Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-08-20
A Warm Time in the New Town.

to which we will look back in the
future with the maximum of satisfac.
tion. 1t was an eventful day, for il
marked the burning of our big slash.
ing of between 80 and 20 acres, in
close proximity to the colony build.
lngs, and naturally it was with some
what OF misgiving and trepidation
that it was decided to apply the torch
and take our chances of either burn
ing the slashing alone and thus max
ing a good start on what, with the
area already cleared and partially
cleared, will comprise a field of about
10 acres of the Sound country's rich
est soil, or else turning far famed
Equality into burnt mass of ruins
and a mere recollection in the minds
of its regretful mourners. For be it
known that the heat arising from
such slashing as ours, together with
adjacent territory necessarily burnt
over, all told, over 100 acres, was suf-
ficient to change Equality into a
heap of ashes with as much ease as
Judge Shiras changed his mind on the
justice of the income tax.
Well, the preliminaries were ar
ranged by a fire committee appoint
ed for this special occasion, consist
ing of Bros. DAWSON Clevenger.
Lewis, Darr and Pelton, acting in
conjunction with Bro. Boyle, our SUI
perintendent of the department of
public safety, barrels of water were
hauled cato the town site, men were
posted on top of all the principal
buildings, the balance formed a cir
Gle around the slashing, the signal
was given, two score little putfs of
smoke shot up into the air, the die
was cast, and in a few minutes things
were as hot as the average adjourn
ment of an old party legislature. and
king fire, like most other people who
hear of the place, soon showed Il dis
position to visit Equality. but unlike
most other visitors met with deci-
dedly chilly reception, and although
he urged his case with a great deal
of warmth and fervor, still there was
so much cold water thrown on every
advance he made that after several
hours weary struggling he was fci ced
to retire from the field.
/. Never, in the history of socialism.
have the beauties and the practical
benefits of true cooperation shone
forth more brightly and clearly than
in this struggle to save our little town
from the grasp of the fire fiend. In
this work there was neither male nor
female, old nor young. sick nor we'll,
but we were all ONE in a fire depart
ment. Slender women and little
children We'd with each other in the
work of the bucket brigade. and in
carrying huge armfuls of brush from
dangerous spots around the towns
outskirts. y horse and a mule team.
the former hitched to a wagon. the
latter to sled, both hauling barrels
of water, both mingled in the process
sion and lent variety to the scene.
and this scene needed an artist to do
it Justice. Unfortunately one was
not at hand and the picture will have
to exist in our memories only.
Bad this onslaught been made on
the holdings of one or half dozen
individual pioneers everything they
possessed must have gone by the
board. As it is, Eguality.tes are
pretty tired after their desperate ey-
ertions, but happy in the conscious
ness of being victorious. and determ-
ined to go on overcoming other and
greater obstacles, for comrades. put
it in your pipe and smoke it that
Equality has come to stay.
No more colony fzzles I'm this. and
no more triumphant 81 told You sos
from the sueering jeeriug lips and
tongues of plutes and bicots.
Comrades, the fire insurance fund
to which You SO generously subscribed
for Euuality'- benefit i'm case of dis
a-ter from fire. viii not now have TO
be drawn upon. we are thankful to
say,unless something unforeseen hap
pens. At least we can safely say that
the greatest danger is past, but new
ertheless We sincerely thank you for
your kindness; we also realize that
the danger was truly imminent.
The fire was not. however. the only
visitor we had ON that day. Com
rades Bell, Foster and Morris ar
rived during the thickest of the fight
and decided at once that they had
met with a most warm reception. In
conclusion, the universal opinion of
Equality is that the men of the colo
ny did their whole duty, but that the
women dad great deal more than
theirs, and that thus the houurs of
the day rest principally with the fair
| sex.
The debt of the United States r. 4iv-