Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-08-25
B b SOLVED.
A Socialist Community That DweIls
in Harmony.
Success of an Interesting Colony In
Central Tennessee-Each MEN,
Der Receives the same
Wages, Sick OF Well.

About so miles due west of Nashville,
where the mountains which make the
eastern part of Tennessee SO wild have
not yet subsidized into the wide, fertile
valley of the Mississippi, put where the
land is still varied by hills and fertile
valleys, and cut by many streams, lies
the forlorn little town of Tennessee
City. 1t is legally a city, having been
properly incorporated while under the
influence of a boom which was assidu-
ously blown up by a Chicago syndicate,
but which has now completely fiattened
out.
Five miles due north from this
pompously named a~bsurdity lies Rus
kin, a thriving community of some 200
souls.
OF these two places it is the village
that is the prosperous community.
Ruskin is successful socialistic colony,
and probably the most interesting on
the continent. Its people are persons
of high ideals, who seek to carry out in
actual life the dreams of their philos-
ophy. They could be more prosperous.
They arc happy and -.ntontaa-
Every member of this association
Shall SuTTCuocT HIS HdtuIdl liCSuOiu
which leads him to disregard the rights
of others, for the sake of civil or social
freedom which, being based upon the
principles of right and justice. has re-
gard for his rights and the rights of adj"
That is the corne stone of the COM
munity. Each member is an equal
stakeholder in the association. and all
share exactly alike. Every member is
guaranteed employment by all. Aday's
labor is fixed at nine hours. Every
member receives exactly the same
compensation for his work, no matter
what it is; if sick, his pay goes on just
tie same.
There is no interference with indi-
yidual tastes or private, religious or do
nestle affairs. The association owns all
land and NEAR of production and dis
tribution, and owns all buildings, but
each member owns his own household
furniture and clothing. Members nave
seperate houses, but there is a common
kitchen and dining hall. Some of the
best laundry machinery has been put
in, and will oon be put into operation.
Schooling, medicine and medical at
tendance are furnished free, and there
is a good school and kindergarten going,
with 25 or 80 children.
The people in this little ideal world
are nearly all Americans. There are a
few Germans. They come from all over
the union, but there are few if any from
the south. Ohio and Pennsylvania fur
nish the largest quota. Very few come
from farms and those who do have lived
~ lo,.x Co. Sea, =. o:xz - xL.x
it can be said to be wholly a city com
munity.
There is no church or minister in the
place n no official religious services.
If anyone wished to start religious serv-
C there would be no objection, but I
doubt if it would be possible to getthem
officially recognized by the association.
Some of the members are pronounced
free thinkers. Almost all of them are
bitter against church organizations as
not doing their duty, but all of them ad-
mire Jesus Christ and many are deeply
religious. The animating spirit of the
colony is distinctively a~ltruistic.
Imagine a community without police
or sheriffs. Such a place is Ruskin.
There are no officials saw that onemem-
Der is a notary public and another post
master. There is no immortality, no
thieving, no drunkenness. They do not
keep or sell liquors.
The principal business of the COM
munity is the publishing of a ~socialistic
weekly paper. This paper accepts no
advertisements and prints no news, but
il has an outside circulation of IS, 900
copies, and on one occasion sold an edi-
ton of 100000. They also publish a te-
legraphers' journal that has a consider
able circulation, and issue yearly a
number of books, chiefly on socialistic
topics. The authors and editors are all
members of the community. and receive
for their literary labor precisely the
same wages as woodchoppers and farm
ers and stablemen.
There are four known caves on their
lands. and probably more. as this is the
cave region. The one in the bluff back
of the mill has a very imposing entrance.
II is As feet high, 60 feet wide and ex-
tends back 200 feet or more. At one
side of il a spring. or. rather. subterra-
mean stream. comes out Of the rock at
| the rate of 20 gallons n minute.
Half a mile down the valley In the
s~talactite cave. This. as far rs has been
explored, has no hall as large as the
one in the other. but IL has n number of
winding passages, widening out into
spacious apartments. and these are
lined and festooned and punctuated
with ~stalactites and stelagmites of all
' shapes and forms and some very beau.
fiful crvufalIine fnrmnfiop. utcyao Ens