Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-03-05
HapgOOd and Cooperation.

sibly it may have been q year carrier
that the Progress cooperative
Brotherhood was established in Bon
Homme county, Dakota. 1t was com
posed Of something like a hundred
persons from different parts of the
East, all of whom had been readers
of a weekly paper published in Bos-
ton, called The March of Progress, a
mildly socialistic sheet which pro-
claimed the general equality OF man,
and advocated a community Of land
chattels as the remedy for all social
evils. 1t frequently remarked in
large type, 'Down with roober rich!''
and often brought forward as corol-
larry to this, Cup with the PROSTATE
poor!" and usually rounded off the
editorial, and left the subject in a
shipshape condition by observing,
Now is the time to subscribe"
It was before Mr.. Belamy had
Looked Backward, but the March of
Progress seems to have had many Of
his notions concerning social evils
and the remedies therefor.
Bon Homme county is on the Mis-
souri, river, a little way up from the
town of Yankton. At this time the
country was new, there being no
railroad near, nor were there any
other settlers in the vicinity. The
absence Of the former rather pleased
the Brotherhood people, however as
railroads were looked upon in the
light of long iron tentacles reaching
out from hideous great devil-fish in
New York named Wall street. So the
Brotherhood came up the Missouri
river from Sioux City on steamboat
which had no tentacles, being more
IN the nature of an Independent
shark
Affairs went ON smoothly for some
time. All property was, of course,
held in common, and each night ev-
cry man received one days work
certificate. Everything was reckoned
by days work certificates, money
only coming into evidence when deal
ing without barbariaus who had not
yet seen the New Light. Days work
certificates were, however, redeema-
BILE at the rate of 81 a piece from any
money which might be in the treasury,
and it was confidently hoped that
there might be plenty of this in the
course of time. Some members OF
felt hurt when they dis
covered that the editor Of The March
or Progress insisted on having for
the cash of the robber
rich as used in Wall street instead Of
days work certificates, but the mat
ter was hushed up.
One day in July stranger appeared
and after looking about little went
into the Brotherhood store and be-
gan to make some inquiries concern
ing the organization. He said that
his ear had caught the Tramp of Pro-
gress, and that he was anxious to get
intO step. He was tall and power
fully built man with remarkably broad
long arms, and big bony
hands. His clothes were shabby, but
it was plain that he was not a vagrant.
After having the aim and aids and
methods Of the Brotherhood explained
to him, he expressed his desire to join
it, and get away from a grasping
world where some men were paid
higher wages than others. One Of
the committee on admissions told
him that he would have to procure
some references as to his character.
This seemed to hurt him, and he re-
piled in effect, was he not a man and
brother? To this the committee an
5wered that he appeared to be, but
that there were men and brothers
that they didn't want IN their com
munity.
Chow do we know that you may
rot belong to the capitalistic press?n
asked the committee.
''Do look it?" inquired the strang-
Err, as he gazed along down the jungle
of rags which enclosed his frame.
"You may be one of it's hirelings,"
returned the committee.
The upshot Of it was that the man
eft his baggage, consisting of shirt
and one stocking tied up in a ban
1anna handkerchief, and walked
away across the prairie after the re-
guired references.
In about week he returned with
etters from the governor of Iowa,