The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-23
Russian POSitiviSts.

Shh fTaHclSco builSlii
Something yer two years 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-
Gu and carry out their theor es. Ar
rived IN Oregon, they took up 776 acres
of good land: land well covered with
trees, alive with water springs, and
such land hat when I led q generous
harvest would be the result. None of
them had come from what is known
here as a farming class. They would
be rs like to starvc in this country of
abundance as they were in Russia.
But they We're all strong men; men
whose arms would not tire in a long
days work. and they were resolved to
work. 1t was 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 we'll
for all. Being as yet young in the
business OF farming, and nowise pre-
pared to undertake it, the colony took
from a local railroad a timber contract,
which contract read hat they were to
supply to that railroad 1000 cords OF
wood, at $3.50 per cord, at the rate
of Il wear 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 u fairly -four
ishing condition.
Notwithstanding that labor and tot
as they m chit there was tine stolen
from the hours of rest TO enjoy in free
dom their discussions. they had what
they craved-freedom, freedom abso
lutte. There were 20 police or mil ia
~ eaves-dropp.ngs at the I meetings
They had communism in all its archa {
SlmpleEess and blessedncss. And We,
these people were not wholly satisfied
til commun sm, and in Their Discus
sions the question of rel gion alst
cropped ont. The Greek church wa.
d stasteful to these men. If they wor
! shipped. they wished to worship Coz
after Their own fashion. But men
like oh ldren, when first broken from
the trammels of school, cxpend them
selves in all manner of violent pay: st
did these men try to eNpend their en-
ergies in all manner of radical change
and hence the split in the colony
They were dissat SIZED with their man
ner of worsh p. and that of August
} Comte, inventor or originator of tn
Positive Philosophy, was finally Sc
lectcd in a state of dclirious excite
ment and adopted as their faith. TIL
Positivist calendar was secured. Til
Positivist card OF deit.es was bough
and each house displayed il.
The colony were not long happy j,
the discovery OF their new faith. DIS
sens,ons crept in. There were SOC
two sections in the settlement. the on
styling themselves Liberals and tn
other the conservatives. or. in othe
words. some followed the doctrine c
egoism. Others a!truism, and the latter
being in the minority, left the mothe
colony.
The Altruists. to the number of fl
teen. left the others. and taking bu
enough none with them to suppl
the little wants on the road, TIL
same courage that brought them t
America animated them to walk frol
Portland TO San Francisco.
These Altrui SIS are men. Il may /
,, s;,id. who followed the better occup;
t ons. though net backward in putin
: Their hand to the !, low and to the sa'
when necessity demanded. They a
+ Tcd in this city in detached part