New-York tribune., 1906-08-12
BROOK FARM EXPERIMENT.

Brook Farm which ended as a FOurierite
phalanx, began a cooperative farm and
school under George Ripley. The transcen-
dentalists of Boston hocked TO join it. Geniuses
who wouldn't work offered their services. High
thoughts and agricultural and managerial in
capacity went together. Among those more or
less interested were Theodore Parker. Emerson,
DR.. Claiming. Margaret Fuller OssOH. George
w Curtis, Dana and Hawthorne In 1S44 Brook
Farm became avowedly Fourier1te declined, and
in two years was practically dead. Ths burning
down OF the central hall or phalanstery was held
20 be partial cause Of failure.
OF the So-called secular class of communities.
Robert Owen. the father Of English Socialism,
established the first law at New Harmony. Ind.
in 1924. after trying Industrial experiments in
Scotland. There were nine hundred members in
the colony, which lasted three years Trouble
were tried. Owen as dictator alternated with
elected committees.
Icaria was established in 1s4s by French fol-
lowers OF Cabet. author OF the communistic ro-
nance, Voyage in Icarie." At one time there
were 1900 members; The colony fingered on at
st Louis until 1895.
The Kaweah cooperative colony was started
in 1855 by forty-f1ve members. who staxed out
government land on the Kaweah River, CalifOr-
mia. They built a road eighteen miles long
through difficult country, prepared to go into the
lumber business. and published sOcialistic pa
per All went we'll until $780, when conspiracy
OF timber companies led to their land claims
being diSapproved by the government Congress
passed law appropriating their land for the
Yellowstone National Park. Land Commissioner
Lewis A. Croft in 1891 reported to the Secretary
Of the Interior that the COloniSts had acted in
good faith, but they had no redress and were
compelled 70 disDand-
The Ruskin cooperative colony. on the plan
Of Bellamy's Looking Backward started
by ]. A. Wayland in 1894 at Tennessee City,
Tenn. The property comprised 1000 acres. A
year later differences arose. the founder quit
and the colony moved to Cave Mills. six miles
away. Homes. factories. agriculture and the
publication of THE Coming Nation" widely
read sOcialistic journal. occupied the members
until the Smash-up
TopolObampo colony. on the bay of the same
name, in Mexico. established by Albert X.
Owen, and the first members landed in 1856. In
1892 there were 446 members and many thou
sands of dollars invested a tinware factory
has been the main industry. and agriculture has
been extensively carried on. A stone pier the
bay and canal 20 irrigate $4,000 acres have
been constructed.
partly communistic colony of Swedish
towns and the ownership Of the sO-called Starch
Trust that supplies much potato starch to the
worlds market. These people. who were set
tiers state land few years ago. are now
we'll TO do.
Herbert Spencer said somewhere that no social
movement ever fails utterly. II many UtOpias
have gone under In this country. their ideals
have survived and been somewhat trans
lated into practical institutions Public schools.
municipal waterwcrks and health boards. profit
sharing and welfare work. state parenthOOd
for children insane asylUms and public hOspi-
tails partly owe their origin to the dreaTnerS OF
cooperative cCTnmOnweelths.