Semi=weekly graphic., 1899-08-19
THE RUsKlN CO-OPERAT I'VE COLONIES PROPERTY IS
 SOLD AT AUCTION,
PROPERTY SOLD CHEAP.
History of the Experiment-Will Be Reorganized on Diff
 ferent Basis.

The Ruskin Cooperative Colony property was sold last week in big cave near Tennessee City, Tenn Four tracts of land, containing a to- tai of 7s4 acres, were first sold to Ransom Leech for $11, ,000. Another tract of thousand acres, mostly worthless land, went to George Wright for S1450. He also bought the house and lot for $15, making the whole amount received fvr land and about thirty houses thereon SIP, ,465, says the Boston Transcript. The land originally cost $l6,500, and the houses cost several thousands more. Growing crops go with the land. The minority stockholders, who had the property thr own into the hands of receiver, were the purchasers. Horses, mules, fine hogs, etc., went for a song, mostly to neighboring farmers.
 It is said that the purchasers will reorganize the colony on asomewhat different basis. Fifty-fve majority stockholders already have an agent out looking for new location. They may go to Virginia.
 Many of the women shed tears at the sale, and there is much feeling over the breaking up of the new Utopia. One of the chief causes of it's failure is said to have been the dissensions caused by faction that favored free love, contending that ir was sound soeialism.'
 The Ruskin Cooperative Associa- tion in Yellow Creek Valley, about fifty miles northwest of Nashville, Tenn, was founded for the purpose of working to a practical conclusion the theories of absolute Socialism the theories of F0urnier and Bellamy. The concern owned at first 1909 acres of excellent land and eondue ted a number of manufacturing and com merclal enterprises. 1t was said at the beginning of the colony's work that if, with everything in its favor, this enterprise failed, then it might be set down as demonstrated that Socialism by sections-independ of National Socialism-is a failure.
 With the excepuioG of the metals the Ruskin colonists had in abund- ance the raw material for the manu- fracture of almost everything neces q. " to the physical comfort of man. together with the skill, the industry and intelligence to put it. to use. In the community were men skilled in agriculture and horticulture, ma chinists, engineers, brick-workers, shoemakers, tanners, printers, book binders and authors.
 The town site is laid off in streets with two types of houses, large and small. The large ones were for men with large families, the smaller ones for the unmarried and families of two or three members
 Nobody paid any rent. Every res ident of the community, regardless of the character of his or her work, received equal mpensation-the men who edited the paper and wrote lectures and books getting no more than tha newer of wood and drawer of water. As to women, the theory was that a woman who attended to her domestic duties rendered as much service to society as the man who labored, and so every house. wife drew q salary. After breakfast at fixed hour each member of the colony went to his or her work un- der particular superintendent. At noon dinner was served. At2 D. m work was resumed and continued until D. m. Then the workers changed their work to holiday att tire and spent the rest of the day in social and literary recreation, busi- ness meetings, etc.
 The leaders of the society were sim cere and earnest in their undertak- ing. and for time many, even un- sympathetic, persons who studied the workings of the colony believed 1t would be q success.