The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-16
LIBERTY FARM" rs NO MORE.
The Last vestige Of DR.. suyndham's Exper.
iment Near Patterson Wiped Out.


iment Near Patterson Wiped Out.
Liberty Farm" which was to revo-
lutionize the present economic system.
is 10 more. In the registers office at
Paterson, y. j., a deed Of ~ransfer
was recorded a few days ago. which
tells that certain lands and parcels OF
and in the vicinity of Campgaw, NJ. j..
have become the property of a New
York druggist. This prosaic official en-
try finishes the last chapter in the his
tory of a communistic settlement which
was started some 10 years ago for the
purpose OF demonstrating the feasibili-
ty and superiority of the communistic
mode of life.
DIR. William Suyndham, a young and
brilliantly endowed physician. left his
native Holland i'm the fall of 1887 full
of enthusiasm and absolutely confident
that. in spite OF all previous expert
ences TO the contrary, communism was
the n cure for the ills Of our economic
system. He vas searching for an OPP
portunity to launch a settlement which
would prove the correctness of this the
DRY. and he came to New York firmly
convinced that the United States offer
ed better opportunities than he could
expect i'm slow-going Holland. He had
disposed of all his possessions in his
fatherland. n had realized about u.s.
600. He was ready to devote this sum
for the nucleus of his enterprise.
When DR.. Suyndham began 10 look
around for people who would be de-
sirable allies i'm his work he found some
difficulties. He had left his country
on account Of the constant conflicts
in which his radical views involved
him with the authorities. and naturally
enough he was anxious TO find COM
rades among people dominated by ideas
similar to his own. In vain did he look
for them in the ranks Of the educated
or among those who were his equals
socially. He found sympathizers only
among some recent immigrants who
had fed from Germany and France on
account of the vigorous governmental
measures against anarchy and social
ism. He had some misgivings about
! the success Of his scheme when he saw
the material from which he had 10
I choose his co-workers. but he had set
his whole heart on his project and be-
lieved that he could overcome all diff
b culties. After all the necessary pre-
liminaries. he bought a farm about ~
miles west OF Paterson, n. j., and In
the spring of 1855 he. in company Of 1.
men and eight m started TO cul-
tivate IL.
The area OF the land IL 260 acres
One-half of IL Is fertile garden land
while the other half consists Of wood
and grass plots. The farm Is situated
on the New York. S-usquehanns a
Western railroad. and the settlers wer'
all pleased with their prospects. They
went 10 work Immediately and started
chicken farming and market gardening
They worked willingly and cheerfullN
and everything promised well. DIR
Suyndham proved himself to be thor
oughly familiar with the work. snC
hey passed a very successful year.
True. there was some friction. Quit
a number Of the settlers held peculiaI
opinions about the equality Of men an'
were chatting under the leadership o
Suyndham. who. by his abilities and su
perlor brain capacities. had come to b.
looked at as a sort of god. But TN
enthusiasm which filled all the worker
smOothed over the roughnesses. the
accommodated themselves 10 their sur
roundings. and. on the whole. they ha'
reason to be proud OF their achieve
ments. The farm. which had bee