Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-10-15
Russian Positiyists.

= n
saa Francisco Bulletin.
Something over two year ago a
colony of sixty Russians, all from the
city of Odessa, settled in Glendale,
Douglas county, Oregon. They had
become converts to communists ideas,
and determined to emigrate to Ameri-
ca and carry out their theor es. Ar
rived in Oregon, they took ur rs acres
OF good land; land well covered with
trees, alive with water springs, and
such land that when { lied q generous
harves. would be the result. None Of
them had come from what Is known
/ here as q farming class. They would
be as like to starve in this country of
= abundance as they we're in Russia.
But they were all strong men; men
whose arms would not tire in a long
days werk, and they were resolved to
work. 1t was a communal settlement.
All that was earned was thrown in to.
gether. They were TO live in commu-
nifty. They worked not for self, but
for all. Each mans work was not in
div.dual, but collective There was no
working for wages. They worked for
themselves, and thus they worked well
" all DtsAH - lNA NSuHB IN ~
business of farming, and nowise pre-
pared to undertake it, the colony took
from a local railroad a timber contract,
which contract read that they were to
supply TO that railroad 1000 cords of
wood, at $40 per cord. at the rate
I of l25 cords per month. In the course
of a year and a half the contract was
finished, and the colony, which by that
time had sowed and reaped, had cattle
and horses, and was in q fairly -four
ishing condition.
l. Notwithstanding that labor and toll
as they might there was time stolen
4 from the hours of rest to enjoy in free
dom their discussions, they had what
+ they craved-freedom, freedom abso-
Lutte. There were no police OF militia
ny eayes-droppings at the 7 meetings.
They had communism in all its archa C
simpleness and blessedncss. And yet
these people were not wholly satisfied
z W. tn commun SIN, and in their discus
sions the question of rel gion also
7 cropped ont. The Greek church was
distasteful to these men. If they wor-
! shipped, they wished 70 worship God
after Their own fashion. But men,
like children, when first broken from
the trammels # school, eXpend them
/ selves in all manner of violent pay; so
did these men try to eXpend their en-
ergies in all manner of radical changes
and hence the split in the colony.
They were dissat SIZED with their man
ner of worsh p, and that of Auguste
Comte, inventor or or. nator OF the
Positive Philosophy was finally Sc
- - 80 - 100
ment and adopted as TER faith. The
Positivist calendar was secured, The
Positiyist card of deites was bought
and each house displayed it.
The colony were not long happy in
the d scovery of their new faith. Dis
sens ons crept in. There were soon
Two sections in the settlement, the one
stvling themselves Liberals and the
other the Conservatives, or, in other
words, some followed the doctrine OF
egoIsm, others altruism, and the latter.
being in the minority, left the mother
colony.
The Aitruists. to the number Of fiji
teen, left the others, and taking but
enough money with them to supply
their little wants on the road, the
same courage that brought them to
America animated them TO walk from
Portland TO San Francisco.
These Altruists are men, i may be
said, who followed the better occupa.
tons. though net backward in putting
their hand to the plow aud to the saw
when necessity demanded. They ar.
rived in this city in detached partie'
some few months ago, and took UP
Their quarters at 34l Sh pley street,
where on Tuesday afternoon q Call re
porter visited them. Three as fine
young men as coud be seen anywhere
presented themselves, Models OF
strength and earnestness are they. In
: mple language they told the above
stOrv-tOld i in sincerity.
Though we have left them in Or
agon.'' said a stalwart young giant
with a rugged frame and deep-gray
earnest ewes, they are mi brothers
We love them Just the same. Should
you write about us, do not say w
quarreled, for we did not. We have
followed our trades here in this city
and those of MS who a have to lee
with our hands in this country. ], my
self, have Just returned from a farm
because ] and my trends there star.
to. morrow morning to walk to New
York. there in the East to found a col
ony-for we have found. We made
M stake in coming out so far. w
should be heal the Atlantic border. $,
that those coming should find no diff
Guilty in reaching us.
we are strong, sir, and we car
easily go the entire way to New Yorl
by walk ng. Perhaps we shall nov
and then rest and procure work so tina
we can be carried a few miles by train
but we are stout and tn nix Tothing o
the walk. How else shall VI succeed
We have little money, and what none,
we have we leave for the women VIII
will follow us when we have again 10
Gated a colony. Again. our wants ar
simple. We are purely yegetarians
We do not eat any flesh of any kind
and so we can subs st upon what an
other would starye on, and besides w,
never smoke or drink alcohol C liquors
We are abste NOUS in every way. Thus
YOU see, our books" pointing to a.
immense stack upon a table. 'are al
opr pleasure and recreation. We ar
called cranks and Iunatics, but we q
rot regard abuse, In the countr
where we have worked they hay
laughed at us with our pholosOph.
books and our abstent.o on from meat
but we shall succeed. aud then tn
laugh shall be with us"
Havana Tobacco DYING ont,
ri -..l 2. IT. ~ H. -