The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-03-03

BEDFORD PARK, LONDON. The new
suburb which has thus come into exis
tence swiftly, yet SO quietly that the
building Of 1t has not scared the nghtin.
gale heDrd yesternight nor the skylarks
singing while write, has gone far toward
the realization of some aims not its own.
ideals that have hitherto failed. There is
not member of it who would not be star.
tied, if not acandalized, at any suggestion
that he or she belonged to n community
largely socialistic. They would allege.
with perfect truth, that they are not even
acquainted with the majority of their
neighbors, have their own circle of friends
and 20 On with their business az men and
| women of the world. Nevertheless, it is
as certainly true that degree in social
evolution is represented by Bedford Park
and that II is in the direction Of that CO.
operative iifc which minated the dreams
OF Pcre En!antin and Saint. t.Simon. Ali
society, indeed, must steadily and nor.
naiiy advance in that direction. For a
long time there have been Tendencies to
pat more and more of the domestic work
! out Upon establishments which all have
in common. AS one baker prepares
bread for many families, aud one laundry
| washes for many. and the railway, onlni-
bus, cab, ply for many. 80 other accommo.
dations needed by all are found to be
within reach Of the cooperative princi-
pie; even the luXuries of life are found
to be largely within reach Of it. This viii
lage has been rendered possible by that
principle, though it had another aim.
Houses of similar architecture have in
recent years been built hero and there in
London and other cities, but they have
probably cost their owners third more
than they have COS. here, because the
large number of families which agreed to
buy or rent houses enabled the landlord
and founder of Bedford Park to mako
large, therefore comparatively cheap, mr.
engagements for the supply of materials
aud labor, elsewhere special or exception
al. by this means one of the chief advan.
tages Of co operation was to some extent
secured. We have. also our cooperative
stores; our newspapers ahd current lifer.
allure are obtaned in common; We have
billiard rooms, tennis lawns, club conven-
lencies,I. and entertainments to q consid.
cradle extent in common and perhaps
by the time this paper ia read the Tabard
may be supplying the table dhotc ut rate
sufficiently moderate to place daily din,
ncr within reach of familieswho may find
that desirable. Thus the CO. operative
principle has shown its applicability to
the requirements of the cultured class,
who are especially interested in making
| for their iamiiies beautiful Eom,s, with.
out, rs Thoreau saiS, sacrificing Lille to its
means. Incomes are largely increased.
when theX need no longer be expended
|sdu tho phyacal Appliance ofconiil:rt be.
yond the actual advantage derived. To
keepa nrivate. carriage in order that it
may ba useG az hour or two each day is
not economy, if an equally good carriage
be hired. 9.filr tae hours needed, Nown nnj
then ws-heaf a-little gossip when some
OF tne dishes alta distinguished dinner par
ty are suspected of having been prepare
by Duclos instead of private cket, hut
the tendency Of refined society Is to smile
still more at large outlays for ostentn.iou.
But while in some regards Bedford
Park must bescbuAidered a aocialistic vii.
liage, 1t is almost the reverse ofany COM
munity which has been go called hitherto
and is far away from the rocks 6njwhieh.
most of them have been wrecked. No
step in the planting or development of
the; village has been artificial, or even
prescribed; each institution has appeared
in response to q definite want. It was
not in consequence of any original
scheme that tue CO operative stores, the
club. or:tha Tabhrd! Inn tzere built \ Hha
entire freedpy: az the. yllageaand Sof its
inbabtantsis 1nqualifed by ahy theory
whatever, whether social. political. or
economic .-lMh.ziS Ipapays an Ht rper's
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