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, ish river, near here, for silver salmon.
i Most of these fish are being smoked,
i and recently the smokehouse was
burnt. Now a new one has been
built which will handle twice as many
fish as the old one.
Some people think fishing is a sort
of outing; but all who have tried it
and caught fish have concluded it to
be a very bad job. And so it is the
most dissagreable ot colony work; as
one is out all times of night and day
and the fish bite better when it is
stormy. When there is no net to
mend or boat to clean the fisherman
can eat or sleap—if it is not time to
go out again.
Conected with the fishing depart
ment is clam digging, in which nearly
every one takes hand. We go to
Sam'ish island, as it is the nearest
place, and dig when the tide is out;
this generally happens on a dark,
cold night. Clams here are no small
things, they weigh from four ounces
to 10 pounds, and are not considered
good during warm weather.
E. C. Halladay.
Shoemaking
1 was asked by the editor of Indus
trial Freedom to write something
about the shoe shop. The first shoe
maker that came to the colony was
Louis Yockey, after him came Com
rade Peterson, who stayed nearly one
year. Then came the Aust brothers
I who left over two years ago. A little
I over a year ago Comrade Yockey died.
I That left the colony without a shoe
1 maker.
I had [worked at the trade of har-
I nessmaking previous to coming to
I the colony and have mended the har
! ness whenever it was needed. Iliad
. put on a few pairs of soles, but that is
all I had done in shoe mending. It is
about two years since I came to be
" the sole occupant of the shoe mending
|;establishment.-'The first summer and
the winter following I was kept busy
Host of the time but for the last year
, only part of my time has been spent
to shoepreparing; some times only one
two days in the week, sometimes
mmore;7^ y ':;;';■'. ?" Z-;."*■;■ •'; bJ
Wthe shop is well supplied with tools
Sp|fcr shoe mending but for harness
jMwork there are very few. I do most
f|6f the sewing on a Singer patching
j machine. We have got a Wheeler
J Wilson machine for sewing uppers but
j I have not learned to run that as yet.
■i In these latter days, when every-
I thing is done by machinery, hand
I work will soon be a thing of the past
j and 1 will lose my job.
; Members are charged 5 cents an
§: hour for summer months and 6 cents
| for the present for the work, and cost
! of material for shoe mending and
(other expenses, as fuel. I believe
that by putting in full time in the
f I shoe part of the business I could mend
j; for 500 people. I do more or less
work for people outside the colony.
i This is rather a disconnected sketch
i as I have not preserved any statistics
an-1 I give the dates from memory,
| hut if requested will be a little more
fdifinite in future.
R. 11. Young, Supt.
I Blacksmithing
Our blacksmith shop became 0 re
ality the first ol April, 1898. The
first blacksmith on the colony
I grounds was J. B. Heel, from Chicago,
hut as the colony at that time had no
tools to start a shop it remained an
ideal to Ik- attained.
In March, of 1898, Robert Barton,
of Battle Creek, Mich., and A. L.
Young, of Camden Me., arrived, and
plans tor a shop were talked of; Bar
f ton and Young both having the tools
| for a general repair shop. The latter
§ part of Aprial the tools arrived and
I were moved into the old bunkhouse,
loccupied the first winter by the pio
neers. Work was comenced, Barton
fas blacksmith, A. L. Young as wagon
f maker. In the fall of 1898, Oswald
Kaden, of Fnirhaven, came and
fcWorked in the shop, helping put up
our mill and has worked there off
and on ever since.
The shop was moved up on the hill
to the town site about this time,
a few new tools purchased, and the
shop fixed up in first class style. The
greater part of the tools in"the shop
were donated by Barton and Young.
The present 'occupant of the shop
began as helper in June, 1898, and is
not a master mechanic vet.
The requirements of the colony
blacksmith are beyond the capacity
of one man.
A, comes in from the donkey and
wants a hook for a block that will re
sist a strain ranging from 150 to 300
horse power; B, wants a shoe put on
a horse; C, wants to know if you
can't draw his axe out a little and
temper it, as it's too thick to grind.
Mrs. D's tea pot has a hole in it' to be*
soldered before dinner; and the lock
on the bakery door is out of whack,
and when can you fix it ? One of the
girls has broken a stickpin and wants
it fixed before school; and one of the
colony kids wants a uickle plated oc
tagon burr for his bike; and the most
of this is to be done rightaway.
In fact, the colony blacksmith is
"supposed" to know bow to fix any
thing. But it is all done some time
and the shop is one unit that makes
the whole. All depends on each.
E. C. Halladay, Supt.
Laundry
The laundry department is now
composed of Comrades Hugtienin and
Mrs. Oss, who do a great part of the
colony washing and also do work for
"outsiders".
Right now this is a profitable little
industry. The cash receipts average
$5 per week, only about 100 hours
work is needed, so the colony work
is done for very little.
• Some little trouble has been experi
enced in the delivering of goods, but
this is now remedied.
Mrs. Anna Oss, Supt.
A New Member
Friends and Comrades:l will now
fulfill my promise and tell you about
Equality as seen by a new comrade.
The comrades here have about 020
acres, 100 under the plow.
•We will now go to the top of Nob
hill on the east side of the colony and
as we stand looking west we sec the
cottages of the members all down the
side hill. Just below them are apart
ment houses, store, postoffiee, print
er}*, barber anil tailor shops; off to
our right is the bakery, api.iry, poul
try house, barn, blacksmith shop,
coffee factory, dining room and
laundry; further to the right across
the creek are the saw, shingle, platt
ing and grist millss. This brings us
to the flat where we have 100 acres
in garden, meadow, orchard and
berries. Running through the garden
from north to south the new line of
the Great Northern railroad one and
one-halt'miles further west we can see
the clear waters of Fuget sound with
steam and fishing boats passing in
plain sight.
I never have regretted for a moment
that we came to this lovely climate—
the best I ever lived in, even though
it is wet a portion of the year.
The greatest need of our colony to
day is more good cooperative workers,
and money to get necessary machinery,
but with willing workers—men and
women that can see the future and
are willing to endure a little privation
and even personal discomfort for the
good of the cause --we will soon be
the richest workers on earth. Hard
work will do it every time.
A. D. Jt in..
STAY ON THE BOX
If the class conscious worker, with
his "rough appearance and uncouth
manners," perched upon his soapbox,
using such "bad English," has brought
the socialist movement to its present
success, he is perfectly able to handle
it still. He must not get down off that
box; if he does, he abdicates his throne
to the middle class reformers just as
sure as he is a foot high, and don't you
forget it. The wage workers have not
become so well educated within the
short period of a year or two as to re
rquire perfect grammar and brilliant
oratory to make them understand the
class struggle and how affects them.
If it is the wage worker who must
rise to the positions heretofore occu
pied by his teachers, preachers and
basses, then he must force his way in
to those positions in spite of the fact
that the present occupants will at
tempt to hold on to them by shouting
for socialism in the abstract and noth-
ing more.
For thousands of years the workers
have listened! It is now time they did
a little talking and acting for them
selves.
It is all right to "lift socialism out
the mud," but unless the wage work
ers do the lifting, by raising them
selves in the economic and social scale,
we fail to see how the wage workers
will be benefited by socialism! Keep
your places on the box, boys !— Wage
Worker.
IS SOCIALISM A PANACEA?
A Plea for an Ethical Standard by a Former
Secretary of Equality
Socialism, a theory of society (and
not a philosophy of life), in proposing
to "substitute the principle of associ
ation for that of competition in every
branch of industry" is not a panacea
in so far as it recognizes merely an
economic evolution and disregards the
far more important factor of a racial
evolution.
The socialist condemns the misdeeds
of the office holder, apparently en
tirely-overlooking the fact that said
office holder was actuated by the
same impulses before the villian at
tained to office. Very few of govern
ment positions from president down
are held by socialists. These posi
tions are sought mainly with a view
to realize the common ideals of today:
power, fame and wealth. Would it
be any different under a different or
der of society? I think not, the peo
ple's conception of life • must be
changed. True reform starts from
within and not from without.
To the writer the problem of right
ing our social and industrial evils ap
pears much more complex and diffi
cult, than a mere bread and butter
question. Although gratifying to
note that the socialist party platform
recognizes (seventh paragraph) "that
the time and manner of the transition
of socialism also depend upon the
stage of development reached by the
proletariat,'' socialists generally con
sider men and their intellect to be the
product of environment, reversing the
biological fact that function precedes
organization, and, one may say, de
sire precedes both.
When man reaches his proper sphere
or place in evolution, environment
will cease to be operative. At his
lire-sent stage of immaturity, man is
influenced by physical conditions in
proportion as the material obscures
the divine, but being a self-conscious,
morally responsible being, it seems
safe to set down his environment to
be his own inheritance from an un
known past.
[ do not see that there can be any
question but that human laws arc the
formulation of human will, vet in the
same breath that the socialist ad
vances the theory of environment he
endeavors to arouse the will to
change the environment in which we
find ourselves. Hut once his harsh,
materialistic, selfish views are soft
ened by a spiritual philosophy of life,
he realizes that mind dominates mat
ter, that no lasting reform can be
brought about except in accordance
with the embracing of higher concep
tions of file, justice and brotherhood.
He finds that all our troubles are
practically the same--call them what
you will. " Society really changes very
little though it may manifest in alter
nating forms. Slavery, feudalism,
sweat shop evil, trust or government
despotism are all one and same at
bottom. "Men are not made moral
by acts of parliament," as Herbert
Spencer so clearly shows in his "Com
ing Slavery;" change at once the stat
us of society and the selfishness that
manifests now in one channel will ex
hibit its strength in other ways. The.
evil in human nature is bound to find
an outlet. A common fallacy is to ex
pect harmony in society ere we have
harmony in the individual—to think
that united society will be managed
honestly and efficiently though each
person be dishonest and lacking in ex
ecutive ability. As Emerson well
says (p. 261, vol. 2, Essays), "There
can be no concert in two where there
is no concert in one."
It is my conviction that the uphold
ing of an ethical standard by all who
are in any way trying to better the
world will do much to leaven the
lump of humanity into one solidarity.
Then will cease so much of the foster
ing of class prejudice so naturally fol
lowing the advocacy of a mere "belly
philosophy." A. K. Hanson. "
ADDITIONAL NEWS
The socialists of Dover. N, H., have or
ganized a branch of the party with 29 mem
bers.
Socialists of Rochester, N. V., expect to
elect comrade Frank Sleverman to the muni
cipal assembly.
Comrade William Blenko of Kokomo,
Ind.. challanged anybody in the town to a
debate on socialism.
The city central committee of Milwaukee
will hereafter meet on the first and third
Monday of the month.
Prof. Herring of Notre Dame college,
Versailles. Ind.. told his class that they
should study socialism.
Comrade Morris Htllquit js the candi
date of the party for assemblymen in the
40th district of New York.
The; socialist Saengerbuud of Chicago
will hold his tenth annual concert hi Brand's
hall, on Sunday. October 20. V?
Charles H. Vail is out Wish a challenge
to the republican and democratic candidates
for governor in New Jersey.
Fram, an Influential Norwegian paper of
the northwest, published at Fargo, N. D.,
lias come out for the socialist party.
A democratic state committeeman in
Massachusetts,-George A. Mahoaey, has re
signed his office and declared for socialism.
Socialists of the state of Washington are
raising a fund to support an organizer.
Nearly $50 a month has already been pledged,
In the local election at It ickville, Conn.,
the socialists polled 127 straight votes. The
republican vote was 07!) and the democratic
370.
Comrade Morris Hillquil spoke on social
ism »t New York September 25, under the
auspices of the social democratic Woman's
society.
A mass convention of the- racialists of
Oregon was held at Salem September 25 for
the purpose of effecting a permanent state
organization.
The city ticket of the socialist party at
Indianapolis received 213 votes: That's a
rough showing, after all our labors in the
Hoosler burg.
The socialists of Chicago announced that
they have secured the first regment
••armory" for a grand entertainment to lie
given November 23,
Cooper Union hall was filled on the rjth
when the ratification meeting of the New
York comrades was held Hanford, Carey
and I.on ■ were the speakers,
The racialist labor part) failed to c-et on
the ballot In California on account ot lack of
signatures to its petition. This leave- only
one socialist ticket in the Held.
Comrade V. G. Strickland spoke at
Toledo in Mayor Jones'"Golden Hide park,"
Sunday afternoon, September 7. and also he.d
severed street meetings in that city.
Comrades G, 11. Lock wood has been
elected organizer for the party at Minne
apolis and the local branch Is growing. The
headquarters are at 125 Nicollet avenue.
Comrades Mr, and Mrs. George D. TTcr
ron sailed for Europe on the 12th for a few
month's rest The trip Is taken on the ad
vice of Comrade George Herron's physician.
Members of the socialist labor parte of
Nebraska protested against the nomination
papers filed by the socialist party OB the
grounds thai It was using ■ part of their
name, but the secretary of state overruled
the protest, stating that no socialist labor
party existed in Nebraska, at it had not had
a ticket in the field since 1898.
