davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

Phoenix, Arizona, n farm of one hun,
dred and sixty acres has been turned
into a homecroft village. The land L..
especially adapted to raising vegc.
tables and is under one Of the bes,
water-rights in the region. Five-acrr
tracts are here given to each worker.
The new government reservoir On
Salt River and driven wells on the
property, insure permanent supply
of water for Irrigation and therefore
unfailing crops.
These undertakings, while practical
and constructive In every sense, are
intended rather as models to show
what can be done in any community
in the country. Japan, with sixty
seven per 'cent. of her total population
working In part or entirely on the land.
has become land Of gardens where
hopeless poverty is almost unknown
and where tuberculosis is a neglgable
quantity. America can take care of
its hopeless thousands in the same
way. first by putting hope into them
and then by putting them where they
| may attain 1t. 1t is to the promoters
of our great Industries that we must
look for help in great part, but public
| sentiment and sympathy will move the
promoters and reach the problem.
The Homecrofters Gid promises n
start which ought TO weld together the
| country and the city into one indie
structible whole and, supplemented by
proper charity administration and sane
vagrancy laws, remove entirely the
possibility even OF Submerged
| tenth"
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

fresh air. it was equally to the advant-
age Of their moral life that they should
be brought into contact with nature.
There was an advantage, too, in bring
ing the workingman on to the land,
for instead of his losing money in the
tamusements usually sought in the
towns, he saved it in his garden prod
uce-a great consideration where the
poorer class of workman was con-
cerned.' And again. The cultivation
of the soil is certainly the best anti
dote to sedentary occupation of those
working in large towns. A primitive
instinct Is INDUCED, the full value of
which seems hardly yet to have been
realized. Many believe, indeed, that
with Its encouragement the abuse of
the social club and the public-house
viii be materially lessened. and one OF
tn3 greatest social evils Of the time
disappear. (The experience Of Bourn-
vile certainly gives support to this
conclusion, for nearly every house
holder there spends his leisure in gard
ening, and there is not single licensed
house in the village.)"
SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR
A HOUSE.
The houses OF Bournville We're built
with special reference to cheapnesS.
artistic development, sanitation and
AT q cost of from $500
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

BIRMINGHAM to point four miles from
!. e eity ana erected twenty four
houses Tor the workmen. Mr.. George
Saupnrs, IRON long observation and
eSperiehce' concluded that the only
paetleal way to solve the problem was
" luxe the factory worker ou, on the
iaha where he might pursue the ma
turii and healthy recreation of garden
,hs, says MIR. w. Alexander Harvey
III MS pook ON Bournyille, lit was i'm.
possipie Tor working men to be hea althy
anu nave healthy children. when after
peihs confined all day In factories they
spent their evenings in an institute,
cup room or public-house. If 1t We're
necessary for their health, as it un-
aouptedly was, that they should get
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
Distribution Of Immigrants the
Solution.

II there were only some practicable
way Of distributing immigration more
equally among all the ports of the
country the congestion and segra-
CATION phases of this problem would be
nearer solution. 1t can be accom-
plished in but small degree, since 1t
will only be done II answering an
economic demand, as in the case OF
the Galveston-Bremen service. Wise
and well organized effort to induce
immigrants to pass through the large
ports by finding and insuring them
employment in the interior and by in
forming them of opportunities else
where, will do much to improve con-
ditions. The self-interest of states.
many of which maintain immigration
agencies. might also be brought more
generally into play to attract the in-
dustrious and ambitious new comers
to their farms and smaller towns
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

tenths per thousand in Bournville.
The garden features In Bournville are
planned with much care, provision in
most cases being made for some lawn,
flowers, vegetables and fruits.
10 return to the Homecrofters Gid,
there is one distinctive advantage In
Mr.. Maxwell's plan, in that he aims
to attach to each home emo g. land to
make 1t feature and not merely an
incident in the life of the worker, and
he has added the crafts work for wo-
men and for men In the winter. He
already has under way plans for an
experimental group of four houses
under one roof. to be placed at the
centre OF Il square SO us to secure the
greatest economy Of space and place
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

dustry, necessity for the ttainmen
of the best results.
5. A growth of corporation, whlcf
VIII give to the homecroft settle
nent all the advantages of the CT !
in schools, libraries. hospitals enter
tainment halls. water supply, elec1r,e
lights, improved roads. etc; While
the cultivation of each separate acre
or "croft" will be facilitated by the
cooperative ownership of the nuiner-
ous expensive pieces of farm ma
chinerv now to be found on the best
large farms, but which could not be
afforded by the individual crofter;
6. The fostering of sturdy, inae-
pendent individualism. to men
contributes so mue as the
of n home and conscious.
ness that one can "make a living
Of any boss. .,.-.
Comcurrently with such bettermehts
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
them to tne FACTORY OF shop.

them to t6e ruceory, OF shop.
8. Reliable occupation ar5 sup
port for the wage-ear. ,r himself, In
ease Of temporary loss of his regu-
lar employment. An acre of ground,
cultivated and irrigated.
will support family.
4. Opportunity to set up, in the
homecroft, little handicrafts for the
products Of which there 10 q constant
demands; such as special lines Of
weaving. knitting. rugma1<ing, cab
basket weaving, turning
in wood or bone, instrument making,
Of leather, gloves,
ETC.. etc. The distribution Of power
from electric wires, or the use Of lit
tie gasoline engines, In village. Of
may demonstrate that
the concentration Of thousands Of
workers In great factories 10 not,
after all, in great many lines Of in-|
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

lin the condition of the wage-earner,
the general carrying out of the hone
croft idea would relieve the con-
gestion of population in cities, and
greatly assist in their development
along those lines which are much
better than mere bigness. A hun
dred thousand or million people
living on small tracts of land, wi in
an hours ride of city would make
far more business for the city, Of
every desirable kind, than the same
number closely packed in tenements.
The ''homecroft" experiment not
to be limited to the settlement fost-
cred by Mr.. Maxwell near Boston.
The idea combines with its sugges-
tions of social betterments the prob
ability of very satisfactory re-urns
to the owners Of vacant lands. near
cities, who may be disposed to ex-
pertinent with 1t.
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
HOUSE AND BARN FOR HoMEoRoFr v1LLAaE.
Watertown. Mass

have not yet fully realized the
change-they still are doubtful and
suspicious. About four years ago, be
fore the tide of immigration and capi-
tai set in toward the Southwest, II
stranger from the North drifted into
this particular city. He was just
'Iooklng around" with no special pur-
pose in view. A curbstone real estate
broker had on his list IL tract Of bottom
land timbered but worthless on ac-
count Of the annual floods. This land
be had hawked about the street for
&c per acre, but found no takers
among the home spectators. The
tract was mo good" 1t was offered
to this stranger for 800 per acre.
Would he look at it? Yes. He looked
1t over, examined every acre Of it.
came back to town and handed over
$4,000 for the worthless tract. Great
was the joy Of the natives who were
lined up at the various bars, to drink
10 the health Of the sucker" But
the sucker returned In about n month
with another capitalist from the North
and sold this worthless tract for $780,
OoO. But this was not all. Within
'-'Ns' N"' t'iS SVNphu SuNhVk Dtouthe
Q third and sold him the timber alenc
Tor $4,000 And then the local
bankers and conservative capitalists
kicked themselves for not thinking OF
It.
FOR years people have been leaving
ARKANSAS and Missourl-going west
looking for opportunities. Today
strangers are taking their places and
nnding money on every bush. The
newcomers are simply developing the
resources which the natives failed to|
recognize.
ihls principle holds true of a ma.
yorNy OF individuals in every COM
n,ulilly' We are too near to see the
|,Lrpor'nhities at our feet. We pass
one"l over and leave them for some
one to pick up.
s,at ,ne twentieth century for the United
cam,s m,es at least will be time OF con-
csm.ratlon c.m.tn rather than expansion. AL
homu hny or rural development and
tla De,ouiidins. rdi AS has been indicated
and '1ople must get back to the l,"a.
hi !, INDUSTRIAL institutions to reach
.,rko nest development must give the
Ae' chance for home.
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

the worker in direct contact with his
land. These plans are being prepared
by Mr.. Allen w. Jackson, the archi-
tect.
Something over fifty acres Of land
have already been purchased for subdi-
vision. and Improvement. This will be
sold to workingmen for homes for prac.
tically what 1t cost in large ira is, plus
the cv.t of division and improvement.
\ special plan Is to sell homes to in
dustrious working men on long
time, on the monthly instalment plan,
at rate which will be no more than is
usually paid in rent. but which will
create a sinking fund that will pay
the purchase price and in the mean
time carry what will amount to an in
surance policy covering the amount of
the purchase price remaining due. so
that IL the purchaser should die the
property would go to his family with
out further payment.
PLAN.
The movement is not intended to be
an isolated one rs the shops and
gardens are open to any one who will
use them in the right way. Mr.. Max
well feels that isolation has been the
cause of failure in such attempts and
that the people Of the community must
themselves become part of such
movement if it is to succeed. Here
again the scheme resembles that of
Bournville. There, though practically
Ill the houses have been built by the
management. only forty-one and two
.enths per cent. of the occupants work
+J,,> Et,r1, md 81
per cent work in villages within Il
mile and forty and two-tenths per cent.
work In Birmingham. Fifty and
seven-tenths per cent. of them are em-
ployed at indoor work in factories,
thirteen and three-tenths per cent. are
clerks and travellers, and thirty-siX
per cent. are skilled workers and pro-
fessional men. BY this arrangement
normal community life Is main
tanned. The Homecroft Gid is being |
developed along the same lines.
OVERCOMING PHYSICAL
DEGENERACY.
The Gid is not making the mistake
of irving to make farmers pure ana
simple out of city workers. such
hard and fast line between city and
country will always lead to failure.
Mr.. Maxwell says: Give the city |
worker Il home in the suburbs. where
he can have garden and a poultry |
yard. and where his children can have
sunshine and fresh air without stint,
and you have largely done away with
the terrible evils that are cursing the
denizens of the congested quarters of
our great cties-physical degeneracy
and social, moral, and
political dangers too numerous to be
Henry w. Grady de-
scribed the antithesis when he said.
The citizen standing in the doorway
pf his home-contented on this thres-
hold-his family gathered about his
earthstone-while the evening of
well-Spent day closes in scenes and
sounds that are dearest-he shall save
The republic when the drum tap is
,utile and the barracks are exhausted.
The Homecroft Gid has other plans
n immediate contemplation. Near
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

solutions Of many Of the problems O
modern city life ever attempted in thi!
| country. 1t Is in line with the bes
enterprises for solving the questions o.
housing. sanitation. education anf
morals. As such 1t should command
the attention and cooperation Of al
constructive social workers.
The Homecrofters Gid offers garden
work and craftsmanship as substi
tute for the street corner, the cheaT
show and the saloon. And 1t offers II
addition health, contentment and I
substantial increase In income TO the
workers. The increase takes a practi'
cal form in the shape Of health from
work in the air, from fresh vegetables
and fruits, from clean environment
and from absence of bad habits; from
money saved from useless pastimes;
from absence of doctors bills and from
direct return In the way OF COM
modities for use In the home or for
sale.
The founder and main supporter Of
the movement. is Mr.. George III. Max
well. editor Of Maxwell's Talisman and
founder of the National Irrigation
Movement. AS student of social con-
ditions, Mr.. Maxwell has concluded
movements merely scratch the upper
surface of the problem and fail utterly
to get under 1t and crowd it out with
better condition. His creed ls.
Every child In II garden, every mother
in homecroft, and Individual, in
dustrial independence for every worker
In a home Of his own on the land"
MEANING OF HOMECROFT.
The word "Homecroft" has been
coined by Mr.. Maxwell to fit the thing
he has in mind. The Scotch word
croft" means very small piece OF
land farmed intensively by its occu-
pant but not large enough to yield him
a living and constitute him farmer.
The Homecrofter therefore, under the
conditions being developed. is labor
ing man, clerk, skilled artisan or what
not, who supplements his regular In
come by, and spends his spare time IN.
work on the land. His children may
likewise be employed out of school
hours and at other times when they
would otherwise be on the street or
forced into some one of the street
trades to help maintain Me home. For
the children the advantages are OBJ
vious. Healthy exercise in the open
air for a purpose. fresh vegetables and
other products. and occupation, are
substituted for spasmodic exercise
under bad conditions, stale vegetables
or none at all, and the gang.
1t can be demonstrated that the
ordinary factory worker on from one
half acre to an acre OF land can earn
actually more in the odd time given
to his garden than he does from his
regular work, taking 1t hour for hour.
The other advantages nre evident.
THE GILDHALL AND SHOPS.
As foundation for the Gild the
Wilson estate ut 143 Main st. Water
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

such betterments, either already
demonstrated or anticipated, are
these:
l. Healthier hoiLe surroundings,
air. sunlight, trees, vers; room
for children to grow up without con-
tact with the communicating in
fuences Of crowded city streets and
tenements.
2. Diversity in employment and
healthful recreation for the wage
Garner himself. md wholesome op-
portunitv for his We and dren
to contribute to the family in
come. in the cultivation of an. acre,
more or less, Of ground. This would
enable him, especially, to keep his
girls at home, instead Of sending
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
The LEGAL Handicap.

The Prophet is without honor In hif
country, So the village and small
WV, are without confidence In theiI
own resources. We get SO familiar
,,,tp tbe things about us that we re
ost m TO underrate their value. 1t IL
W., "t'en ~ necessary for total stranger to
oama ", along and show US the neglected
ooonortunlties o that have been under our
nose unseen for years.
The writer while pursuing some in
a,strial Investigations had occasion to
visit n thrifty little city in the South
vast II is an old town that has liter
a,ly been forced to the front by the
nrsssure n of development and northern
lnarsy. The place has five railroads,
y population of 10000 and number Of
modern buildings. Still the natives
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
= ahe FaIue of a Good Go,,e,.

great ny people fail to realize the
garden 'aIne p of thrifty, well-kept
better ~ Even an inferior one is much
|disnsns.nhhn,n .hnn none. Vegetables are in
|health a'le ia TO a family, so far as
the mons rs concerned, to say nothing Of
Go mnnh oileF saved by not having to buy
II u1n m hour and so many groceries
should uu,u mn seem that every man
vronna niaiiage to obtain niece Of
|ferti,i.oaa ana see that 1t becomes we,l
under ana enriched and then nnt
beforo thorough state OF cultiv,+,on
only cos, lying to plant the seeds. II
for onI,o d little to buy enough seeds
l"''e a sood-sized garden.
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
THE HoMEcRoFT VS.. THE TENEMENT.
'Mst. Paul Pee..

'"sss Paul pro..
Jet lessSyno sS oi affording a practical OBJ
George II mn IN the "Homecroft" idea
acres Of rrnn makwell has acquired fifty
less tn, ouna at Watertown, Mass.
rroad or for,r ua,rty minutes by rail-
from the cs.e nve minutes by trolley
will be hr,,, center of Boston-wh,ch
Tor citv Msh na., up into small "crefts''
Presumed mi', rs. There, it is to be
srees, all tSa %.'i !, be b illustrated, by de
tsrmen, me different phases Of bet.
homecroft which chnracter.ze the
tsenement.ho"',s. "s compared with the
. uon to the se IFS idea, in ITS applica-
can wage. ge.ear.o .e OF the average Ameri-
Weekly stipsnssr stisr: especially he whose
s'sy shop or o ators comes from work in
aa.'e 'e or factory. Among
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

There Is multitude of thinking people
who see the dangers the future holds Tor
our country unless we reach a wise solution
of the tremendous social problems that
confront US.
The spirit in which we should approach
the consideration OF these problems is set
forth In this remarkable book in way that
must be an inspiration to every truly hu-
name and patriotic heart.
Let the spirit of common sense and opti-
nis.n and fundamental economic and phil
osophical truth that pervades this book be
taken as the underlying motive OF the
movement, and the Greed and Platform of
the Homecrofters as the practical plan to
work to. and the rest of the great soctals
questions are certain to be rightly solved
BY application to them of the sound and
humane principles that will guide the action
of our people upon all great national ques-
lions.
One eopv of 1.-THE Coming People" post
an. ,repaid will be mailed to any adj
aress in the United States for twenty-five
cents.
~. copv of both 'Thc Coming People,
and "The First Book OF the hofneei ioi'eis
,, ..,taxweli's Talisman" monthly for tine
-.s, of th,. yeas 1905 will be mailed to any
address in the United States for fifty cents
pemit in postage stamps to The Home
erofters, i4s Main street, Watertown. Aass-
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
THE HOMECROFTERS' GILD,
TO Enable People to Live In Their
Own Home and on u Piece OF
Their Own Land.
CHANCE FOR FACTORY WORKERS

Every Child in a Garden and Every
Moeher In a Homecroft" is che
Motto OF the Organization-AH Hun.
ereo Children at Work In the First
Schooi Garden at Matertown, Mass.
EDWARD 7. HARTMAN
Secretary Massachusetts, Civic League
AT Watertown, Massachusetts, there
IS being put under way what seems to
De one OF the most sane and practical
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
Improving School Grounds.

In Rochester, n. ", the school
authorities grade and sod the school
yards, while the shrubbery and other
planting is by private effort in CON
junction with the school children
Ample land is furnished for decorative
playground purposes, and most exemp
larry results have been obtained.
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

town. has been purchased an0 con
yerted into q Gildhall and snops 4 aos
handicraft work. The land arounu sa1
house has practically all been appao,
priated to the use Of garden sSn .a.,s
and laid out In childrens ga... gs..,.
The director Of the gardens ~ M
Elizabeth 3. Hill of Groton, wno '"s.
year conducted the school gardens ~
Brookline and GrotOn. Over u nun
dred children are already at WORK anu
many more, almost two hundred ID AT
have applied for space. 1t ID an inter-
esting sight, and II poor conmensaly
on our public school system. 10 yet
the wistful look of the children not
In it, as they watch the fortunate ones
and inquire Of the instructors as ~
how long they will have 70 walI L
Many children not connected WIN ene
school watch the workers and play on
the grounds, so that 1t has Decome
children's center for the town.
The opening or the garden school nas
aroused an interest among otner PR,
vate organizations In the neighoornoou
and the Women's Club OF WatertoWn
has established another garden schooi.
also under Miss Hills supervision, as
Social Science Club of Newton, Wnose
garden Is on Jackson Road near Nom
antum.
On the outer boundry Of the town.
the old Emerson Place has been pur
chased and set aside as garden
school for boys and even mer VINO oe-
sire to do practical work. The plots In
this garden are large enough to permit
~ v,ro ofico1 ovporim outo and to even
supply quite a quantity of vegetables.
which each gardener is allowed to ap-
propriate to his own use. The only
requirement is that each gardener pro-
vide his own tools and seed and pay
sufficient attention to the instruction
and to his work to keep his plot In fair
condition and In harmony with the
garden us whole. There Ia In this
garden plenty of space not taken and
1t offers a unique and valuable oppor-
tunfty for any one desiring such work.
The garden is supervised by q young
man with practical experience in
market gardening.
WEAVE BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
The weaving department, the only
handicraft department as yet de-
veloped in the Gid. Is supervised by
Aliss ]. A. Turner, formerly with the
experiment station for the blind In
Cambridge. Miss Turner, assisted by
her sister, has several looms already
In working order and instruction has
been taken up. The aim of the work
in weaving, as 1t will be in other home
craft work, is not to have a weav-
ing establishment for the production of
goods. but to conduct school In
weaving and design where women In
the community may learn to do work
which may be carried ON in their
homes. This, as In the case Of the
croft work, will enable them to occupy
spare time, which would be otherwise
wasted or improperly spent, In con-
genial, healthy and remunerative EN-
ployment. 1t Is hoped and believed
that such work will enable many
women who have to supplement their
income to do 1t In their homes and not
be forced into factories and other un-
satisfactory conditions. A system will
be developed whereby looms will be
supplied by and the product sold
through the Gid. BY this method cx-.
penses will be kept At q minimum and
the highest profts accruA to the
workers.
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

elsewhere in England. 1t will not he
out OF place to outline the Bournv;ile
plan which is Identical In many re-
spects and has been carried out to an
assured success. This model village
was started in 1879 when Messrs. Cad
bury Bros. removed their works from
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02
HOME LANDS IN sArALE
PARCEI.S

The more far-reaching and substan-
tial feature OF the movement Is
the acquisition and subdivision of
land into small tracts for actual croft
purpose as outlined above. This close
" resembles the schemes developed in
altchln, Port Sunlight. Bournville aud
The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

VILLAGE.
to $25OO each a much higher grade Oh
home than the workers had been ac-
customed to was provided. RentS
range from As. Cd. to 12s. per week
not Including rates: and the death rate
of nineteen per thousand in Rirmins
ham has been reduced to six and nine