The Penn's Grove record., 1911-09-01
Arden, The Single Tax Colony.
How Few Know of Noted and His
toric Events Near Them.

tOrIC Events Near lNcIus |
Having read magazine article about
the single tax settlement in New Castle
Co.. Delaware, in which Upton Sinclair
figures so prominently, we had a desire
to visit the place, and resolved, that
should be one of our summer pilgrim
ages. Later on came the w~orkhOuse
episode of the Ardenites and the var
ious newspaper comments upon the
same. so we resolved to just go to
Arden.
We found friend who was interested
in the place, so on Wednesday morn
ing the 23l, we took the 9.15 boat for
Wilmington. Upon arriving In VIII
mington we began our inquiry for Ar
den and how to reach it. We first
asked the ticket agent at the office OF
the Reading depot. He had never
heard of Arden, it was not on their
road. Then we tried various stores.
.sArden? Mol l have never heard OF
the placer At one store we were told
| they chad never heard nothing about
such a place"
Finally we came across a German
and a small boy. They knew about
Arden, and could tell us how to reach
it. According to their directions we
took a Delaware Avenue car TO he b.
g. O Station. The agent there was
familiar with the place. Harvey was
the name of the station, and a walk OF
ten minutes from Harvey would land
us at Arden. purchased our tickets
and complacently awaited our train, feel
ing that patience had its reward.
While waiting we reflected upon the
[ strangeness of the fact that, notwith-
standing every Philadelphia daily and
certainly every Wilmington paper had
been full of " single tax settlement"
Arden, Upton Sinclair, the famous
socialist author, Brown, the scientific
anarchist, Stephens, and Ware, that at
east a half dozen people in business i'll
the immediate vicinity of the place
where these things were happening
knew absolutely nothing of them. Not
until we found a German business man
and a small boy, could we get any
information.
OF course the small boy always knows
what is doing. We made the mistake
of not asking the first youngster i'll his
teens whom we met after landing. But
is it not significant that out OF a half
dozen business people only a German
knows of this event happening i'll their
midst.
In due time the train came. We
boarded it and were carried onward to
Harvey, about Il ten minute ride. A
walk Of a half mile along "A country
road brought us to the entrance of
Arden.
This consists of a rustic arch u,'on
which is inscribed, "Ye Are Welcome
Uither." A foot path leads through a
growth of bushes and trees for a short
distance then branches off into two
paths, one leading to the right, winding
around past a house here and there,
generally rustic structures of one story
and one large frame house known as
the lodging house for those who have
not THAR own domiciIaS
That to the left leads to the carrii &c
road, which runs through the settle.
ment and winds around down past the
woods and out into the pubic road.
Paths leading from various houses in-
Iersect this road, just fOotpaths. Also
on this road is the inn, where dodgers
and visitors are fed. This is a small
one story structure having a large ex-
tension i'll the form of a porch, enclosed
with some netting. In this enclosure
were a number of tables capable of
seating from four to six persons. Near
the inn is an ice cream parlor, print
tive but neat.
At this j%uncture a n horse carriage
driven by Il young man came in sight,
and the persuasive powers of my friend
backed by the promise of fifty cents
secured us a ride for the rest Of our
tour of inspection and returned to
Harvey station.
Our young driver proceeded to show
us the town in state. The residence
of Harold Ware was the first pointed
out to US. A plain story and half
structure. Along the wood road, that OF
Brown, the anarchist. Beyond this,
built in the edge of woods, is Upton
Sinclair's Oh the bungalow style, an
ideal spot for a writer. Opposite, but
flu ,ther down the road, Stephen IS; fur
ther down and along the woods, the
IN Jst c~ommodious house in the settle
ment, Mr.. Downs. This, we were told
was very handsomely finished inside and
beautifully furnished. Oar driver said
qnite a few of these houses were hand
somely fitted up inside, The majority
seemed to be rustic affairs built of the
timber felled upon the place, the bark
still being on the logs or boards. The
ones under construction were of O
crete or plaster. A few of these are
Two story buildings.
Browns and Sinclair's are on the
bungalow style. There seems to be nc
effort at regularity in arrangement OF
architecture, each one seems to follow
his own sweet taste in location and