Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-22
NE " BOLSHEV|K
COLONY ON THE
TOLST0| ESTATE
They Will Attempt to Rec
tify Failure of Commun-
ism; Members Make a
Religion of Manual Labor

Yasnaya Polyana, Russia, Dec
21,--Fifteen young men, two younl
women and an elderly matron .hav'
recently established on the Tolsto
estate what they term IAN i'm
proved bolshevl1 community
described as an attempt to rectif.
failure of communism, the mem
bers Of the colony are the declared
enemies of the destruction of prop
erty, human or animal life anC
thus are arrayed against the sovieI
government.
The members of the colony make
a religion Of manual labor and de-
clare its chief tenet to be en-
bodied in the phrase, Love thy
neighbor as myself" They declare
themselves, like Count Tolstoi
"searchers for the truth In all
things" They arrived here in
learly September with permit from
Moscow to occupy portion of the
estate now classed as a national
institution. A teacher whose
brother is director of the colony,
organized the movement. The IS
members, all of whom profess the
practical idealism of the Doukho-
bors sect with a mingled belief in
Buddhism, were allotted quarters In
a<ence handsome but now tumbled
down, one story building of the
estate built in 1880 for the serfs
of Prince Volkonski, father Of Toll
stoi's mother.
Building Made Habitable.
The new arrivals have made the
building habitable and have start
ed to prepare for the cultivation of
the 100 acres included in their
grant. Food SO far has been sup
piled free by the soviet9 govern
ment, gthe same as to all visitors
to the Tolstoi home. The three
women do the cooking.
The correspondent came first In
contact with a member of the col
ony in a rather strange manner.
After a long journey, he had been
enrolled as a pilgrim at the Tolstoi
home, according to the rules OF
the institution. He was given a
bed in the ground floor room char
acterized by a big brick arch, oc-
eupied by Tolstoi for some is years
Just as he was dropping off to
sleep he was reused by pleasing
chords on the grand piano located
In the room, The playing was
done by a young man who wore
nigh boots, a belted Jacket, and a
cap. Seeing the cores
oondent, he stopped playing and
lpologized, saying he didn't know
he room was occupied. Then he
vent on to explain who he was
md began to ask information
bout the possibility of walking
o India by way of Turkestan. He
wanted to study philosophy there,
le said.
All Trees Whitewashed.
The 100 sore farm includes
zig orchard planted by the famous
Russian author and one of the first |
let's of the newcomers was TO
yhitewash all the trees. This OPP
ration was preceded by an anil
mated discussion as to whether II
hould be done. The young men |
arefully debated this problem: II |
he trees were not whitewashed,
he orchard will be ruined by in
ects but If the whitewash Is APP
lied the insects will die of starva-
ion and it is wrong to destroy life,
IS the members of the colony are
egetarians and fruit is therefore
he prime article of food to them.
ecessity prevailed over ideals and
ne whitewashing was done.
A second problem was solved
,,ot, oftar Tho can1e reasoning, i
or many years the manager OF
ne Tolstoi estate has been Prince
who occupied a building
nee used by the author as a peas
nts' school. The newcomers, de-
laring that the presence of an
might restrict their lib
rty of action" have decreed that
ne prince must go and the Obolin-
ki family soon must seek food and
1elter elsewhere.