Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-31
THE OLD NORTHAMPTON
COMMUNITY.

The recent article regarding the old
Hopedale community, in the notice of
Rev Wen. S. Heywood's books, has sug-
gested the propriety of similar reminis-
cences regarding the old Northampton
community, of which it was cotempora-
ry, though little older. The official name
Of this was Northampton Association
Of Education and Industry" organized
in 1912, three years later than the one
at Hopedale, and it did not continue so
long or accomplish so much, being
merged after several years of struggle
In the silk company, since carried on
at Florence, a suburb of Northampton,
under the name of the Florence SiIN
Company. The first president was Joseph
Conant, and secretary, Prof. VIM. Adam
Of Harvard University. The property
purchased by the association in the ear
ly spring of 1S42 had previously been
known as the Northampton silk fac
tory estate, and consists of about 420
acres of land, dwelling houses, a large
4-story brick factory, 120 by 10 feet, with
water wheel, gear and shafting, on a de-
sirable stream Of water called Mill river,
a saw and grist mill, and other build
ings. The whole valued at about $50, 900
when purchased. The writer Of this no
tice, in a visit to this community in Sep
tember, 1843, the next year after its
opening, mentioned the facts that they
then numbered 1S0 persons OF both sexes
who subscribed to certain articles of
agreement by which all property except
that of personal nature was owned
In common, each person receiving an
equal amount Of pay for labor, or ac-
cording to what was done, to the exclu.
sion of every means or artifice by which
any should receive any more than their
just share for labor, according to what
was actually done. The special objects
urged in the constitution or articles OF
agreement were the progressive culture
and high development Of all the powers
and faculties of our nature the union
Of spiritual, intellectual and practical
entertainments, the equality of rights
and ranks for alle except that these sta
tions and pursuits should be regarded as
most honorable which promote self-con-
quest and the most expansive philanthro-
py, and the practical recognition Of the
responsibility of every Individual to
God alone in all his pursuits. These de-
signs of God, they said, demand the CO.
operation Of man as an essential condi.
ton, but they claimed that existing in
stitutions and business did not afford il
inasmuch as they failed to provide for
the full development of the faculties of
any class or individual; that they
acquired invidious destinations, ae-
signing the highest rank for other rea-
sons than moral worth; that they estab-
llsh separate and conflicting action 70,
various kinds and degrees of culture,
skill and labor; that they forbid such
freedom Of thinking and action as is re-
quired by personal accountability, sever
ing intellectual culture from action in
such manner as to make it barren and
even subsersive of moral principle
and that they separate labor from spec
ulative pursuit so as to make 1t drudg-
cry, thus causing the degradation of
necessary means of education, health
and happiness
The expression of these broad prin-
ciples of action show that those organ
izing this community were endowned
with comprehensive intellects, and that
their failure to make the movement a
practical success financially, was owing
to the fact that they were ahead of the
times in their general theories of action,
as were also others in other places VINO
have before now undertaken to make
any part of the sublunary world a par
adise or kingdom of God on earth, so
long as the rest of the world persists
in being a unit against them. They
made as high an aim on the score OF
humanity or human rights as their CO.
temporaries at Hopedale, but did not
make so strong a religious point of their
efforts.
The writer of this would like in this
connection to refer to a visit made to
this community Sept. 1918, 1S43, In illus
tration Of some of the peculiarities Of
life there. Sept, IS being Sunday, ac-
cording to the custom there, a meeting
was held under huge spreading pine
tree where representatives OF different
nationalities of which the community