The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-11-05
A "New Community" Abroad.

A recent London letter gives
graphic description of O curious com
munity established in one of the corners
of the New Forest, in Hampshire. II
recalls the experiments of Fourier and
others, and as parallel to an intended
establishment in our own State of Yer.
mont, the experiment may be worth
the reading:
1t is said that they number in all,
men, women and children, 13O souls.
with an estate of thirty.one acres.
They began in January, 1872, with a
nucleus of about fourteen persons, but
the estate is already in fair state of
cultivation, though not sufficient to be
| self-supporting. There are stated to
be a number of persons waiting to join
the brotherhood as soon as fresh land
can be obtained, but at present there is
no room for more. The society has
more than doubled since last year. OF
the thirty-one acres, about an acre is
devoted to spade culture, the remainder
being laid down for grass, wheat, etc.
There is little fruit, and the flowers
are the special charge of the women.
The community includes variety of
craftsmen, such as tailors, shoemakers,
woodcutters, brickmakers, etc. There
is q miller, too, but be has not yet got
to work, because his mill is not ready.
Besides the flowers, the women also
attend to the washing, sewing, and gen.
eral housekeeping. The members of
the community are supposed to be
capable of making and repairing their
own clothes, with, we suppose, the as
sistance of the tailor in an emergency.
The men appear to be wearing out the
clothes they brought with them from
the outer world, but the women have
Enthusiastically invented a new style
of costume. Even in Eden EYES mind
runs on robes. The sisters wear an
attire nearly uniform in pattern, though
varying widely in color and material.
1t consists simply of plain bodice,
short skirt and trousers, and ''none can
realize, without actual observation, the
peculiar yet pleasing and attractive
effect of this dress, worn by nearly
every female in the family, whether Of
early or mature years." Earrings,
chignons, and other vanities are rigor-
ously abolished. The hair is worn
curiously, with or without curls, but
generally loose and flowing down be-
hind. The head of this society is q
lady, who is called Mother. She is
supreme among them, governing by the
law of love, and is consulted on every
subject. There is neither marriage nor
giving in marriage in this community,
and all live together as brothers and
sisters. Property is held in common,
and everybody is supposed to get what
is good for her or him. "Each con.
tributes according to his powers, and
receives according to his necessities
the old jargon. The community
takes the Bible as its only law-book.
o. l"ay Of ~vs"ltL ~-Aa education 90 :.
sister, and there is also well-to-do
village shoemaker, farmer, and Lon
don shopkeeper in the society, But
the majority of the members are poor,
and many of the poorest class. Music
is the chief amusement of the brothers
and sisters, and there is the "fullest
liberty with the most perfect unani-
nifty" 1t is needless to anticipate the
fate of this society, of which there
have been many forerunners. There is
no reason to suppose that human ma
ture is likely to be transformed in the
New Forest any more than at Brocton
or elsewhere. The majority of the
members are poor, and yet there is said
to be "no poverty in the austere
sense" This would seem to mean that
they are living on the means provided
by the well-to-do section, and when
these are exhausted it is easy to imag-
inc what will happen.