The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-14
Genius Gets
Full Play in
Colony Life
Edward Mcdowell Idea
Carried Out at Farm
in New England.
BY HELEN WORDEN
In EnsrlaI Mrlter

DETERBORO. y. H. June IA
4 An interesting experiment Is be-
ing tried out az the Mcdowell
colony.
A small rr0uD n musicians, paint
ers and writer's is meeting this
week to exchange ideas and discuss
work.
Arthur Harmon. the architect Of
the Empire State building. is here.
Ernest Schelling. pianist. symphony
leader and president Of the Mac
Doweli colony. Mr.. and Mrs. Albert
Eioessel. Mrs. Benjamin Prince.
Mabel Daniels. Mrs. Eugene Cole
man Sawdge. Douglas Moore. Lewis
Isaacs and John Erskine have ar
rived.
Mrs. Edward Mcdowell. Mrs
II. A. Beach. Frances Frost. Mildred
Shire. Nina Richardson. Kenneth
Kempton and Frederick Lansing
Day have been at Peterboro since
the colony opened June /.
Albert Spalding. Felix SalmOnd.
Ernest Hutcheon and oscar Wagner
are 10 come.
I drove up from New York with
Mrs. Herbert WitherspOOn. We
mOtored $50 miles. through a green
landscape yelled IN rain. Our road
led past chsik-White New England
houses which fringed wide streets,
shaded BY great elm trees.
Colonial churches. ancient bury
ing grounds and an occasional
Revolutionary inn. emphasized the
picturesque past Of locality rich in
American history.
The Mcdowell colony is very
much OF the present. A row Of
shelves crowded with books give tes-
timony 10 the creative industry OF
the colonists.
Among those whose books appear
are Hervev Allen C'AnthOny Ad-
verse;. Thornton Wilder C'The
Bridge OF San Luis Rey'D. Leonard
Enrich Goods Angry MANI and
Du Bose Hayward C'Porgy').
Composer Bought Farm
About IS years ago. Edward Mac
Dowen. the American composer,
bought a hundred-acre deserted
farm in the hills OF New Hampshire.
The rambling yellow frame house
crowned a small knoll above the
tiny village Of PeterbOro.
A vegetable garden, chicken yard,
cheerful red barns and slOping green
me sdows contributed TO the rural
touch.
Behind the house stretched for
est Of tall pine trees. Here, in a
small log cabin with its open fire
and broad windows. Mcdowell COM
posed the woodland suite which in
cludes To a Water Lily To a
Wild Rose" and The Eagle" and
also wrote two Of his four SOnatas.
Mr.. Mcdowell died in 1908. He
IS buried near his studio. His
widow has made the PeterbOrO farm
2 center for the endowment Of
genius with money earned from lee
lures which she gave. royalties from
her husbands compositions and the
financial help from his friends and
followers. She has built 25 separate
studios. designed the community
ullllE man, dNQulltu n AluAd ~ anu
bought more land. until now the
estate covers 600 acres.
The Mcdowell colony is a place
where YOU don't have 10 meet per-
sons unless you feel in the mood.
Sometimes We don't see each
other for days" Mrs. Beach said.
IF you're in tie midst of a book,
working OF G picture or composing
some music, sou don't want to be
disturbed"
Genius Given Rein
To make il easier for the fires OF
genius TO burn. Mrs. Mcdowell
sends a trlIcl, loaded with food bas-
kets at meal time around TO the
studios. Each basket is placed out
side the door. You can reach out
and fish IL in when YOU feel like it.
I'm in Pam Cottage. Ny little room
has sloping caves. cream plaster
walls, bright orange linen curtains,