The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-28
WORKING OUT DELLAMY's THEORY
A Colony of the Ruslin Common
wealth in Prospect Here.

Colony of the Rusl1in Common
wealth in Prospect Here.
Mr.. j. C. Lyons, a missionary from the
Brotherhood of Good Samaritans, other
wise known as the Ruskin Commonwealth,
a mutual cooperative brotherhood, which
settled in Ware county about four years
ago is in Savannah endeavoring to further
the tenets Of the order.
The Ruskin Commonwealth is confessed
ly founded in accordance with the theories
put forward in BelIamy's Looking Back
ward, said is, according to Mr.. Lyons
statement. in a most fourishing and sat
isfactory condition.
A brief description of the pan of this
colony will ena BILE one to understand the
work that Mr. Lyon is trying to do here.
There is no such thing as private property
or interest; the work of each individual
of the community is for the common good,
whether it be in raising farm products,
the manufacture of household articles, or
the doing of any labor by which the in
terest of the community may be affected.
SO far as this idea of community of inter
ests carried that all meals are cooked and
eaten in common, the laundry work of the
colony is done by few women, while
the others are Otherwise engaged and even
the children, who are too young to be of
service, are taken care of in common,
while their mothers are attending to other
work The colony has a common store, or
depot. of distribution and issues specie of
it's own, which is legal tender in all trans
actions among its people.
Mr.. Lyons does not expect 10 start any,
thing quite as radical from every day life
as that is just now, but for the present
wishes merely to secure work for the un-
employed of the city, a place for them to
live and wages enough for them to live
on. In pursuance of these plans he has
secured a small shop on East Broad street,
near Bolton in which he does various
kinds of work, like carpenterings repair
ing chairs and anything of that sort that
he can secure. In this way he is able to
give work to number of men that other
wise would be unable to secure it. All
money taken in in this way is shared
equally among the workmen. At pres
ent he has work for only two men and
himself, and this he mas found only by
going out and drumming for it, but g
he has a number of persons interested in
the experiment, he hopes to be able 20 get
more work soon and then will be i'll po
sitiOn to employ men.
His plans for the branch of the colony
to be founded here is to secure such work
as can be had in the city in the way of
carpenterng, shoemakng, timing and
other such manual work in order to sup
port the members who may join until a
sufficient sum of money can be raised to
purchase land and farming implements
for its cultivation when he has no doubt
| that the brotherhood will grow rapidly.
| He is now trying to secure some place
near the city where he can make a start
| and has under consideration tract of
1000 acres, which he thinks will meet all
| the conditions.
He is also trying to get subscriptions
| from prominent people in the city as he
| saws that the organization of such an
ha
| is for the good Of the city inasmuch as
it will take care ,of the unemployed who
would otherwise have to be supported in
| some way by the public at large.
Mr.. Lyons is an energetic man and is
| imbued with the business and practical
! hility of his ideas and plans and he has
| no doubt that he will be able to bring
| others to the same way of thinking and
thus establish here a colony as large and
| successful as that of Dukes colony.