New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-23
THE SYLVANIA PHALANX.
RISE AND FALL OF A FOURTEENTH COM
MUNITY

WILDERNESS.
IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
PORT JEnvIs, July 12.-Six miles from Lacka-
waxen, Pike County, Pennsylvania, in the centre
of q great wilderness, are the ruins of the once
famous Sylvania Phalanx founded In 1S43. The
primitive buckboard-wagon is the only vehicle by
which the ruins can be reached the roads being Of
the toughest character. The scenery along the
drive from Lackawaxen to Taylortown-once Syl-
vania-during the summer months is delightful, but
from Sylvania ruins the view is q dreary one. Acres
and acres Of scrub-oaks with here and there a
stunted pine. meet the eye upon every side.
These lands were formerly owned by Mahlon
Cooley, who came to Pike County from the State Of
New-Jersey some seventy years ago. The smoke Of
q squatters cabin had curled up among the trees
before Godley's time, for the country was then q
forest and numbering tho chief occupation of the
residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania, but there
had been improvements made when Mahlon
Cooley came and settled in the "pine belt"-as it
was then called-of Little Pike. Cooley was q man
Of means and enterprise. He purchased large tracts
of land, upon which the best timber grew. built a
saw-mill, manufactured lumber Of all kinds, and
finally became an extensive dealer. well-known
along the Delaware Valley He built the largest
and best house In the county, and added acre after
VI
by far the best farm in that region Finally mis-
fortune overlook him. and his property passed into
the hands of James Stoll, a capitalist of Montague,
in the County Of Sussex. New-Jersey. Before his
failure Cooley had become very eccentric and was
believed by many to have lost his reason entirely.
He scattered tons Of plaster and bushels of clover
seed through the forests, saying it would, in due
time, make excellent pasture for his cattle.
FOUNDATION OF THE "PHALANx."
james Stoll. the purchaser of the property al
lowed Cooley to remain on the farm until lS43,
when the entire property was sold to real estate
agent in New York. Forster H. Dewey. Dewey sold
the property. July 80 1S43, to Horace Greeley and
several other gentlemen, who then proceeded to
found the Sylvania Association. Mr. Greeley had
for many years been believer in some Of the doc
trines of Fourier, tho eminent French Socialist. vino
died In 1897. but emphatcally discarded the prln-
cipls that the qualification of all the passions, I'M
restrained unrestricted by marriage other social
laws would tend TO make all men happier, and the
world infinitely better" That principle was ex-
Guided from the charter Of the SylYania Associa-
ton.
At the time the "Sylyania Phalanx'-Or " Pha-
lanstere was founded in the forests OF Pennsyl
vauia there were no railroads aud tho Milford aud
Owcgo turnpike. which passed through Pike
County. was inc MAIN lUOTouBnIaIt 10 TUG west
from Neu-York City. The old four-horse tally
coaches rumbled over the magnificent Pike County
roads light aud day. The mails were carried with
a uniform speed of four miles an hour. and reached
Sylvauia in thirty hours from New-York. 1t was
at the time Mr.. Greeley negotiating for the pur-
chase Of the property upon which TO found the Syl-
vania Association that he had the amusing expert
ence. often recounted with Uncle sammy
Dimmck. q staunch Wing and an ardent admirer of
the great editor. Mr.. Greeley having walked seven
miles and being covered with dirt. Uncle Sammy
took him for a tramp. refused to give him room at
the Dimmick House. and sent him 10 wash his feet
at tho horse-trough. Mr.. Dimmicks subsequent
modification knew no bounds, and he attempted to
explain and apologize. but Mr.. Greeley interrupted
hun, SAYING Never mind any ex plantations. friend
Dimmck; enjoy such honest treatment in a
while"
Having purchased land and procured plans for
the "Phalaustcre," the Fourieristic name for the
one large dwelling in which all the members should
lve-the projectors next step was to populate Syi-
vania The members OF the community came from
the four corners OF the EARTH and from nearly every
nation and cline. Old and young men and women
invested their spare cash in the stock of the asso
ciation and found an asylum at Sylvana. Nearly
ali the personal property of each member WAS con-
YeTtfu INTO CASH. 0ulou Nlo hdhhoh N'Va w NV
managers of the society and put in with tho "com-
mon fund.- for there no usc for any household
good, in the "Phalanstorc." which was furnished
from carrots TO cellars by the stockholders. The
shares Of the society were $50 each. and wero sold
a. fast as they could be issued. The articles of
membership were very long and based upon
the principles OF Fourier-that ll, oil the harmones
of the universe grow out Of uniform and regular
order; % all beings led TO- and kept in their
true sphere not by any principle OF external force
but of internal attraction; l3l. the universe being
everywhere the same. must repeat itself in every
sphere or be analagous a. human nature is divided
into three parts-physi nature moral nature, and
intellectual nature; 10, the common object oil all
physical nature is the enjoyment Of all the senses
undisturbed by social laws; 0l, the common object
OF our moral nature is mutual affection and reel
procty: a. the objects OF our intellectual nature
are order and association; 90, social sphere,
adapted to the harmonious action OF these three
divisions Will rectify all distortions and develop all
Deficiencies; COZ, society must DO constituted after
the analogy of universal nature, that is. after the
law Of groups ana SERIES (l0). the association of
the three principal agents of production, rldelioet
science capital and labor. will at once prepare the
way for true order of society.
These were the ten commandments" OF tho
Sylvanla Association. anu IL was irOma ioose care
less. unprincplcd construction by the outside
world Of the fifth principle of the basis OF this So
ciety that IL was afterward nosed abroad that the
"Sylvania Phalanx" was " lree-lovo lnsttu-
ton" created by. and reared under the protection
Of Horace Greeley. Many of the members Of "Syl-
vania Phalanx." who yet live in towns near tho
ruins, emphatically deny that "free-lovc" So
called. ever existed in any form or TO any extent in
the association Mr.. Greeley himself supervised the
construction of the articles OF Incorporation and
the framing Of the that were to govern the in
sltution, and he took especial care with the much
talked of fifth section.
LIFE IN A LARGE FAMILY.
Within three months after the organization
of tho Phi lanx there were enrolled from
QsO Tn 400 members. Upon tho crest