The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-02
NOTED COMMUNITIES.
Valuable Facts Regarding
Colonies Founded.

creased their mem bership or their vogue
! Within the space of several years half "a
| dozen have gone TO the wall, the most
famous Of them the Icarian Community,
| OF Iowa. which traces back TO the doc
trines OF the French Revolution. falling
! into the hands OF receiver some two
years ago. In general, 10 NAV be said
that colonies based on socialism have
failed and that the successes achieved
have been where a religious creed sup
piled the principle of separation from the
world.
The tendencies which operated to form
tho communities ana to sustain them are
not dissiinilar TO those which crowded
with devotess the monasterles Of the
middle ages. or these GibDon has declar-
ed they were filled by crowd of obscure
and abject plebeians, who gained in the
coister much more than they had sacri
iiced in the world. Peasants, slaves and
mechanics might escape from poverty and
contempt 90 a safe and honorable profes.
sio { The pusillanious youth preferred
the penace of monsstic To the dangers
of n military life. Whole legions were
buried in these religious sanctuaries.
ILL.ASSORTED RECRUITS.
Gibbon is not friendly critic. but
Gtceley, 70 the same purposs, has described
the recruits of most of the com
munities of his time: 'Ihe conceited,
tile crotchty, the selfish. the headstrong,
the pugnaeious. the plsyed-out. the idle,
and tie good for nothing who. discover
ing themselves utterly out OF place and
at discount in the world. ms il is. rashly
conclude that they are exactly lifted for
tho world as it ought TO be-" II this
Characterization seems strong il must
be remem bered that it comes from a dis.
appointed idealist who beheld thirty -four
phalanxes foundoi in the West in the
early iorties TO carry out the corImunis,ic
doctrines of his master, Fourier. and
three years later saw them all dead but
three.
The career Of Brook Farm. with its
goodly fellowship OF poets and transcend
entalists, may he excepted from any
account that is taken of the general
characteristics Of American communities.
Ii was the only colony founded in that
period which came to n natural and
peaceful ending. aud, while never
financial success. society. that gatherei
into the Hive and Aerie such spirits as
the Rev. Dr. Charming, Margaret Fuller,
Theodore Parker and Ralph Waldo Emer-
son will rather be called hand of the
elect than company of ignorant peas
ants or purbiind ascetioS. But q conteIu-
plation Of the sister communities spread
before the nina n range Of narrow want
and grCtosque faiths. with not tho thin
most CLINT of idealisn to illuminate them.
When thess existed they have been cities
of refuge, where those to whom the rat
ties of life were too severe, or the com
panions of the world too urgonial found
haven To the active and aspiring spirit.
the optional labcrs and assured food Of
an almshouse might he little more un-
welcome than tho dull horizon of a
Shaker society.
Indeed there is a sameness to all these
enterprises that is impeachment Of the
originality of tho unshackled minu.
From that day OF the eerly colonial
system nearly two centuries ago when
Conrad Beigcll led his German compat.
riots so Ephrata, Pennsylvania ana that
day OF the early republic n century later
when a second band Of German relgionits
took up their habitation near Pittsburg
and strated the sect Of Rappists ut Econ.
my. the separatist life of tho various com.
munits has bUrne no obviously rich
spiritual fruits, although IL has seine
times been accompanied 10y n consi ierablo
material prosperity. The lines Of devel-
opment laid down in those little retreats
from the world have been siugularly sim
liar Beginning with n small grant Of land
the rleid practice of thrift has increased
it, ana the conversion of well-to-do fT-
Ters of the country side has brought
scceslons % property like those which
!, ade the church Of mediaeyal Europe q