Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-07
TWO FAMOUS SOCIETIES.

The Oneida Community Limited, has
issued neat little pamphlet, contain
Ing a brief history Of that once fam
Gus society, and reminding the public
that II still exists for business pur-
poses, though its members have re-
turned to the regular forms OF life.
The community was founded IN lSiS,
by John Humphrey Noyes. on the "old
Indian Reserve" near Oneida, n Y.
Its first members were New England
farmers and mechanics who went 10 q
distant region In order TO enjoy free
dom. They believed that the second
coming Of Christ took place, spiritually
within the life time OF the first Apos-
ties, and, consequently they regarded
our Lord as the legitimate ruler Of the
world. Accordingly they held that His
followers should live together In
form Of society which they supposed
He approved when on earth.
From this belief came the expert
ment in communism, which was known
as the oneida society II embraced
community Of property and OF home
For a long time the members de-
voted their energies to the cultivation
OF the soil, and raised with great sue
cess many varieties OF fruit Then they
became manufacturers and met with
equal success In this field. They built
a eommodlous home surrounded by
beautiful parks. They erected fac
tories where hundreds found employ
ment They devoted time 10 lltera-
ture sciences and arts, and they at
tracted almost worldwide attention
In 1850, however, the community
agreed to close the experiment Of COM
munlsm. The society was incorporated
as a Joint stock company with a capt.
tai Of 100000 The stock was divided
among the members. They still retain
the old homestead and some co-opera-
tive features. such as a common din
ing room, library. and recreation
grounds But IN other respects they
are not different from their neighbors.
The society has business Offices az
Kenwood. Madison Co, y. Y. as well
as at New York, Chicago, 81. Louis,
and san Francisco. II IS engaged IN
trap and chain making. fruit packing
silk spinning. and the making Of silver
plate ware. The community, It ap-
pears, has in the space OF forty years
changed entirely from one engaged In
a social experiment into one chiefly in-
tercsted In business enterprises,
And this reminds US that another so
cial experiment has recently been given
up IN this country. The zoarites, who
dissolved couple Of years ago. hay,
now abandoned their Ohio settlement
after a distribution Of the common
property, by which all Of its l3l
members received about $1,000 each
ANNht H'A why Ni AHNAN blN FaiA W iAWN
gone 90 Minnesota, where they hay,
purchased 6,cOo acres Of land, Will,
the others have refused 10 remain mem
hers OF the community.
The zoarites came 10 Philadelphia
from wurtemberg. in lSi5 They sub,
soquently went 10 Ohio, where they
bought a tract Of land Of 5000 acres
Community Of effort and property wa
not ~ first contemplated but that cam,
IN course Of time Trustees were ap
pointed With unlimited power. to man,
age on the affairs Of the common.
wealth. They appointed each indivld,
ual member his work, aud saw that all
were provided food, clothing. dwellings
etc. All went well until outside IN.
huences became too strong for the lead.
ets Of the society BY such influences
&C was finally disrupted.
There seems TO be desire among
many for a form OF society in which
unity Of effort shah take the place Of
competition Hence the many expert.