The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-23
SOME OF The new BOOKS


or the events Of a brief period are to be
that few men can afford the
leasure for the covering of extended eras.
rewards of h~istory-writing. like the
rewards of virtue, are mainly the intangible
ones embodied in the individuals %intellec-
tual approval of his own act, for this class
of literature. important though It is, does
not figure among the books that rank i'll
any season as great sellers" Therefore,
ii is that when a writer ventures into this
field with serious intent it is safe to assume
that he has an enthusiasm for his work
is full! OF his subject. Therefore, ii Is,
also. that history is being written in piece
meal and by many different authors. The
history Of Indiana. for instance. never yet
completed, is being added to chapter by
chapter, episode by episode. until finally it
will be well covered-all the better per-
haps, that it will be the work of many writ
ers, each approaching his special task from
a special point Of view, but all alike ami
mated with the spirit of the true investi-
gator. John Dillon wrote some of the early
chapters of the States story; Jacob p.
Dunn's original researches, also in the
early period, form q most valuable addition
to this literature; in his Life of Oliver p.
Morton" William Dudley Foulke gives a
view Of the civil war period as ii affected
indiana; in The Hoosiers'' Meredith
Nicholson traces in a general way the
growth n character of the population and
the development of the educational idea
In the State. Now comes Mr.. George Brown
Ing Lockwood with an important and valu-
able contribution to both local and general
history in a volume entitled The New
Harmony Communities"
The establishment Of these communities
n there t-A - ~ Grcf
under Rapp, the second under Owen-at-
tracted the attention of the entire civilized
world, which was then more or less agi-
tated by communistic theories and social
reform ideas. In his Introductory chapter
on New Harmony's Place in History" Mr..
says: by strange coincidence
New Harmony became the scene Of the
most notable experiments yet emp by
two classes of social architects. Among re-
ligious communists, the Rappites. founders
OF Harmony, have been most successful,
and their residence In Indiana marked the
nigh tide OF their growth In wealth and
numbers. There has not been another trial
of philosophical c~ommunistic association so
auspiclousiy undertaken or so thoroughly
carried to a conclusion as that which
Robert Owen -inaugurated at New Harmony
more than three-quarters of a century ago.
Brook Farm has occupied a large place in
literature, but as a serious effort at solving
the social problems of it's time it did not
approach New Harmony in Importance. To
New Harmony Brook Farm was as a play
ground to a workshop. Brook Farm af-
forded temporary amusement to a congenial
coterie of literary celebrities who cherished
romantic ideals In common, but il be-
queathed little to the world except their in
div1dual contributions TO the literature of
that period. The New Harmony experiment
was conducted in a less romantic atmos-
phere, but il was more earnest, thorough
and satisfactory, and TO the modern stu
a social venture. AS Owenism was the
forerunner of FOurierism, so New Harmony
was the forerunner of Brook Farm. As
Brook Farm was the center of a group of
Fourieristic ph%alansteries, or colonies, so
New Harmony was the inspiration of a
large number of Owenite experiments, scat
tered over so wide a range of territory that
they assumed the proportions of a national
movement"
In many ways this effort at social re-
generation had its influence throughout the
United States, and its record is, therefore,
an important element in American history.
Some of these influences are thus enum-
Grated: There lat New HARMONY the doc
trine of universal elementary education at
public expense. without regard to sex or
sect. as a duty of the state. was first pro-
claimed i'm the middle West. and through
the labors of Robert Dale Owen, more than
any other one man, this conception of the
states duty has found expression In a
common school system that is the glory OF
the Republic. Through William Mcclure
Robert owen and Joseph Neef, PestaloZzis
pupil. and the author of the first American
works on the science of teaching, the Pes
taloZzian system of education, now every
where predominant. was first successfully
translated to this country. William Mac
lures manual training school at New Har-
mony was the second of its kind in the
United States, and through that institution
and it's popular publications the idea OF
technical training was first widely dlssem'
mated in this country. The infant schools
established at New Harmony by Robert
Owen, the father of infant education, anC
conducted throughout the lifetime OF the
49,. -. 80 - $3.50 NhA G--t n
their kind in America. 1t was in the school:
of New Harmony that the theory of equa
educational privileges for the sexes wa:
first put into practice. And so on and So
on. New Harmony also became a scientific
center, a center of advanced thought on al
lines, abolition doctrine being there boldly
promulgated when 1t was but whisperingly
limited at elsewhere. There the first Amer
lean prohibition law went into effect, anC
from there emanated the modern idea o.
the legal rights of women. Such a center
of thought and action must inevitably have
its influence upon the entire country, ant
the history of New Harmony is, therefore
a work OF wide and general importance
but. inasmuch as this influence was fel
most directly and intimately by Indiana
because the Owens and others of the com
munity remained in the State and becam,
marked factors in its growth, Mr.. Lock
woods book has a special local interest
The author has gone into his subject witt
! great thoroughness and has examined
vast number of records and original docu
ments. as. indeed, II was necessary for hin
TO do, since all that has been previousl!
written about New Harmony has been II
fragmentary shape and largely lacking IL
authority. An attractive feature of tn
book is the Incorporation Of much of thi
oriPinal matter i'm the narrative. thus Civ
ing IL a realism that a relation in the thir'
person could hardly have. Quotations frOr
personal correspondence. from publishe'
| letters written by visitors, comments OF
daily events from the weekly New Har
mony paper-all convey TO the pages
| vividness quite uncommon in such histories
The author has a firm grasp OF his them
| and Is able to view II in perspective. q
we'll as i'm detail. He has succeeded in pro
| ducing a book which has all the interest o
romance and is yet a collection of fact
and a review of events of which all Amer
leans who would understand the element
going TO make up the national characte
should have knowledge. 1t is a volum
which should be in every library. The boo
is handsomely printed and is made turtle
attractive by twenty or more illustration
of historical value. some of them reproduC
lions of quaint old prints. Mr.. Lockwood
whose home is at Marion, Ind, has give
all the leisure available during severe
wears to the production Of the work, bU
the result iustihes his labors. The volum
bears the imprint of the Marion Chronicle.
The Little Brother.
Josiah Flynt-which is not the real nam
of the author who bears it-has shown ths