The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-04
An Adamless Eden.


Dana has at last written his sober esti-
mate of the long-celebrated Brooks
farm experiment, in which he, with
most illustrious company. had part.
In last Sundays New York Sun, he
briefly replies to some critic of that
daring social venture by saying that its
failure was due, not to discord among
the eNperimenters, but through the I'M
expected loss sustained in the burning
of valuable portion of dts property,
the restoration of which was deemed
impossible. We are led to make note
of this by observing a news dispatch
from Oswego. n. Y, which credits that
veteran dress reformer, DIR. Mary
Walker, with contemplating another
experiment, in some respects reminis-
cent of the community of which DR..
Dana has written.
The dispatch in question announces
that Dr. Walker has purchased large
farm near Oswego, upon which she pro-
poses to establish what the facile corre-
spondent facetiously calls an adam
less Eden" The plans OF this unique
settlement are best told in the words of
Dr. Walker who said:
We will all live in II large, commodious
farm house, for which | am having plans
prepared. Every member will have her
own room. Portieres VIII take the place
of doors. Steam VIII be employed for
heating purposes, and there will be bath
rooms and every convenience to be found
in a well-regulated and modern house. /
shall give my personal supervision to the
establishment Members, however, VIII
elect officers twice "A year to conduct t..
There will be an auditing board to look
after all accounts, an improvement board
to look after improvements TO the prop
erty and a governing board. The rules OF
evidence, as governing our state judic' airy.
will apply. There Will be no imprison-
ments: all pun.shments VII consist of
withdrawal of privileges for n certain
length of time. If we should get into our
fold miserable women. who ti!rt or CAD
about with men when they go to market
or on other occasions. they Will. after
suitable warning, be expelled. All fe-
males of good character between the ages
of IL and 80 years are eligible for member
ship. | am certain that the farm can be
made to support fifty or seventy-fve per-
sons. Each member VIII have a share IN
the profits after the expenses for board
and clothing have been deducted The
I'll al p.
for betterments ard the purchase of adj
Joining lands If it Is deemed necessary
and the community grows as rapidly as
believe Il VII. There will be horses but
no side saddles. My girls will ride astr,da,
as do the men, and I predict that three
years of Ife in our institution VIII make
the members the peer of any man ply
s;cally or mentally. I VII not make rules
that defy all the laws of nature and exact
pledges binding for life. That Of dress
VIII he the only life pledge that viii be
asked.
The outcome of this novel venture
will be awaited with interest. That 1t
is possible to form harmonious COM
munities of women under pledges to
forego the customary association with
members of the opposite sex is proved
by the success of many religious sister,
hoods. These. however, are bound to-
gether by vows having their origin In
the paramount instinct in human ma
ture-the religious instinct Whether de-
votion to a somewhat visionary cause
like dress reform will suffice to induce
women to immure themselves in kind
of rural cloister for the period Of three
years, far from the sight of man. is a
fair subject for speculation. But even
if DIR. Walker should succeed in popu-
lating her manless retreat, what would
be the ultimate gain? Are we quite
ready to establish permanent divorce
between the sexes and thus bring civil
lization to a halt for lack Of men and
women to carry it forward?
The Brooks farm experiment was a
success subjectivey. 1t ripened the in
tellects, expanded the spirits and dis
ciplined the appetites of its projectors,
even though it did not revolutionize hui
man society Will DIR. Walkers Adam
less Eden have a similar effect? If
not, is it worth trying?
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