The Meeker herald., 1897-08-07
A COMMUNISTIC COLLEGE.
An Odd Educational Enterprise in
Northern Illinois.
The Workers Arc building Up Small
Clty.o Their Ovn-Labor q Nee
cssary Part of tic Ea-
crciscs.

They are making Il communistic cdu.
cational experiment near thc Little town
of St. Anne, H., some Go miles sOath Ct
Chicago, that has already attracted T.
good deal OF attention and is sule e to b,
talked Of the world over If anything
Ike success is accomplished. his e.,
pertinent is known rs The Peoples uai.
Nersity. st. Anne is far removed from
the railroad in Il region that is strictly
rural and the university owns an entire
section OF land, 60 acres.
Upon this tract stands not only the
university buildings, but also the homes,
for the time being. of all tho students
and teachers. The land is cultivated
comparatively by all, the proceeds arc
sold IT, the benefit of all, the property
Of the community is kept in 4 common
storchousc.
The community started with a capt
ial of &i,500, invested in tools, machinery
snd Ike stcch. T.ic schnol lins nsisest
iSr no gifts does not expect to @ccuit
any cndowmcnts, and will apEra,
neither to the charity nor the LcuCi.
ccncc of the public in any way. The
students and teachers who arr cn e..
ground arc working with lhe.r ow.
h.ncss az the construction O: The Guil.,
ngs, and are carrying on t!s ncricu,-
;urai wcrl; of the school. al of which
IS done without compensation.
Their labor is orn;ioys;! directly In
predicting the food, ciotking, fuel and
shelter necessary for thei9 own co,s-
Portable existence. VIXEN this LABOR
lime oil
unce of their time is devoted TO study.
The educational workers are build
ing up their own city. including housca,
school ard farm. The dwellings are
cottages, 1873 feet On the ground and 4
story ard half high, with Grst-class
cedar roofs.
They have built five miles of fences:
planted fruit trees and SEQ grape vines;
have set out an immense garden OF
about 10 acres, have fields containing
10000 sweet potato plants, Il acres o
Irish rotatoes, so acres of oats e50
acres of corn, 40 acres of sorghum, 90
acres Of niiilet and 20 acres of buck-
wheat, al. of which are in very fine con
dit;on.
1t is the unanimous verdict of the
large number of visitors that TO finer
crop nor better farming is 10 be found
anywhere than there.
The cottages are built in q sort of
semi-circle, following slight rise of
ground which is everywhere over
grown with bluegrass. 1t would be
difficult to find, or to produce, even
with considerable expenditure of
money, a more beautiful location for
the hcme than this little grove has fur
nishcd, ready made.
The form in which the buildings are
constructed is that of small village
but there is no subdivision of land and
no sale of lots. The school will hold, ir
its own name and for its own use, ali
land, houses, shops and implements OF
every kind. There is no way in which
any person can secure q speculative or
even legitimate business interest in
any of the work of this school. There
is no plan for admitting, for residence
in this village, anyone who does no:
come solely for an educational purpose.
The school simply provides an op-
portunity for study for those who are
willing, by their own toll, to take ad-
vantage of such opportunity; and the
only return offered for labor is mental
training. The man who does not want
to study has no reason for going there.
and will not be admitted, or il admit
ted by mistake, will not be permitted to
return. All who are not willing to Ia
Dor with their own hands at tasks
necessary to comfortable existence arc
also excluded.
In fact. this unique community COM
bines the elements Of socialism and
communism, and, it is to be hoped,
without any of their evils. The aim Of
the students Of the Peoples university
is TO sink intiividuallsm and accom-
plish the greatest good for all.
i Here is the order Of the day. work;