Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-04
TaE rews OF PullnAS.

IL seems. says the New YORK sun,
that even in the city Of PuHr4An the
workmen are threatening 8 strike
against proposed reduction Of their
pay, and complaining that the cost of
living in the ideal community is 80
great that they can now barely make
both ends meet
Pullman is the town established ny
George NJ Pullman for the purpose
of providing model homes for those
employed in the works of the Car
manufacturing company of which
be is President. and TO carry out de
tlEite theories of bis as to how work
ing people ought TO live. He bought
four thousand acres of low prairie
land, ten miles from Chicago, at an
average price of about $500 an acre,
and began, in 1881, to build the city Of
Pullman, which contained. one year
later, more than 200 inhabitants,
and now has population of 500 or
more. As business speculation the
enterprise must have been very sue
cessful. but IS social experiment il
has not worked so well.
Mr. Pullman started out TO make q
town OF perfect beauty snd order,
and accordingly he or his company
put up all the houses, with q single
architect to direct, laid out all the
streets, and provided whatever seem
ed necessary for the comfort of the
Inhabitants. There are pretty separ-
ate cottages for families, tasteful
apartment buildings, a thester, su
arcade, common stable, a school,
church aud parsonage, q market, gas
and water, public squares. macadsm-
lied streets, q hotel containing the
only barroon allowed, fire depart
ment-in fact. everything people
ought to want, in Mr.. Pullman's
opinion.
The streets are kept as clean as
newly secured pan, and shade trees
have been planted on either side of
them. Not broken window is to
be seen in all Pullman (; nothing looks
dilapidated. and even the humblest
suites of rooms in the fiat houses are
provided with gas and water, and the
cottages contain the latest of modern
improvements. The streets are kept
srrinkled so that no dust may disturb
the fortunate inhabitants the lawns
are always well trimmed Only the
| most unexceptional plays are allowed
in the theater, and among the 1000
volumes Mr.. Pullman has given to
the library there are none which peo-
pie ought not TO read. So universal
is the propriety that new coming
workmsn who continue in Pullman
their old habit of sitting at evening
| on their piszLss or doOrsteps in their
shirt sleeves are soon shamed into
giving up the practice, and nobody
dares to keep other than beautiful.
ly clean and orderly house.
But, of course. this perfection of
order and prosperity could not be
maintained if the people were left to
themselves to live as they pleased.
Accordingly, the Pullman Company
owns everything and directs every
thing for them. They cannot own
their own houses, for they might
alter them in accordance with O
taste which did not agree with MIR
Pullman's. They must not have
charge of the municipal Govern
ment, because they would be sure
to run it contrary to Mr.. Pullmsn's
| notions. IL they want a church of
particular persuasion. they cannot
build it, but must hire hall of Mr.
Pullman, and, unfortunately, the
rent charged for the one church pro-
vided by him is so large that no de-
nomination can afford to take il,
while the halls in which religious
services are conducted on Sunday
afford accommodations for only one
eighth of the population. OF course
there is no newspaper in such u
town, for there is no freedom of
opinion-no public opinion at all.
Mr.. Pullman himself furnishes the
only opinions that can have free ex-
preston, and the Inhabitants must
be on their guard, for all the leases
are so drawn that an Objectionable
tenant can be turned out on ten days
notice without any assigned reason.
Yet the people of Pullman are not
happy, and grumble at their situation
even more than the inhabitants of
towns not model are accustomed to
do. They say that all this perfection
of order costs them too much mon
ey, and imposes upon them an in
tolerable constraint.
They want to sit in their shirt
sleeves when they are so minded.
and even praise Of the neatness and
propriety of their homes does not
compensate them for the loss of OPP
portunity to be dirty il they please
They might manage 1t badly in Mr..
Pullman's opinion. but, all the same
they want to run the municipal gov.
eminent themselves, according to the
ordinary American fashion. They
secretly rebel because the Pullman
Company continues its watch an (.
authority over them even after work
hours. They declare that they are
bound hand and foot by a philan.
thropic monopoly.
At any rate. they demand that
they shall be well paid for submit
ting to Mr. Pullman's plan for max
ing them comfortable and happy,
instead Of getting happiness in their
own way. His theory OF a model
community Is first rate. except that
1t takes no account Of human nature.
IL people did not want to regulate
their own lives and form their own
apinions the city of Pullman might
be completely successful. both as q