, 1896-03-14
ANOTHER ARCADIA FAILS.
The Altrurians of California Give Up
at the End of a Year.

The AltrurfanS, who located at Mark
West, a few miles from Santa Rosa, a
few months ago, have decided to aban-
don their colony. The struggle to
maintain the colony on the lane Sc
lected proved too much for them, and
they have c%apitulated to that fate
which sooner or later seems to triumph
over such socialistic movements. At a
recent meeting resolutions were
adopted stating that, owing to the lack
of and disappointment in
their expectations. the association
would disband as a colony. The asso-
citation, however, will be maintained
for such other work as it finds feasible
under its articles of incorporation.
Many improvements have been made
on their Mark West place since they
took possession. A big hotel has been
put up. a number of small cottages
have been built, and a good deal of
money and hard labor have been ex-
pended by the colonists.
Many of the Alturians left the place
some time ago. Some of them went to
Cloverdale last summer. There were
~dissensions. and things did not run as
smoothly as was desired. But the char
acter of the soil and the inexperience
of the members in farming were the
chief causes in the abandonment of the
colony. The members of the associa-
ton have made many friends since
they came here. They have shown
themselves to be good citizens, and
that their Bellamy principals could not
be successfully carried out is regretted
by everybody interested in the move,
ment.
The Altrurian movement was begun
in Berkely in 1894. The projectors of
the scheme were Allen V. Morse, the
Rev. Edward B. Payne, j. C. Aiken. C.
S. Preble and w. r. Batten. An Or
ganization was formed for the purpose
OF carrying into effect the principles of
cooperation as set forth by Edward
Bellamy in Looking Backward"
w. r. Batten. one of the promoters
of the community, describes the
scheme as follows:
The plan is to form what is known
as subordinate councils, and when
three OF these councils have been form
ed in a state, a grand council is to be
organized. The grand council will
manage the community. in which there
will be no private ownership of land.
The government will be literally the
people, by the people and for the peo-
pie. There will be an equal right of
suffrage. and no one will work for
more than 10 hours a day. The grand
council will grade the work at what it
may think best.
For instance: Two hours of hard
work may be rated to be equal to 10
hours of light work. If a member does
not obey the rules he will be regularly
charged and tried, and, il it he is con-
victed. he will be dismissed from the
community. No one will be allowed to
hire labor. and money will not be used.
Certificates will be given in exchange
FOR work, and these will be exchange,
able at the community store for what
he wants. gold will be given for the
certificates, and he may purchase it
outside. All other outside business
will be transacted by the community
itself. Money received from the out
side for goods sold will be used to pur-
chase machinery for manufacturing
purposes and stock for the store.
Everything will be supplied to con-
sumers at actual cost price,
Several hundred acres of land were
purchased in Sonoma county, six miles
northeast of Santa Rosa, as a location
for h community, and 500 Altrurians
moved at once to the colony. The tract
contained several hundred acres OF
rich garden land and a natural reser-
voir. which afforded sufficient water
power for all municipal and manufac-
turing purposes. A lumber tract, 10
miles southwest Of Santa Rosa, was
also purchased. 1t was heavily timber
ed, and had a large saw mill, with a ca
pacity Of 10000 feet a day.
For a year to the outside world all
appeared to run smoothly. Then ru-
mors began to reach Berkeley that the
colony was not a success. J. C. Aiken,
n of the stanchest spporters of the
enterprise at its birth, said that from
the very outset the colony had run into
debt. 1t was soon found that the pro,
ductive capacity of the colony was not
sufficient to support its members, and
the longer the colony continued the
deeper 1t got into debt. Then some Of
the colonists did not pay their dues, al
though these dues were depended upon
to carry the colony through the early
non-productive stages Of its existence.
This caused trouble. for Altrurists are
supposed to be equals In every way,
and there are supposed to be no spe-
cial privilege or immunities for any.
But the Sinking went on and the debts
accumulated.
Soothing, healing, cleansing, De
Wits Witch Hazel Salve is the
enemy to sores, wounds and piles,
which 1t never falls TO cure. Stops
itching and burning. Cures chapped
lips and cold-sores In two OF three