The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-19
a NEW COMM UNITY.
Free love settlement on vaicour
island.


BURLINGTON, Sept. 8, 1874.
Among the many Islands which diversity
the surface Of Lake Champlain Valcour
Island seems the least adapted for the pur-
poses which small and peculiar commu-
nifty now intend TO put 1t. About 10000
acres in extent, IL lies west Of the imaginary
line drawn through the lake ~ the bound
airy of Vermont and New York and on
the map is marked as part of the county of
Clinton Of the latter state This fact is
rather important, because, were the island
within the legal jurisdiction Of Vermont,
there might he trouble brewing for the in
tending settlers. The Green Mountain
state, like most hill countries the world
over, has produced many men OF powerful
and peculiarly original mind but as Il gen
eral rule, the resident population prefers
that when the originality takes such turn
as gives rise to mormonisn, free love. and
the wilder forms of spiritualism, the pro-
Founders thereof should keep clear of their
native state: and usually they do. Joe
Smith was, and | believe Brigham Young
is, a Nermonter but Vermont would he n
decidedly unfavorablc place TO practice
polygamy in The spirluali.tic party is
numerous enough here 10 hold YEARLY
convention but its members have never
gone % far on the road of reform" rs To
practice free love, except, possibly. in q
quiet sort OF way, not intended TO attract
public attention. The new community
therefore, which is TO settle on Valcour
Island, avowedly as the professors of com.
plete ''social freedom did well to get lust
over the state line. The originator of the
movement is a Nermonter-in a sense n
typical one, for, with the widest and
most visionary cast of mind, he possesses
that never-failing shrewdness which ALWAYS
Keeps an eye for the main chance. Mr.
Orrin Shipman, the individual referred to.
owns about eight hundred acres of Valcour
and farm near this city OF about two
hundred. His opinions on social subjects
have always been advanced" that is TO
say, they were not those commonly held }v
his neighbors. His business has been that of
raising fruit and garden produce. He is
reputed to he good gardener, and
one could generally depend on getting any
OF the rarer kinds of fruit or flowers
at his Place, if no another gardener in the
town had them. All these he raised on his
home farm, fer beyond stone and bemlock
trees never heard that Nalcour produced
anything. But sometime ago Mr. Ship
man entered into correspondence with Col.
John Wilcox, of Omro, Wis, the auihorof
1.-The Approaching Conflict, the upshot of
which was the projection of scheme for
free love community, something on the
Oneida plan, the settlement to be made
upon Mr.. Shipmans property. Among
The more prominent names connected witt,
the enterprise appear, in addition to the
two mentioned, those of j.. w. Woodhouse,
young man haling from Chicago. and
MIR. 0. G. Hall. AS the result of an ex-
animation of the property by these gentle.
men, glowing description of it was given
in lengthy circular, wherein the objects
OF the new community were stated, and
money and recruits solicited. These circu.
lars were scattered extensively through
como Of the western states, where the
spirtualsts were known TO be numerous.
and small band of faithful ones were
gathered at Chicago under the care of the
enterprising gentlemen referred to. In
Chicago they waited the time when they
could start for the fairy Isle. Here is the
description of it which the circular gave.
rather suspect the gifted author must at
one time have been real estate agent 4:
substantially fenced on the outside
against our neighbours cattle, and from the
cold, selfish world, home cOnsecrated to
harmony and fraternity, soft water in
abundance everywhere and at all times
Facilities tor bathing during warm weather
and skating in winter. An elevated plateau
near the centre for the intended group of
buildings. the moving tide of commerce. of
lake vessels and palatial steamers, seen
from all parts of the island cool and
blacing breeZes in the summer
season with frequent showers,
Valcour combines every advantage
Tor any enterprise, apparently having all
the facilities ID elements of wealth A
commanding. attractive, unrivaled position |
with richness of soil not surpassed within |
a thousand miles, every way natural to the |
oest fruits OF the temperate zone, the |
Island with pure air and waters, the tenn
perature modulated by lake waters
abundance of wood, timber, and ouarries
uhequaled commercial facilities, almost an |
unrivalcd focal centre, and commanding |
position for our objects and aims"
There is much in this which will strike
the average reader as having suspiciously |
familiar sound. The commanding posi- |
tlon," with "richness of SOIL" the "un- |
equaled commercial facilities" "unriyaled |
focal centre" past which float spaatial |
steamers" and ''moying tide of COM
merce, the combination of every adj |
vantage" &c, all this reminds one rather
strongly of those vivid descriptions of ives. |
tern lands wherewith emigration agents in |
vite the unwary to go west AS matter |
of fact, Valcour Island is an excellent little |
place to ''camp OUT on, if you are on a |
fishing excursion. The Valcoureans pro-
pose 10 use IL Tor agricultural and horticul- |
tural purposes, but unless a peculiarly hard
quality of limestone be favorable for those
objects, it is not easy to see in what portion
of its soil they intend to raise their crops.
1t is wooded with hcmlocl, which is not SO
rare atree in this sectionas to pay much pro-
fit on the culture oft While the brcakwater
was being built at Burlington, the contrac-
tor drew the stone for ii from Valcour, and
possibly he may have uncovered some earth
in the process. The temperature, says the
circular, lis molulatel by lake waters"
which is rather lucky, because, as the mer-
curry now generally goes down to some
thing like 2Oo below zero in the winter, it
is hard to say where it would not go if not