The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-07

Tennessee City. Tenn. Aug. THE
property of the RuslSin Cooperative
colony has been sold at auction by
receiver. This marks the breaking up
of the most famous socialistic experi7
merit made in America since Brook
Farm days. Hundreds of people at
tended the sale. which was held In the
big Cave" at one time used by the
settlement as a cannery and store
house.
Four tracts of land, containing a to-
tai of 7s4 acres. were first sold 10 RAN
som Leech for sll, 900. Another tract OF
1000 acres, mostly worthless land, went
TO George Wright for $l450, making lhe
whole amount received Tor lahu anu
about thirty houses thereon $l2, 400. Ihe
land originally cost $l650O and the
houses cost several thousands more.
The minority stockholders, who had
the property placed i'm charge of re-
ceiver. were the purchasers. Horses,
mules. fine hogs. etc. went for a song,
mostly 10 Iieighboring farmers.
IL is said that the purchasers Will re-
organize the colony on a somewhat diff
ferent basis. Fifty-five majority stock
holders already have an agent out
looking for a new location. They may
20 TO Virginia.
Most of the women wept bitterly at
the passing OF the socsanstic Utopia, I'm
which they had lived and worked for
six years. To many IL meant the be-
ginning OF life all over again. with lit
tie money and in the face OF the stern
competition which they had tried so
usehessly 10 escape. The men were more
stoical, but they. too, spoke regretfully
of a return To 1.-THE miseries of a COM
petitive civilization" Both the min
ority and the majority parties have
hopes of founding other cooperative
colonies upon a slightly different basis.
When Ruskin colony was organized.
however, six years ago, il was declared
that II failure ensued socialism could
never succeed upon other than a ma
tional scale. Gradually dssensions
crept I'm. One party accused the other
OF trying to run things" Some of the
settlers grew discouraged and left.
Finally the property was put in
charge of a receiver. Individually Rus
kin colonists stand about where they
did six years ago except that obey are
older and some of them good deal
wiser.
Ruskin Cooperative association set
tied the Yellow Greek valley fifty miles
northwest of Nashville about six years
ago. 1t was founded for the purpose Of
cialisn az advocated by Fourier and
Beliamy.
Nobody paid any rent. Every resi-
dent OF the community. regardless Of
the character OF his or her work, re-
ceived equal compensation. As to wo-
men, their 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
housewife drew a salary.
In Its palmy days the colony num-
bered about $50 people. including men.
women, and children. They were
chiefly from the Northern and Middle
states. In order to become a member
an applicant paid $500 for share of |
stock, and answered satisfactorily a |
long list OF carefully prepared ques- |
tions. Ruskin proper was composed Of \
about seventy small whtewashed |
wooden houses. most Of which were |
grouped about the large three-story /
printery. There were also the sawmill |
grist mill, steam laundry. machine |
shop, bakery, photograph gallery, |
store. coffee house. school, hen houses,
tin shop, pggery and stable. The
largest residence was the Bachelors
home" inhabited by thirteen men. Two
great caves formed a picturesque nat
ural feature of the place. The smaller |
OF these was hung with beautiful stall |
actites. The larger was used as a cam |
ming factory and storehouse. Its tenn |
varied but degrees the. year |
round. A spring 80 feet square and 80 !
feet deep gushed from the rock about IS !
yards inside the entrance of the cave. |
Conducted in pipes the water was led
TO the center of the village and sup
piled all the houses. Colonsts at Rus
kin often boasted that they lived on
nothing a year" Wages were count
ed in hours and not in money Every
body worked and no charge was made
for board, lodging land rent, medical
attendance or entertainment. A small
sum called maintenance was paid out
every week to each worker. This
maintenance" amounted TO about 81 in
times and could be expend-
en in any way the colonist saw fit. Oc-
vixen emergencies arose ehe
settlement voted 10 dispense with the
weekly stipend until the common debt
was paid.
Al $50 o'clock every morning a steam
whistle woke up the colony: at 6 o'clock
II summoned them TO breakfast. and M
Z O'Clock all hands went TO work Work
stopped at O'Clock i'm the evening. All
dined together In big hall above the
p~ntery. Men. women and Children |
were free TO choose the work they liked |
best; that Is. In the theory. In fact tho
LnevIy vi everything was shipshape in
ituskin. human nature. however. re-
belled at last MT theories mad ~,
number Of people 10 suit themssi,,os
and other people. The unit svstcr,
was adopted throughout the COLONY IN
lieu OF a currency system. For av-
ample, days work was tho uni, 80
value and was represented by a slin ~
printed paper. IL Ruskn farmer