Evening journal., 1915-05-24
ARDEN UPnFTED ON
anniversary DAY
Speeches and Extracts from
Henry George Serve TO
Give Tone TO Natal Fete
SHEEP FAILS TO
MAR OCCASION

ARDEN. Del, May 24.-As they say
in Arden, opalescent clouds we're
hung across the azure sky like a flmy
silken curtain. softening the suns
rays to a dull amber glow and re-
fracting the atmosphere in a deeper
purple as. in the dim perspective. it
mingled with and was lost in the
varying greens Of foliage and tree.
High-brow stuff, to be sure, and in
dicating that Arden still is strong for
the intellectual uplift even if Upton
Sinclair is no longer there.
The opalescent amber that dimmed
into purple and faded into green did
not refract upon the reportorial optic.
But what IL crude vision could not
camera the elusive tints? Certainly
they were known TO be there. For
was not Sunday Arden Day in cele-
bration Gf the fifteen anniversary of
the colony's creation?
And is 1t not well known, mayhap
notorious. that when Arden celebrates
Il must be with the atmospheric or
ETHEREAL aura in absolute and ecstatic
harmony with the temperamental
tempestuosity Of its people?
Why certainly. Chorus: Why OF
coursei
Wherefore, il was a day brilliant
but subdued. than which there could
have been nothing in the way of
weather more fittingly to portray the
intellectual poise and the mental out
look OF that world-famed settlement,
variously dedicated through its indi-
vidual inhabitants to the advance
ment of art, letters, the single tax
and socialism, etcetera, ad infnitum
And when forty of their number,
including the four speakers. fore
gathered in the afternoon at Field
! Theatre, the same being picturesque
, miniature of the old Athenian open
air playhouses. Il was a certainty
that something interesting would hap
pen, though TO be sure the program
did not provide for the town sheep
that bleated its protest at every men
b tion of the name of William Morris,
, nor for that tow-headed young Ad-
, denite who wandered innocently
across the grass-carpeted theatre,
distracting attention and threatening
2 for a time to disrupt the meeting.
Story With Obscure Point.
William Ross opened the meeting
= by saying that Arden reminded him of
Z the story of a man who remained in a
5 tree all night, thinking that a bear
e had chased him, only 10 find at dawn
= that the bear" was really a calf. Mr
s Ross was rather obscure as to the
p analogy of his yarn. and he didn't init
y mate who he was knocking. but some
n of the Ardenites seemed to know.
y I'VE are coming to realize" said
>. ( Mr.. Ross. that the human race really
2 has disinherited itself through ignor-
ance. I'm not making an apology for
p the single tax We do not claim II
r is perfection, but here in Arden the
4 principle of equal right to the use
q Of the land has been carried out as
successfully as possible.
1 THE denial of an equal right of
' all TO the use of the earth is a worse
{ tragedy to the human race than that
D caused by the great war in Europe
> The Arden principles will be the uni
= versal principles when all people are
o. sufficiently educated"-Mr Ross
Y paused a moment that his subtle com
: parison might be enjoyed al
iAAt HNOUAN dAt culllAAtnilN tuuOdltu
this subject"
The speaker continued to detail tn
advantages of Arden and the things 70
which il stands, and then introduced
speaker who gave a dramatic reading
/, from a passage in progress and Pow
7 erty." The ideal soon was shattered
U however, by the commercialized and vul
gar honk-honk of a viciously ehugginI
q automobile.
: At this stage Edward Potter. an asso
" ciate editor Of the magazine Equity.
who had an end mans place in an uppe
! tier Of the gallery of Field Theatre, CAV
= a convincing proof Of the absolute democ
u racy of Arden.
With a long drawn breath he drew hi
feet up TO the bench. stretched himsel
cut across it. and, with his head in hi
> wife's lap and his hat across his face
y proceeded to accord the speaker that at
- teution peculiar to Ardenites who wan
u particularly to fatter so~'e orator.
Frank Stevens, one of the founders O
Arden, then was called upon.
at was William Morris who said
e "Ba-a-a!" The audience looked shock
3 ed. Some of them looked suspiciousl
i at their neighbors. Mr.. Stevens fushe
d little, and then began again.
le "From the point Of view that looks o.
N the beauty of life"
/ "Ba-a-al Ba-a-al"
ID Mr. Stevens shifted his position an
looked sharply in the direction of som
'r Of the younger residents seated in tn
IS gallery" He wasn't to be stopped
m though. and continued;
10 'Tf a man has it in him To-"
Ig "Ba-a-a,"
ID Hal Twas a Sheep.
The speaker turned sternly to his col
leagues on the platform. just at tina
moment came saving stage whispe
that could be heard all over Field The
atre, Its a sheep"
4 And there came an answering. even
y more dcfying "Ba-a-a." Convinced
however, that nobody was trying an
funny business. Mr.. Stevens went o
r with his address, and soon so discom
nt aged the sheep that it retired to
"a shamed silence
IN After Chairman Ross had pronounce
e. the afternoon meeting a great success
rs the Ardenites dispersed. TO meet agai
er for vespers at $50. and the regula
d, campfire meeting in the evening. And n
le the sun lowered and shadows heightened
re absolute peace and perfect silence sci
~ tied upon Arden.
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