Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-14
NO SERVANTS IN
THIS COLONY
SOCIAL REF0RMERS TO LIVE
LIKE ONE FAMILY
Divided in Politics and Religion, but
Admirers Of Sinclair, They VIII
Give Practical Trial to His
Community Plans

Special to The Herald
NEW YORK, oct. 13.-There are a
number of social reformers in New
York, the followers of Upton Sinclair.
who have the courage OF their convic-
tions. They have decided to form a
cooperative colony, to betake them
selves In their hours Of ease to a home
on the Palisades above Englewood,
there to dwell with their wives and
children I'm amty; there to escape from
limited conventional existence and
lead the True Life"
They are not planning any near to
nature mode of living. They expect
and hope to be comfortable. As a first
step in the desired direction they have
purchased a huge building named Hell
con Hail." formerly used as a boys
school, which is equipped with almost
everything in the way of modern
luxury.
The entrance hall is glass covered
court, filled with tropical plants, boast
ing an artificial brook and a fountain,
and surrounded by about fifty rooms,
much larger and more comfortable than
the usual hall bedroom. Several years
ago the building was erected as a
school for special students from wealthy
families. 1t contains a swimming tank,
bowling alley and a theater The
New York Home Colony" expects to
move in some time in November.
Extremes of Money
The colony is to include capitalists
and clerks. There are to be no class
distinctions. Bachelors are to live in
the main building. A man of family is
expected to live in a cottage-yet to be
built-and take his meals at the central
clubhouse. Every cottager will be COM
PEELED to pay for his meals, whether he
takes them or not No private kitchens
are to be tolerated, because that would
entail private servants, and the word
servant" in this colony is tabooed.
Chatting dishes at home are to be al
lowed. Kitchens, laundries, back yards,
slop buckets and menials are pro-
nounced "blemishes of civilization
Some compromises with the ideal are
to be necessary at present. For IN
stance, probably a cook will have to
be hired for the club house. Until cot
tages are built families will have to
live in the club house. All the chill
dren are to be in one dormitory. There
will be a general playroom where the
children will be cared for by two lady
members of the colony. who will take
turns by day, a third member being In
charge at night. No hired nurses are
to be allowed.
Mattresses of Thought
A compromise is to be effected on
the waitress question. The colonists
have had applications from a number of
people 'imbued with the advanced
thought who are willing TO come to
them as mattresses for a consider
alton. If the list of advanced
thought people is too soon exhausted,
a few real servants will have to be
hired. Therein lies the compromise.
A compromise upon the food question
is also expected. Half of the colonists
are vegetarians; the other half are not.
Canned goods are to be barred, OF
course. Some like early breakfasts,
some late breakfasts, some no break
fast at all. With a touch of humor,
one of the members remarks that the
advanced thought occasionally begets
an extreme diversity of opinion in these
fundamental particulars" but Mrs.
William Noyes, who is to be manager
OF the household is pronounced amply
able to cope with mere diversities of
opinion. There is always the golden
method of compromise.
Some day the members hope to have
school. Until then the children
there are to be thirteen of them in the
colony this winter-will go to Engle-
wood to school.
The colony does not plan to have a
church. Radical and socialistlc thought
is usually antagonistic to the church"
they assert. But church going among