The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-14
CURIOUS COMMUNITY.
WHERE LABOR TS.REWIRDED AND
SoIID COMFOhT SECUkED.

,.,,t. Krmnrknhic success 81 tue Assoc
.,,t,or Many Appl, bnI w are Chosen
Un,,- ,.o,craiuu rhcir Work aud Play.
e,,,y,rtrtp. VT. May lin the little
,ul .e from which am writing I ra ny 'm'h-
a.. Inn. Il Vermont. Is a small labor c'mmu
nuv.wuI.h, pr,hibly, has n' ''nnieip'rt VI ms
co.,,,,r,. ,r In the world. II called the irhc-
,,cal Co5pcratiou Association ana us present
otv.ave members. known around nero a. IN
a,.trtl.." men aud women ia ABOUT equal pro-
,,,i,ns range uetw,en the ages Of six scen ana
,,', ,rr.,t,.t number being from twenty
,,,n,,.gv. The object OF the Association
:, IN rr1yIds work for all It's members at re-
u,nneriti,c wages, varying with the fluctuations
of business aud to supply them with an attract
I've aud comfortable home al tue sm Hest pos
siblc COS. and, furihei, to insure to every man
and woman in the community an ultim tte COM
petcnc,. provided he or she rem in, memtor
long enough. How lar these oej.c.s h .ge bcch
attained may he gathered from these facts:
The PROMOTER Of the scaetne il a Mr.. j. II.
EN- who ha. been au inhauit an Of this village
for many years lie VS. thoroughly lcquaiHtoi
with the manufacture II lr. aui ncy articles,
which constitutes d re p.ri,n OF the trade Of
Sprin-0eld The inpcfu ,us lli1ca river. folm-
ins al NJ over numerous dams ana rapids 20 the
waters uf the Couueciicut. which absorb IL four
miles below the village, furnishes neyer-faiilns
power Tor nll the mills erected along It's banks,
and having an unutiiized force sufficient for "a
man, more. Mr. Ellis had long cherished a the
ory that wofkiugmen aud women might urolt1-
by be their own employ er-, regulate their own
wages, and divide the profits of tho business
among themselves. The great factory OF which
he had been for a long tune suuerlntrnicnt, WAS
swept away one night by rise OF the treacher-
ous Black river Nearly all his own savings we're
Invested IN It, and he found himself poor IN II.
Then IL VS. that his theory took practical
form. and some two years ago he and four 9th
ers, with a capital Of about $1,000, hired q small
shop with water power. and az once began 20
manufacture TOYS and other lignt articles. Inev
found an easy ana abundant mnrNct Tor their
goods. and members with the reqlisit' cauif !.
witch WAS then tut Sln. Joined them rai,tiN
They now owned thtir own NWliiug, AMI the
scheme was dcyeloning into IN assure success.
when, In April. lS,5 one Of ueir shops was
burned down. luis " a teffiuie blow g. the
young association. and it was gcnerttv consid-
cred eeItainty that the enterprise wouid nave
t. be ab udoued. But tho-e who h ii united
with 1t Ind satisfied themselves that the -ci cme
b ID In II the germs OF success. sever retired
from 1t in oesp.ir. but the majority werr nnt
discouraged. Refusing AN oncr To- move g.
town In New Hampshire ana r at a shop On very
favorable Terms. the association IT once ha N
the work Of erecting IA new building. Material
was cheap and plentiful & mtuh - wcf"
themselves the builders. and Va Two months
they were At work In their new shop. f;um tnis
period their success may be dated. and to-dav
they hhye Hs many memoers "a they care ABOUT
THE RIFLES Of MEMBERSHIP.
EVER man on joining must pay into the gen
era fund At le 81 500. on Nhtrh he j. guarun-
teec interest at the rate ~ eight per cent. For
RECEIVING wages very slthtV in excess OF tne
est Of his board and lodging. Al the cxpira-
ton tnat period, u lie desires to withdraw,
or II his associate do not wlsh to cleo; han
member, his money Is re urnod to him wtn ac-
crued interest, Bat. on tue other hand. should
he be received Into the ass lc a.iuu he T. en-
pored at wages ranging from $50 20 $3.50
week PAYABLE at the end Of cvefv three months
II he Is "A skilled workman he may receive tnD re-.
bu' the wages pad are rar ly higner than the
sum last named. From t1is one-fourih Is de-
Quoted and invested IN stock, bearing interest
al eight per cent, and payaule PRINCIPAL ana N
terest. Whenever the holder sees III to sever his
connection with the association. or the sssocia-
ton uoes not desre to IA We tim as memner
anV longer. In addition 81 a week is dedGcteG
for board and lodging. the boarding house being
conducted uuon precisely the same nian OF co
operation that governs the works. and any prof
u, accfaing from II oeins paced Ia Toe HeneFai
fund Of the association. The payment OF
the eight per cent interest on the cAptal
Invested Is primary consideration. and
when business Is too dun to warrant 80
large a dividend the wages are reduced 20 make
PEELED to az, one f. .rih q his salary. and. at
whatever time be wishe, TO Withdraw from she
than ahen he uritel win II. memb earn
irg as awtek Will, a. tho end u every three
monins. have pad 40 hi. exp uses, I'd cd SO 10
h Interest Dee irlnE cdll De qui receives 50 in
cash NUrV mu'u hotter result tn0r be ,ould
have hoped 90 attain outside , { che associatipn
cani'ai INTO the as- cation IN i,iuinr ii. nd
women are only asked 70 tavtsj N0r. IN tie
Case Of the Latter, Is ttoq slte i.st tAe, should
paw II It ono llSe the men. The .monnt IS DE-
Quoted out u their wages. bu. an the otN'r
rule are the same tor m.le- and fomrles. Ite
women, too. h-ye 20 purchase stock in sac AGO
citation with on fourth II tn aw un. earned
BY them from VIII q. also, is ken tao 90 of
o. week
lie qutlifc .tlons for membership re good
phNslca condition. wiuintn,s- towotN. blame
l,ss moral Character, and. m the ease the lneu,
tn possession of at e 1t S3)o, and tot a. ste
pence &c n. Intoxicating liquor, ana tobacco.
feuale suffrage IS not declared. and ali m.m-
befs ~ the association cts, votes tor the hve
direct r vhO appoint nll the other officers,
pre- sitent. secretary foreu ca Of the various de-
prment'. and the supc1ntendenI VINO occ l.
pie nomini.lN the position f c.api INc.. With
out any Of tie privileges pertaining To "a Capitol
kl WIN hired hands.
Inc present. superintendent, Vr. Ellis, Is him
self member Of TIRE n-sociatiup. holding a
larger share of the stock IN u of the ,tu.r-.
he has two sons, also memt ers. ana he aud ms
VII are one II TIC few married cuuYlt, ia the
htlle com nunitv. The property owned bv the
association j. worth about sl5 o0j, aud consists
Of twu large WOODEN buildings connected UY
BRIDE, AM having five rooms "r shois. They
sa,e I,o e ed two houses, IN which al uut
tout Or hN" tdhe their % ehl- ana l"fce.
APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERS IlP
ara numerous and come from al p,rrs ~ the
Ne" Lu-ltul Nta.cs as well a. from New OK,
re ai Hi ANT ia almost every Instance sends
MS photDgr4pn. under the impression that per
touM u' a1auce Is au indispcns able qual hca-
700, "ul''' Indeed, % c-Iis t. he III tue case 81
- .'Itiit W are All more IN u iltlluHllN Az
uacN'e. illv oue-haf 81 then nave prcn
tcnno' ;"ac .ers, some mighty cultivated, and all
Wei trutit-d. TO them the PIE SAINT social
eouuatl Iu-uip II the boarding hous-, the h-ht
la'.F 10 the Shops. aud tue assur nee Of mod
et'te lh. m- al rvCrN season 81 the wear, with
" ''l HliIl = s.vtuA something for tue fitufe,
OH-i- greater pttr ciiuus IN n the hari sing
N.lN ul L. 'uius the not over b!lght pupils Of
s.ui tn r'NuNi Tor SIX months. AMI iuIcness Tor
we Remainder u the wear. some Of the men,
49, iNr been school teachers, but tue ma JIity
ele st~NtY W0rkren Of various degrees and
oiN'.' el -nlI. VINO, tired II nldlNg themselves
uu'"'iI INtd wNen trade was dul. eagerly en-
~ l'el N" ouuuriunitles offered ~ the associi-
sI"H' anu Investing the small c llld wnich
n.l pi eiwl-r have been expended during the
i'llol 81 en- 1rc.d idieness Ia securing Tor
.nr selves "un-t ant smplnSmeut, fair w'gcs,
A,n' uNahN. iutLfr competence.
W. 49, duplo.nt for nru.bci nip Is received
VI ''N. 'i d ur gets exactly the sam" work, and
sWN,h la ger II les II 1 cring usro of attent IN
~ t'e ",uers. Tho tact II. every one T. Watcn-
a'- "' li"n morning until might, Tor upon Ms
- Too Az .ni aid the { favorable impression re
u A'- upon ats assoc ties deIcnIs MS staying
l.rM cr going away Mt the *, Iration Of
t..rr tuhihs 90 trial. II J. e shows an uu-
If'. l." work. which, Of course, means
Io'de To t.ke his share Of the profits Of the
St'.''.- without iuly earning them, or eNlnc"S
"'rNl 20 iuf ram or tobacco, there Is not
NI' chance - ltIa IT0fnle ties ps CallfI