The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-07

81 cities on the island, all large and
well built. The manners, customs and
laws of the cities are the same and they
are all contrived in as nearly the same
manner as the ground on which they
stand will allow.
The nearest lie "A miles distant from
each other, and the most remote are not
so far distant but that man can go in
days journey from one to the other
which lies nearest it, The chief town OF
the island is Amaurot, which is situated
near the center of the island, and TO that
city each of the other cities send every
year three of their wisest magistrates 10
consult about the common concerns. Eacn
city has 20 miles of ground around II set
off to its jurisdiction, and except where
the towns lie wider apart when they nave
a proportionally large allotment OF
ground, no town desires to enlarge its
grounds. for its inhabitants consider
themselves rather as tenants than as
owners of the soil.
They have built all over the country
farm houses for the husbandmen, which
are well contrived and are furnished with
all things necessary for country labor.
The inhabitants are sent by turns from
the cities to dwell on the farms. No coun-
try family has less than 40 in it, be-
sides two slaves. These slaves are either
natives condemned for some crime to
servitude or are natives of other coun-
tries or are prisoners taken in war. II
they are people from some neighboring
state then they may, at their discretion,
go back to the country from which they
came for they came of their own will,
rather preferrng to be slaves in Utopia
than to live in their own land.
Over every one of these country fam
lilies there are q master and a mistress
set and over every 80 families a magis-
trate is settled. Every year 20 of these
country families go back to the town to
which the land upon which they are set
tied belongs Cbut they have first been
there two years., and in their room an
other 20 families are sent out to practice
agriculture, which they learn from those
families which are already there. By this
means those who dwell in the towns are
never ignorant of agriculture, and so
commit no errors which might be fatal
and bring on a scarcity of corn.
Though there Is every two years this
shifting of husbandmen In order that
none may be forced against his inclina-
ton to follow this agricultural life too
long, yet many among them take such
pleasure in it that they ask leave to con-
tine in it many years, and as rule their
requests are granted. Though the farm
ers know exactly how much corn will
serve a town and all that tract of coun-
try which belongs to it, yet they SOW
much more corn and raise many more
cattle than are necessary for the con-
sumption of themselves and the urban
population. This they do that in case
their neighbors are scanted by reason of
bad crops they may give to them of
their surplus. When they want anything
in the country which the rural districts
do not produce they go to the nearest
city and fetch it without carrying any
thing in exchange for it. When the time
of harvest comes the magistrates in the
country send to those in the towns tell
ing them how many extra hands they
will need for the gathering of the crops,
and the number they call for being sent
them, they commonly gather all the
harvest in one day
He that knows one of the towns of
Utopia knows them all. Amaurot, the
capital, is a good example of the others.
rising ground, and in figure is almost
up to the top of the hill it slopes down
to the River Anider, which is there half
a mile wide. The river water is fresh
as it passes the town, but there is an
ebb and flow tide every six hours, and
below the city the water Is brackish.
There is a stately bridge of stone arches
thrown over the river at the further
end of the town, and below this bridge
are the wharves, which are crowded WITH
shipping. There is another river, small
one, which runs through the city, and the
inhabitants have fortified the source of
this stream so that, in case of war and
SIEGE their water supply may not be
cut off The water of this small stream
is carried about the city in earthen pipes
and where this cannot be done there are
csterns for catching the rain water. A
high, thick wall surrounds the town and
the streets are very broad and we'll con-
structed for carriages and we'll sheltered
from the winds.
The buildings are good and of so uni
form a pattern that whole side Of
street looks like one house. Behind ev-
cry house is a garden, and every house
has two doors, one from the street and
a back door into the garden. AS there is
no such thing as property among the
Utopians, every man may freely enter
any house or garden which he pleases.
At the end of every ten years they shift
their houses by drawing lots These gar
dens behind the houses are very beau
tiful, and are cultivated with the great
est care, so that they have vines. fruits,
flowers and herbs in them. And this
keeping up of the gardens is not only
because of the pleasure the Utopians find
in them, but for the reason of the emu
lation between the inhabitants to see
who will have the better garden
The houses are all three stories high
and faced either with stone, plastering
or brick. The roofs are fat and on them
costs little and, while it resists the
weather better than lead. is so tempered
/ that it cannot take fire. They have an
abundance OF glass among them with
which they glaze their windows and they
also use overstheir windows a thin linen
| cloth that is so oiled and p,1mmed that