The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-07-19
the Monks of vagabondia now oc-
Door Is Always Open.

When an .outcast comes to the gate
of the colony all that is asked of him
is What can you do? What would
you most like to do if you had the
chance?" The visitor may have been
riding on a brake beam or a blind
baggage, or footed it from Chicago
or the Bowery. 1t does not matter
He does not register and has no bag
gage, for gentlemen of leisure travel
light. The door is opened wide to
him, and he is welcomed first to the
kitchen and coffee pot, and then to
bath, bed and the freedom of &C
ton that would be accorded any
guest at any country house. If after
the spirit of the place has soaked
into him little he expresses a pref
erence for any of the various en-
Payments that can be given him he
has only to work seven hours a day,
keep clean, abstain from swearing,
when not absolutely necessary, ."
and take in exchange three good
meals, his clothes, tobacco, and
something possibly less than a dollar
week.
There Is a printing shop for him
to work in if he has once been a
printer or would like to be one, a
weaving room where rugs, big and
little, are woven on old-fashioned
hand looms; he may try his hand at
carpentry, painting, cabinet work,
farming, cooking or waiting on
guests in the tea ROOM, for there are
fair number of automobiles and
others who call at the colony. He
may learn to be a salesman and prac-
tice on the rugs, or he may go out
and get subscriptions for the colo
ny's magazine.
There Is Work for All.
There is plenty of work for all
Old trades that are familiar may be
taken up again, or new ones may be
learned by square pegs who have
spent former years trying to squeeze
into round holes. About the only
thing that disqualifies a man for a
place in the colony is a recommen-
dation. A recommendation means a
friend, and a friend means a bond
with the successful world. Their
speciality at the Self Masters
Colony is to make friendless man
make a friend. Then he is sent on
his way again to be a producer in
stead of parasite.
The colony has repaired and put
in working condition some fine spec
linens taken from the human junk
pile. Some of these specimens have
needed complete overhauIing, while
others have only required a careful
inspection and shake or two like
the parlor clock that just stopped
running. Some have gone all to
pieces from a hard knock; others
have grown rusty gradually; a num-
Der of them only need their physical
mechanism strengthened, which is
soon done by farm work and open
air living, and occasionally a set of
apparently sound works simply has
stopped at dead center and, once
started, has gone on as well as ever.
All Are Brothers.
Probably majority of the men
composing the Self Masters have
been brought to their present estate
through drink. Most of them feel
they have a grievance against the
world. They are of all intellectual
classes, from the college graduate to
the product of the slums. Some are
victims of misfortune. Some are vi
cious. Some have been led to Vaga-
bOndia under circumstances stranger
than could be found in the pages of
fiction. A few of them may be waste
creatures, apparently without ambi-
ton through infrmities of mind and
character.
But whether he has been branded
by the state or society the visitor is
made to understand that in this col
ony there is no class and no preju-
dice. All meet upon the common
ground of brotherhood, where the
fallen man who so desires may get
his foot on a solid foundation and
begin the labor of his own regenera-
ton, learning the lesson that self
discipline is the only discipline that
lasts.
There is an atmosphere about the
place that makes each man feel that
in his own way he is needed. He
sees around him the routine of an
old-time country home, and has a
part III II. ne is not watched or
taken on suspicion. Whatever man
hood is latent at the bottom of his
heart and soul is given a chance to
come out There is nothing to re-
mind him of what lies behind-what
may have caused his degradation or
his gradual slipping in the mire. He
is shown by precept and example that
today and tomorrow are what count.
The Down and Out come and go.
There are sometimes 20 of them, Of
ten more. The house cannot COM
fortably shelter more than 25 or 80,
but nobody is turned away Through
out the land, by means of that mys-
FERROUS system of telegraphy known
to all Vagabondia, few waste men
are in ignorance that in the little
village of Union, N. j., there is a
haven where, if ever a wandering
ambition seizes upon them to make
themselves anew it is ready to help
if they will but turn their steps in
that direction.
When first the family" took up
it's quarters in the Old mansion at
Union residents for miles around be-