Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-06-08
FACTORIES IN THE CAVES
rENNESSEE'S SoclAllsTIc COLONY
MAKES NOVEL USE OF CAVERNS.

Remarkable Subterranean Vinegar and
Canning Works-Caves Utilized as
Storehouses For rCelery-Barbecues and
Dances Held in Cavern.
The unique socialistic and cooper
atiye colony of Ruskin, which has
been recently organized in the back
woods of middle Tennessee, about six
miles from Tennessee City, owns.
among other attractions, some great
natural wonders in the way of huge
caves which are not only exceedingly
curious and picturesque but useful as
well, as since their discovery a few
months ago they have been utilize d
by the colonists as a canning and
vinegar factory and storehouse for
canned fruits and their large celery
crop, the uniformly cool temperature
of the cave preserving the celery per-
fectly for months, and thus enabling
the Ruskinites to bring it forth IN the
spring fresh and delicious.
Imagine railroad depot with solid
rock arched roof and walls about 500
feet long by sixty feet wide, we'll
lighted, for the entrance is high and
wide enough for half dozen teams to
drive in abreast, and some slight con-
ception can be gained of the appear
ance of Ruskin's largest cave. In the
center is a little crystal lake, about
fifty feet in diameter, with water so
clear that you can see the stones
plainly on the bottom thirty-fve feet
below, for that is its depth.
This is the basin of a subterrauean
spring, from which the water flows in
comparatively large stream per-
petually, and which has been guided
down wooden hume by the colonists
to an overshot wheel, furnishing
power to a pump that forces the water
to the top Of the great limestone bluff
in which this cave is found, 200 feet
above. Here is a great Portland
cement cistern. holding 1900 barrels,
connected by pipes to the printery of
the colony, that would enable them to
flood the building in about three min
utes in case of fire.
There are various passages from the
main cave. One of them after going
about one-eighth Of mile opens into
another cave even larger than the first.
These caves have never been fully ex-
piored, but a tramway has been built
some distance toward the second cave,
and ample facilities have been found
for the storing of celery, gladiolas,
cape bulbs and other rare plants. The
atmosphere in these caves is remark
ably dry and pure.
A short distance away from the big
cave, which is used as factory and
storehouse, is another remarkably
beautiful natural wonder, known as
Stalactite Cave, because of the hun
dreds of wonderfully odd and curious
ly shaped crystal formations with
which it is adorned.
This cave is located in the face of q
high bluff, and the view to be OBJ
tanned from its entrance of the sur
rounding country is most attractive
and extended. On last Fourth of July
the colony gave barbecue and dance
at the big cave. Over 1000 Tennes-
seeans attended, and over 1000 were
Ill uLlO OlS cave dl OHG lliue.
The country people at first did not
take to the colonists, but as they
learned to know them better that
feeling passed away, and they are now
the best of friends. They bring their
produce there to sell and patronize
the Ruskin store and mills. They
found fair dealing and good articles at
uniformly low prices. One young
Tennesseean said recently: "We wish
there were more colonists, for they
have increased the value of our land
and pay the highest taxes in the
county"
No satisfactory explanation as to
the origin of the caves has yet been
given by the geologists of the neigh
borhood, and their age, although un-
certain, is recognized as being very
great. That they were known to the
Indians of prehistoric times is proved
by the discovery in them of many
unique stone arrow heads and other
crude implements of the chase.
Ruskin's remarkable caves are not
by any means the only objects of in
terest in connection with the settle
ment, as the colony itself is entirely
out of the ordinary 1t has been
founded on strict Bellamy principles
and named for the famous English
essayist, art critic and socialist. It's
principles are far more radical than
those followed by the trancendent-
alists in the celebrated Brook Farm
fifty years ago. This
proved a dismal financial failure.
Ruskin is four years old, discounts
its bills and is rated AL by Brad
streets.
The settlement lives as one great
,amily, although each member is fur
lished separate home. All take
heir meals free at the public dining
nall. School privileges, medicines,
medical attendance and laundry work |
ire furnished free by the association,
md in the case of rough outdoor
work, two suits of clothes and two
)airs of shoes are also provided free.
Ruskin has a government of its own
direct legislation of the people. 1t
&c, or,,,, cx,a+ap, of 1,xo