The Washington herald., 1913-08-03
Members Of Single Tax Colo
ny in Delaware Have Gone
Back to Primitive Living in
the Lofty Branches.

Arden, Del, Aug.>2.-Arden's slogan
now is: Back to the treetops."
Originally the motto of the single
tax colony in Delaware was Back TO
the single land tax"
But when Arden got its speed up II
started backward for a lot of other
things besides the single land tax. 1t
went back to primitive living, in bum
galows, tents, or wooden sheds. 1t
went back to primitive dressing-in
bloomers, sandals. or bare feet, what
ever suited the individual taste.
Poets, writers. and artist Ardenites
went back to the crafts, back to the
land and back to Mother Nature.
Ultimately, of course, some of them
had to reach the point where they are
now, back TO the treetops." nesting
among the rustling leaves, their sleep
ing cots stretched between sturdy
branches far above the ground. like
the abodes of their ancestors in the
long ago.
This back to the treetops" move
ment in Arden has stirred the little
community to the depths of its ter
peramental soul and made 1t forget all
about the Bulgarian war, Secretary
Bryan's Chautauqua lecture trips. the
japanese land question, tariff talk, and
lobby revelations.
incidentally, it has put Arden back
on the map, where it was in the days
of "Uppy" Sinclair.
Behold what il means, this back to
the treetops" life.
1t literally and physically lifts you
almost beyond all taxation, at least in
a community where you are taxed only
for the land you occupy. The tree
top" people occupy no land at all. ex-
cept for the connection they make by
means of stepladders between mother
earth and their treetop bungalows.
Fad Started by Boys.
As most of the Ardenites are artists,
musicians, writer's, temperamental per-
sons of some kind, anything quaint, prim-
tive, or of little cost appeals to them,
and this renaissance of a prehistoric Gus
tom is rapidly becoming popular fad in
the colony. Most of those who have
adopted such queer habit are children,
but there are a few grown-ups among
them.
1t was the boys of the colony who
started the fad. Given a free lance.
boy with healthy, red corpuscles will
start anything, and it is not to be won
dered that the children of Arden pat
tered after the birds in their quest for
comfort. Four or five of them began con-
structing a crude platform on the boughs
Oh plS OAK aDOut 1Our weeks faSO. ana
now there are at least a dozen like it
in use.
The women colonists have not ventured
to make use of the idea yet, but several
of them are now trying to make up their
minds to do so. At present, they content
themselves with sleeping in tents The
platforms are used by the boys during
the day as well as al night. A trip
through the peaceful village during the
afternoon will reveal many of the young
sters taking their daily maps upon them.
The aerial resting places are built with
boards about ten inches high around the
edges, to keep the sleeper from rolling
off All of these arboreal couches are
from twenty to thirty feet from the
ground and are accessible by crosspfeces
nailed to the tree trunks. Unless it rains
the leafy roof above them sffords enough
shelter. keeping off the dew.
Inexpensive Housekeeping.
And treetop bungalows are the most
inexpensive thing in modern house build
ing. Anybody can afford to get married