The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-01-24


Please sit down and pay attention.
CATER having read few pages we agreed
it looked unpromising. Then | tried rca-
ding backward, to conform to the title,
but this too proved uninteresting, and
so | threw the book in a corner saying,
why he is crank.
A few days later said to my benevo-
lent friend: Say, you must have IA queer
literary taste to accept Bellamy as inter
esting. Why, he is crack-brained.
He asked, How much did you read? !
told him several pages forward and seve-
raj backward. Well, he says, you have
not touched the heart of it. Keep on,
keep on, it will come.
In the evening | told my wife that my
friend had said to keep on reading and
we would enjoy it. So we continued and
read the book with the greatest Of inter
est.
All was so beautifully pictured, that
my mind was continually occupied with
it, and to more fully grasp the realization
of such a social evolution, embraced
every opportunity to tell others about
it, hoping that thereby | could draw out
u discussion by which might he enabled
to form Il correct conclusion Of the aIluring
millennium. But | seemed to be "A bore to
my listeners, and to some a crank.
Nevertheless one day | asked a lawyer
whose good judgment | highly rcspec-
ted.
Say, did you read Bellamy? Who?
Bellamy's book Looking Backward. "
No, he replied, | have no time even to
read what | must, my Law books.
There you are, | said, no time, always
in hurry. This book points the way
to get rid of all the hurry, ,worry,and strain
of brain. | know you would enjoy the
change of life as described therein, take
it along, and read it at your leisure.
O, | can't, can't you give it to me in
brief? Yes, said, come into the back
room. Here is cigar which is apprccia-
ted most when smoked slowly. | hoped
if he did, could pin him down until |
should get through,
"Now please sit down and take it easy. +"
! know when | give you the synopsis
of this book, you will at first wonder that
| gave it Il second thought, but no mat
ter, here it is.
|. Bellamy portrays social and poll
teal life asexsistingin as the year 2000. 1t is
similar to IA community of interests, or II
colony which in small way, from time
immemorial, have come and gone and eX-
lists to-day. But his plan embraces, the
whole of the United States and foreign
countries. In brief, grand National
Trust.
>. The people would own jointly all
existing property, would build, construct
and produce all that is required for the
public welfare.
3 Each would get precisely the same
pay as the other, the common laborcr rs
much as the most intellectual, the weak
as much as the strong, the sick as much
as the healthy. The pay is based on cf-
fort as long as a person does his best, aC-
cording to his endowed strenghth, it makes
no difference how much or how little he
produces.
1. All have the same opportunities for
education, which is compulsory from the
age Of to u years After this all must
serve three years, to their oath year, as
common laborers, and during those three
years every one is required to ascertain
for what vocation he feels himself best
adapted.
5. After one has made his choice he
labors in his chosen trade or profession
to his 45th year, after which he is retired,
but retains "A general interest and over
sight over the public welfare, and per
forms the duty of elccting officers or mana
gers. A certain class elects the president
6. The stores, banks, and all other
sources Of production and distribution,
will be operated by oycrsccrs or managers
appointed by board of commissioner.
7. There will be only one general store
in each ward or precinct, which has only
samples, on which the quality and price is
labeled, needing no further explanation
There will be no clerks to bother or to
bother you, they only appear when you
ring the bell, take down the order, check
the ticket, and send it to the general ware
house, from where all is delivered to the
buyer.
8. There will be churches, bat you
need not go there, as every house has a
telephone room so constructed that the
full volume of sound will be waited to it
when connection is made. In this wise
you can hear the sermon, the singing,
the organ, all or rs much as you can di-
gest.
9. Besides this there is city band
playing during every hour of the twenty
four, the program ofwhich is in all rooms
These you may listen to, one or all; also
at night, in case you can not sleep, you
can connect it in your bed room until il
will lullaby you to slumbcr.
10. There arc beautiful club rooms
offering entertainments of all kinds, il
the most interesting manner, cXcclinp
anything in our present day.
II. There will be no money; instead
r Al. IL L., I,,, ~