The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-07
came the mortgages and finally, after

brave struggle, the end
Another equally promising colony was
startled in Los Angeles county a re"
wears ago. The colonists We're Poiish
men and women, each of whom was gilt
ed In literature art or music Ihey, 100,
had money in plenty and all they sdeslE-
ed was to find Il place where the SAN
would always shine for them the earta
blossom at their bidding, and Whsre.
above all else, there should be no polltlcal
spics or literary censorS- III Calilotilra
they found such spot. out as fjhe OIL
them knew anything ahou- agriculture
things did not prosper as they mad an
ticipated and they finally returned 10 Po-
land poorer but wiser tor their eALeii-.
ment.
In the early seventies 4 band Of colo
nists bought 400 acres of land in lovely
Californian valley. There were nifty
Frenchmen and about thirty Americans
in the party and their purpose was TO
live 1lp to the soclaIistic teachings OF Ell
ennc c.ayet, who held that individualism
was the cause of selhshness and that sell
ishness was the mother of poverty as
we'll as of nearly all the human Ills. IN
this colony individua!ism was stormy
checked. If a colonist desired a new suit
of clothes or wished to read n BOOK, IL
a mother wished to fog her child the ac-
ton could not be performed without the
consent of the ruling committee. for
time these principles were literally car
r;ed en-, hut one by one the coionists
became dissatisfied and when the crops
failed the handful that were LETT were
! glad to sell their property Tor the, pro-
verbal song.
A similar fate met the famous Schlae-
gel colony that was also Instituted IN
California. In this instance everything
opened up brightly for the future sue
y1-nC n
OF money and the land was fertile. AS
in other cases, however, the unpleasant
traits OF human nature began to develop
in spite of the efforts of the founder OF
the sect. The women began to quarrei
among themselves and the men were
drawn into their broils. until at last.
discouraged by the apparent failure OF
his lifes project DR.. Schlaeger went away
and committed suicide. \ few weeks
later the colony was visited by fire and
from that its dissolution was only a mat
er of a short time.
Few of those who have read the works
of Belamy and who have dreamed OF an
IDEAL Commonwealth. where each cltl-
zen is equal to every other citizen, ana
all are alike with common tuna, are
aware that the ideas embraced. in the
| maxim-.equal rights to all and special
| privileges to none"-were actually applied
! as far back as 1915. At that time what
! is now historically known as the Bethel
| colony was founded on the winding
| shores Of North river. in Shelby county,
! Mo-, by Dr. William keil, Methodist
| preacher of German descent.
The history of the Bethel colony is
| rema rk;. BILE for the fact that 1t is the first
! recorded instance In which the principles
! of communism were ever successfully APP
| piled for any length of time. In this
case the doctrines of DR.. Keil were COM
| munism, pure and simple. except FOR the
! fact that the founder regarded himself
as exempt from the general rule in that
| he retained the guiding hand over MS
| people.
| He reigned as completely as sove-
| reign ever reiSned and under his admin
/! istration the colony prospered and grew
! rich and this condition of things contin-
! ued until 1865 when the founder. who had
/ been seized with the Western fever. de-
| ter1nined to found another colony in the
country that had just been oRened. He
] left Missouri. but he never returned be.
| fore his long journey had ended he fell
| sick and died and his body is now buried
| beneath the Oregon pines
| The history of the Bethel colony after
! his death is so brief that it may be told
| in a few words. Without the executive
! head things went from bad to worse, and
/ the colony gradually dwindled away until
Z nothing was left of it but a memory.
| The history Of Ruskin, Tenn, furnishes
/ another instance of a colony that. al
] though founded under the most fayora-
| Bile circun1 stances, was unable to wealth
/! er the tides Of fortune Ruskin was
1 found dead about five years ago by. ]. "A
/ Wayland, afterwards a resident OF Kan
/ sas. For a time It was one Of the mos
promising cooperative colonies in the
! country and tits paper, The Coming Ma
! ton. had circulation Of more thar
1900 copies.
! Wayland was thorough believer III
J the principles OF communism. and his
faith in human nature was perfect He
believed that man needed but an oppor-
\ tunity to develop the best that was III
! him. and he gave them that opportunity
All went well for a few months anC
then quarrel arose between &Waylant
and the men whom he was trying tt
help. The result of this quarrel was thai
I eventually the founder withdrew from
! the town that his money had built up
] For a few years the colony continued te
exist, however, and once it looked as il
@9T 4,7h-rsan. TO cure S