The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-28
BEGUN BY ETIENNE CADET.
Carried on For Halt a Century, but Destroyed
by lndIMduaIsm.
1T ATTRACTED GREAT ATTENTION.
lis Settlement Visited by Thousands Of Students OF
Sociology Affairs Have al Las Been Wound
Up BY a Receiver.

Corning, Ia, Dec. 2S.--The most long
lived and undoubtedly the most nearly
successful OF all the experiments ever
made in the western hemisphere with
pure communism came TO an end when
Judge III. NJ. Towner, i'm the District
Court, entered an order discharging the
receiver Of the New Icarian community
and formally declaring the community
and all its affairs ended.
Etienne CADET, a scholar historian,
sociologist and philanthropist. who two
generations ago was stirring all France
with his socialstic and communistic
writings, and who contributed much
toward !nciting the revolution of 1S4S,
of which he was afterward the histo-
rian; Etienne CADET, contemporary and
co-worker of Proudhon in behalf OF the
poor and oppressed OF France-agitator,
essayist. historian, scientist and, final
ly, exile from his native country
was founder of the community, which.
after an existence Of almost half
century, came To an end last week. In
it's palmy days. 20 years ago, American
students of sociology used 10 come
many hundreds of miles TO study the
workings of what was said To be the
most successful communistic communi-
ty in the world.
CADET tried to found his first experi-
mental colony in France. but the gov
ernment OF Louis Philippe was bitterly
opposed TO such experiments. and its
opposition forced the Icarians. as the
adherents of the new communistic doc
trines We're called. To come TO the New
World. The movement had become al
most national one in France. CADETS
"Icaria' and Proudhon's Bank of the
People had set all France by the ears.
and the established order OF things was
in serioss danger of being overturned.
Driven from their own country for their
first experiment in communism, the
IcarianS went first to Texas, where
they were offered an area as large as
a good sized French department for
their experiment. Their emissaries.
after looking over the country, decided
against 1T and went to New Orleans.
Here they were Joined by others. and
at last when the Mormons left their
seat at Nauvoo, Ill., the Icarians, who
had brought considerable money,
bought the old Mormon holdings i'm Illi-
nois and secured from the legislature
of Illinois charter granting them GER
tain special privileges and immunities.
About 2000 French enthusiasts joined
them here. CADET at their head He
was practically dictator to the COM
munity. For years no question was
raised as TO his absolute authority in
all things relating to the conduct of
the community. and so long as he was
left in charge all went well. The com
munity grew and prospered, and there
were peace and plenty.
The new community grew fast and
prospered: after the division Of the
cit
rapidly But the troubles of the Maui
WOO society involved the Iowa branch.
A mortgage was given on the 1000 acres
i'm Adams county TO William Shepherd
of ST. Louis. In time il was foreclosed.
Shepherd was friendly to the colony.
and suffered IL TO occupy his land. In
1859 an arrangement was made whereby
the community bought back 20o0 acres
from him. Before doing this, there had
been strong movement I'm favor of re-
moval TO California. The wise old men
viewed with despair the advance OF
American civilization with it's distract
ing indiVidualistic notions. and foresaw
that the experience of the Nauvoo
would be repeated. They wanted TO re-
move TO the heart of the unknown west,
as the Mormons had done. But already
the younger element was in control. BY
n majority of one vote i'm the great
council of the colony the proposition to
remove to California was rejected. The
community enjoyed several years OF
comparative prosperity and growth
after this decision. The people were
devoted to agriculture. They intro
duced the French methods OF grape
culture. and the wonderful success i'm
grape growing in southwest Iowa to
this day Is traced in large part TO their
influence They lived in true oommu-
nistic style; like the Spartans of old.
they dned from common table; the
community was charged to large ex-
tent with the proper raising and educa-
tion Of the children. All property was
owned by the community and parti-
toned i'm accordance with the require
ments of the individual. the community
always reserving a store for the COM
mon safety.
In 1856 there was another division;
the lands were divided and the COM
munity partitioned off. After this there
WAS the old Icarian community and the
New Icarian community. The members
of the new community had desired to
admit all VINO might apply To the adj
vantages of membership in the COM
munity. Failing To- carry their point
they brought ain action at law TO set
aside and invalidatc the charter OF the
settlement. In this they succeeded. and
then came the division.