supporting. 1t was only nee
eSsary to find them a cottage, team, agri-
cultural implements and seed.
In another case the father was able to
make good wages as a carpenter, putting
up cottages and barns for the colony and
neighbors. while the wife and children
looked after the home and farm. Five
acres were sufficient to supplement his
earnings.
Good Management.
"Hence it is seen that with management
and the selection of tract of good land
the main requirement is a sufficiency OF
capital to erect cottages. purchase live
stock and implements and meet travelling
and other expenses. The average cost per
family amounts to $500, apart from pay
ments for land and exclusive Of general
land improvements. such is irrigation
works. water supply and other general util-
tiles. For this sum g. family can be fairly
launched.
For the purpose Of raising the necessary
funds. thirtyyear gold bonds for $1JO.O0O
have been issued on the Colorado and Cali
fornia colonies. Interest is payable semi
annually at per cent. A sinking fund Of 2
per cent has bee established. and the bonds
are guaranteed by the Salvation Army, in
corporated.
I'm addition to the above a colony endow-
ment fund. consisting of donations. has
been organized This fund now amounts to
about 10000. The money il loaned to the
colonists In the usual way. being reinvest-
ed as fast as II Is repaid
Land and Stock.
'The colonists receive a contract for thu
purchase OF the land and cottage. and are
supplied With I'VE stock and Implements. .