The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-11
A VISIT TO ALTRURIA
HOPEFUL AND HAPPY SOULS TO
WHOM OTHERS ARE ANARCHISTS.
Bethany and Other Similar and Dis
similar Notions to Have n Fair
Trial ON the Pacific Slope.
Fan Francisco examiner.

at u:45 on the same day i was IN the land
OF the impossible. There is 40 money in
that land, and no competition There Is
neither wealth there nor poverty, and every
man takes his brothers hand and says:
1--WE will not work against each other, but
for each other" There is no such thing
as a servant, and you can't get in debt IL
you try. A woman is recompensed for
mending her chiidren's clothes just as a
man is recompensed for making shoes. and
q mans wife gets the same reward for
cooking his dinners that he gets for digging
the potatoes that she cooks.
There are a lot of strange ideas. strange
customs. and strange promises in Altruria,
and the strangest part OF the whole thing
is that IT'S a real place, as real as Peta-
luna or Santa Rosa, and almost as easy to
reach. I went up there the other day, and
the way / went was this: I drove straight
out from Santa Rosa through the fields Of
ripened hops and through the vineyards.
and finally into the redwoods. The sun
was hidden I'm a gray cloud, and the white
road stretched out between the browning
fields as IL 1t were a vain woman and went
yelled. but 1t took us at last to the edge
OF the cool forest, and there 1 found Al
truria. A very new, fresh, crude Altruria,
but still Altruria.
There" said the moon-faced boy who
drove, "there's your mill. These folks you
want is campin' som'ers round here. L
guess"
The mill has not been used for some time,
and the great wheel is colored a tender
grayish green with young lichens. We
heard voices inside the mill room and We
went in. A tall, strong man with a heavy
gray beard was climbing a narrow stair
way carrying something on his back. Put
1t in the corner Of the room," said a wom-
ans voice from the top of the ladder. A
man stepped out Of the shadow as We en-
tered.
1--WE are looking for the Altrurians." 1
said.
"Wen," said the man who stepped out Of
the shadow, you've found 'em; I'm one
OF them"
Where is your settlement I began.
The man laughed.
There isn't any here yet" he said, 'but
there will be tomorrow. We're just NOV
ing in The women folks are all at the
house. RI a k you down there If you
I did say so, and we started off down a
way that was half road and half path.
The man trudged along with a sturdy tread.
He was good to look at. in his way. he
was strong and in the prime OF his man
AlOOus lnOu6h ALO lilCh LdAl was lOuSlCQ
with white here and there. His shrewd,
courageous blue eyes were bright and kind
ly. and they made me think somehow. of
the eyes of a very happy, very young per-
son, who is expecting something pleasant
to happen every minute. He didn't quite
attempt to disguise his feeling. although he
was perfectly civil. There's nothing to
see" he said: looking first at the artist.
and we move just like 'em. We havn't any
religious creed in particular, and no pecul-
lar dress. We're everyday fellows, tired of
/ was a little surprised at the word an
archy. and 1 suppose 1 looked surprised,
for his keen blue eyes twinkled and he
oh, yes; | call you an Anarchist You
don't know it, but that's what you are. 1
a~days-every one fighting for himself and
believing that that's the only right and
proper way TO live. Well. we got tired of
living that way, and we've come off here
in the valley to see how we can manage
by trying 10 help each other. We're going
to run things on what we think is a per-
fectly fair and square business basis. I'm
going to help my ~neighbor, and I'm going
to expect my neghbor TO help me-"
The artist raised his eyebrows at me
lock.
Sounds f~oolsh-thinkg' he said. good
know. and you anarchists can't quite
understand US at first. You'll come to it
We came suddenly in sight of a little
clearing. A long. low house stood in a
beautiful little valley at the foot of the
sloping hills
MOVING IN.
1t was moving day at the long. low house.
There was no doubt of that. The porch
was covered with boxes and barrels and
bundles. There was a big wheelbarrow full
of dishes standing near the steps, and
stoves and beds and chairs were heaped in
quite a little mountain around the door. a
wagon stood at the end of the house, and
two or three men were unloading it. A
man toiled up a little rise of ground with
a pail OF water in each hand. A couple of
half-grown boys were pretending to help
unload, and two little girls were tying on
there were any fish there. \ babv crawled
in and out of the door, and inside of the
house there was a great hustle and moving
OF furniture and clothing and dishes.
Smells like dinner said the man who
came out of the shadow. Two men were
chopping wood near the kitchen door. A
just as We approached. Look out for
these chips. Dot cried one of the men who
up the child. Dear me-" She cried, Ssvfns
ii something that was half a shake anG hall
a hug. You can think of more ways &c
get hurt" Ugh, ugh" said the baby, i'm
itating her father and striking her mothers
knee as if she, too, were chopping.
us. there's some company." The woman
put the baby down and tried to look de
lighted, but she was as dismayed as an
everyday ~hoqsekeePer. Were all clut.
tered up" she said. You'll have to ex.
cuse US"
1 sat down on the clothes basket, and the
artist went out and sat in a swing which
dangied from the big oak trees in front OF
the house.
I'VE came yesterday" said the woman,
"and were only just getting settled. There
are seventeen of US here now-Seyenten
grown folks. 1 man. There are nine chill
dren. Wee only the advance guard, you
know. We're going TO get things started
and the rest will gradually come. We mar.
ried folks are all living in the house now, a
room apiece for each family, and the single
men are camping out up in the mill, bui
two up the valley that We can use in d
day or two, but in a little while We'll have
our own houses. Each family can plan its
own..
IT know how mines going to look already
I've planned my kitchen TO a dot Any one
that don't want TO keep house can live in
the hotel. We're going to build a hotel vi
there on the slope. There's a hot sprins
there. you know. and some of our member
who don't live in the colony can come here
instead of going to a summer resort. We're
going TO take this house away and turn al
this land here into gardens. There's lot:
OF water everywhere, you see. On, Wei
show people how to be comfortable in q
The little woman looked out over the
peaceful valley. and she saw a thriving
busy. bustling village there as plainly as
saw the oaks and the redwoods in the fores
beyond.
a store. and we're going to have a frui
cannery, and"
"You won't begin to build these things
very. soon. though, l SUPPOSE 1 said. com
"Oh. yes" said the woman. cheerfully