New-York tribune., 1921-06-26

Bay Soviet Wide Open.
To0Literal
lin It's Conception of
Communal Ownership
IN YER the sun-fecked waters Of Pelham
i Bay the fall Il of the hammer and the
~ drone of the saw now echo where
before were hard words and more
hard words. The revolution is ended on Chin
nysweep Islands, and the revolutionists have
,en condemned to exile--in Manhattan.
While the edifces Of private property grow
md blossom on Chimneysweep, those who q
Acrt time ago tried to make communist col
ny out of this little pile of rocks off the shore
the Bronx are cursing their fate in Green
B*spapers. And that's that, as the Wild Irish
Rose puts it.
Chimneysweep Islands to-day is a summer
alony Of assorted persons, mostly of the writ
ig persuasion--a colony which, though CO.
peratiyely owned, is strongly tainted with
rivate property. But Chimneysweep Islands
nly short time ago was the setting for an
npronptu experiment that was to have
Teighty and far-reaching consequences. AS
natter of fact, it did have, though not of the
sort the experimenters intended.
The "low down of the Battle of Chimney
weep is a tale to gladden. the heart and delight
the rlsibles. 1t is a tale of wild 'Wobblies"
and leaky bedquilts, of community bathing
suits and of breadknife that simply could not
De divided up 1t is tale of communists who
we're too communistic and of parlor Bolshe-
Tlks who, goaded to the point beyond which
not even parlor Bolshevik can be safely
gosded, reverted to the beliefs of their fathers
and won the Battle of Chinneysweep with
lard cash. It is tale of padlocks and busted
faiths and Joy.
Chlmneysweep in case you haven't heard of
y Is located out in Pelham Bay, an hour by
'a0way, half an hour by bus, and half an
lour more by rowboat from, any point from
'aeh you may start out Pedantically speak
ag' There are two islands, but the second one
80 small and so precipitously conical that
Uae out lovers desperate for solitude in an
"sr-erowded bay ever land there The island
. eali 1t the Elephants Back, and whenever
ne OF the literary members talks too per-
S'sntiy about the Great American Novel, he
threatened with isolation on that rocky peak,
~ Sfs has never yet been put into effect.
iaefe is scenery whichever way you look
'em Ghimneysweep. To the northeast is the
W sweep of Long Island Sound, studded
'a white sails and furrowed toward evening
the majestic passage of the Boston boats.
.asiaia iattanward ars more islands, including
ut Island and the potter's field, where.
'sOfong to the Chimneysweepers, the potters
'''ef about on windy nights. And in some
'as' alrections-the reporter is mixed up by
$ $ 'lnne-lies Pelham Bay, where all of the
wax rides on Sunday in rowboat, catboat.
aaeh and canoe.
lie tale goes, 1t was the Wild Irish
30 VINO first discovered Chimneyswcep a
'.4er ago. Formerly sort of maritime
ssnouse and fisherman's haven, since VOL
''a Gays the little island had been deserted
sep' Tor exploring boaters who peered
s.usn the cobwebby windows of the Bar
.As and the Nunnery and the Main.
~ the Wild Irish Rose, husky. hosnita-
! soai who heaves family furnishings into
out OF warehouse near Ninth Avenue.
'neysWeep was caviar. He immediately
'~ea up the owner of the island and Sc.
'ea 1t for the summer. That detail
saaeo TO- ne threw open the musty doors
snimneysweep to the world and invited