The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-26

wages and everybody vas to pay for what
he got. Dana, OF his part. was engaged
70 teach Greek and German and 70 do
agricultural work. That he was an excel
Lent teacher 10 evident from the fact that
his pupils gave him the title Of Professor
Moreover, having had experience In q gen
eral store at Buffalo, he was looked upon Rs
q competent business man and Q made
trustee for the property and management
Of the association.
Charles 4. Dana remained at Brook Farm
altogether about FIVE yeafs. OF from iStl 30
1S4o. Gen. Wilson says that although hO
has read all the attainable accounts Of the
Brook Farm experiment, he has failed TO
discover any word from Dana indicating
complete confiden in It's success. In his
correspondence. indeed. he speaks fire.
quently In favor Of cooperation and In
praise OF DR.. Ripley's management. He
lent his name and such credit as he had 10
the association. and stood by it till disaster
overwhelmed II. He wrote much for the
Hdrbinper, which was its organ, but we are
told hat his writings OF this period ndlcat
aspirations rather than convictions In
view Of all the circumstances the blog-
rapher has arrived at the conclusion that
Dana connected himself with Brook Farm
because it offered the best solution Of his
difficulties within reach, rather than from
belief that the experiment was founded In
true philosophy, political economy and the
requirements Of modern society.
1t is well known that the society gathered
at Brook Farm under the auspices Of DR.,
Ripley was a most interesting community.
1t counted among its distinguished men,
bers Nathaniel Hawthorne. George William
Curtis. Margaret Fuller. the Macdaniel
family. John s. Dwight and Albert Bris-
bane. Neither Emerson nor w. H. Chan
ming ever formally became a member. but
undoubtedly the organization owed much
TO their countenanoe and moral support.
Gen Wilson reproduces a contemporary
reference to the novel experiment In So
GEOLOGY contained in a letter by Horace
Greeley to Charles A. Dana under date Of
August, 1872. This letter, which is the
earliest record of their acquaintance,
pointed out weaknesses in the association
which must nave destroyed 1t ultimately.
even IL the original insuf1oienoy Of capital
had not proved fatal. The editors letter,
however, did not discourage Dana, who, as
we ave said, remained faithful to Brook
Farm until lS46, when owing to the destruc-
ton Of the "Phalanstery' by fire the asso-
citation had TO be dissolved.
. Whatever may have been the influence
Of Brook Farm on others. II was undoubtedly
OF substantial benefit to Charles A. Dana.
His frequent contributions to the Hdr-
binqer helped to qualify him for newspaper
work. The fact is recalled in Mr.. Swift's
Brook Farm that Dana never forgot,
and never in word repudiated, the Sssocia-
ton to which he had given FIVE years Of his
youth. mo ADLER or more sympathetic
tribute has ever been paid to the association
than was spoken by him at the University
OF Michigan on January 81. 1895. The
charm OF the life, the causes Of failure. his
own experiences, are all candidly and
gracefully told,
There is, indeed, no doubt that the five
years passed by Dana at Brook Farm with
friends whom he loved went far TO prepare
him for the battle Of life. OF the many
benefits which they brought him and for
which he always remained grateful, the
greatest wal his wife. Among the clever
and interesting people gathered at Brook
Farm was the Maodaniel family. consisting
of q widowed mother with her three chill
dren, one son and two daughters. They
were" the b~iographer recalls. from Mary
land. where the family had been long
settled. They brought with them an air
Of refinement which always Characterised
them. The youngest member Of thef family
was Eunice, an attractive and spirited girl.
with black and sparkling eyes and o slight
but erect and energetic figure. II her mind
had dwelt in the form Of a mar it must have
been regarded as a notable one. 1t inn
PEELED her 10 do her full part not only asa
member OF the Brook Farm community
but in the long and beautiful life TO which
il introduced her as q wife and mother
Misc Eunice Macdaniel was married to
Charles A. Dana at 80 Walker street. New
York, on March 2. 1915. the day before the
Phalanstery was burned. With their lives
linked by the sacred ties OF husband and
wife and having as yet no permanent home.
they we're literally compelled TO 60 forth
into the world to meet such fortune &C lie
had in store for them,
Dana is described at that time as "a
handsome man, not. indeed, after the grace
full y p OF George William Curtis, but
masculine, yet so slender as TO seem tall.
He had a firm. expressive face. regular and
clear cut, a scholars forehead, auburn hair
and a full beard. Strong in mind and gen-
eral physique, he conveyed the impression
OF force, whether he moved or spoke"
iii.
Some two years before the newly welded
couple severed their connection with Brook
Farm Charles Dana had made an arrange
ment 10 write for the Boston Daily Chrome
type for 81 a week. This small h~ebdomadal
compensation was now his main depend
ence, and, Of course. with a young wife to
support it was pitifully inadequate. Nor
was he long in reaching the conclusion that
the journalistic field Of Boston was TN
likely to yield him a sufficient income for
his growing necessities. Accordingly he
decided late in lS46 to remove TO New York,
and through Horace Greeley, whose 40
q~uaintance he had made five years before,
he secured employment as city editor Of
the Tribune at $40 a week to start with.
Before the year 1s47 was over Dana realized
that his income was insufficient and felt
compelled to strike for a higher salary. In
asmuch as he had proved his usefulness