Daily inter mountain. [volume], January 06, 1900, Page 11, Image 11

About Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
THEY FAILED
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Tile Foundation of a Modern
v » wuuuauuu UI A 1UUUCI11
Utopia.
DREAM OF CERTAIN MEN
Several Colonies Have Been Started
But Failure Has Been the End
In All of tne Attempts.
'As long as the world endures there
will nrnhnhlv be men whose ambition it
P robab,y be men f ™ DU , ,
will be to attempt to solve the social
problem. Ever since the days of the
Brook farm, to the inception of which
so many of the brightest men and wo
men of this country gave their best
thoughts, men have dreamed of Utopias
in which all should reside together so
peacefully that the world would be
taught a lesson that would persuade it to
»°m a r» of °! d f °.
a more ideal method of living. Almost
every year has seen the organization of
some new Utopia based upon the vision
ary dreams of social reformers. In the
ôry these projects may have been cor
rect. If they could be successfully car
ried out they might be able to solve all
the social difficulties of the world, but in
nearly every instance the theory, when
put Into practical operation, has met
some insurmountable obstacle and the
Utopia, founded upon such honest hopes,
became another of the many failures.
The story of Brook farm is a familiar
one to every student of American affairs.
Never in the world has such a colony
been organized under more auspicious
circumstances, and yet the Brook farm
disappeared as thoroughly as many of
the less pretentious colonies of later
years. Since the days of the Brook farm
there has been no less than 100 projects
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' **•< A SETTLER VIEWING HIS IDEAL HOME.
ef this kind proposed In this country
aionQ, and there have been but few of
them that have shown any reasonable
indication of stability. i
FoJ years California has been one of
the favorite spots for these experiments
in sociology. In 1886 six of these colo
nies, each with its different conception
of ditties and diet, dress and labor, were
started in that state. Four years later
every one of them had vanished, and it
has been the same way with scores of
others founded on the widest range of
bases, from a diet of nuts and fruit and
two hours' labor a day, to the models of
early Christian life, or the principles of
French or German socialism.
One of the most hopeful of all these
Utopias was started on the slope of the
Howell mountain, near Sacramento,
about eight years ago. The colonists
had plenty of money and they threw
themselves heart and soul into the pro
ject. It was their theory that ten years'
work would be sufficient to support a
member in comfort all his days, and this
might have proved to be true if ill for
tune had not come. Suddenly commer
cial conditions changed, wool became so
cheap that it was no longer profitable to
clip it, the price of cattle dropped 50 per
cent, and, to top all, the crops were a
failure. Then came the mortgages and
finally, after a brave struggle, the end.
Another equally promising colony was
started in Los Angeles county a few
years ago. The colonists were Polish
men and women, each of whom was
gifted in literature, art or music. They,
too, had money in plenty, and all they
desired was Jo find a place where the
sun would always shine for them, the
earth blossom at their bidding, and
where, above all else, there should be no
political spies or literary censors. In
California they found such a spot, but
as none of them knew anything about
agriculture, things did not prosper as
they had anticipated, and they finally re
turned to Poland poorer but wiser for
their experiment.
In the early seventies a band of colo
nists bought 400 acres of land in a lovely
California valley. There were 50 French
men and about 30 Americans in the party
and their purpose was to live up to the
socialistic teachings of Etienne Cavet,
who held that individualism was the
cause of selfishness, and that selfishness
was the mother of poverty as well as of
nearly all the human ills. In this colony
individualism was sternly checked. If a
colonist desired a new suit of clothes or
wished to read a book; if a mother
wished to flog her child, the action could
not be performed without the consent of
the ruling committee. For a time these
principles were literally carried out, but
one by one the colonists became dissatis
fied. and when the crops failed the hand
ful that were left were glad to sell their
property for the proverbial song.
A similar fate met the famous Schlae
gel colony that was also Instituted in
California. In this Instance everything
opened up brightly for the future suc
cess of the colony. There was no lack
of money and the land was fertile. As in
other cases, however, the unpleasant
traits of human nature began to develop
in spite of the efforts of the founder of
the sect. The women began to quarrel
among themselves and the men were
dra^rn into their broils, until at last, dis
couraged by the apparent failure of his
life's project, Dr. Schlaegel went away
and committed suicide. A few weeks
later the colony was visited by fire, and
from that Ha dissolution was only & mat*
ter of a short time.
Few of those who have read the works
of Bellamy and who liave dreamed of an
ideal commonwealth, where each citizen
is equal to every other citizen and all
[ are alike, with a common fund, are
I aware that the ideas embraced in the
I maxim—"equal rights to all and special
P r,vile » e8 to none"—were actually ap
plied as far back as 1845. At that time
what Is now historically known as the
Bethel colony was founded on the wind
ing shores of North river, in Shelby
couny, Mo., by Dr. William Keil, a Meth
odist preacher, of German descent.
The history of the Bethel colony is re
markable for the fact that it is the first
recorded instance in which the princi
ples of communism were ever success
fully applied for any length of time. In
this case the doctrines of Dr. Keil were
communism pure and simple, except for
the fact that the founder regarded him
self as exempt from the general rule in
that he retained the guiding hand over
his people.
He reigned as completely as sovereign
ever reigned, and under his administra
tion the colony prospered and grew rich
and this condition of things continued
'until 1858, when the founder, who had
been 8e,zed Wlth the western fever, de
, termined to found another colony in the
country that had just been opened. He
left Missouri, but he never returned. Be
1 * ore his long journey had ended he fell
sick and died and his body is now burled
beneath the Oregon pines.
The history of the Bethel colony after
his death is so brief that it may be Aid
in a few words. Without the executive
head things went from bad to worse and
the colony gradually dwindled away
until nothing was left of it but a memory,
— • • ■ - — - - — -
The history of Ruskin, Tenn., fur
nishes another instance of a colony that
although founded under the most favor
able circumstances, was unable to
weather the tides of fortune. Ruskin
was founded about five years ago by J.
A. Wayland, afterwards a resident of
nann 4 - f ». — _ 1 j. « . •
Kansas. For a time it was one of the
most promising co-operative colonies in
the country, and its paper, the Coming
Nation, had a circulation of more than
15,000 copies.
Wayland was a thorough believer in
the principles of communion, and his
faith in human nature was perfect. He
believed that man needed but an oppor
tunity to develop the best that was in
him .„a he gave them tha, ôptmrtunltÿ*
the»? ^aua^li 1 arose 8 het W m0n w 8 'i an a
the A, a quarre . 1 aro . se between Wayland
and the men whom he was trying to help,
The result of this quarrel was that even
tually the founder withdrew from the
town that his money had built up. For
a few years the colony continued to exist,
however, and once it looked as if it wpuld
actually be a success, but more trouble
came, the minority appealed to the
courts, law suit followed law suit, and
finally the town of Ruskin went into the
hands of a receiver.
Such was the history of one x>t the
latest effort of men to apply the princi
ples of communism to every-day life. It
is true that there are colonies today and
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RACE SCENE IN "BEN HUB" NOW RUNNING IN NEW YORK.
It is, of course, possible that some of
them may be able to prove themselves ex
ceptions to the rule of the universal fail
ure of such schemes. The little town of
Plnton, in Colorado, is a prosperous com
munity, and everything is ideal at a so
cialistic colony on the Zuyder Zee.
A new Bellamy colony has Just been
established near Lancaster, Mass., and
another communisiic colony has been in
stituted in Missouri by a band of think
ing vien and women from St. Louis, and
w
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CHILDREN PLAYING AT RUSKIN.
If , „ , ,, , x
it. 19 not at a " impossible that some of
t Dol llipil 1 i fl PQ 1 icta 1YI Cl tf hn a Kin tn
Political idealists may be able to
P rove that the time has come when peo
fjle are ^ood enough to work without
money and live without quarreling.
HIS IMPRESSION.
---- —a me programme say
that composition was in?" asked the
"Hrtin* lrAir i , «
at „ th ,f Programme say
rrlMdat^^laMiea? concert. "*
l ' I don ,' ) t believe it was in any particu
lar key," answered Mr. Comrox. "It
sounded to me like
i Washington Star.
a bunch of 'em."—
Mrs. A.—"There goes that Mrs. Tilling
ford. Did you know that she had left her
. .
nusiDano. |
Mrs. Z.—"Gracious, no! Has she really
left him?" I
Mrs. A.—"Yes, left him In the drug !
store while she prices some laces. You
couldn't get him in a bargain rush."— I
Chicago News. J
GOSSIP.
FENIAN RAIDS ON CANADA.
Reports from Omaha announcing at
great length the secret intention of cer
tain persons or organizations vaguely de
! scribed as "Irish" either to invade Can
ada or paralyze dhe Dominion govern
ment with the fear of invasion recall the
facts that colonel, or general John
O'Neil, "Inspector general of the Irish
army, died at Omaha in January. 1878,
ori/1 *Un ♦ V» lr.d ♦ .-V-, f. ♦ ITS _ — 1 wi
and that he led the most serious Fenian
raid into Canada which has ever succted
ed in crossing the border.
In 1865, the close of the Civil war, left
without occupation a large number of
American citizens of Irish birth or par-
entage who had seen much active mili-
tary service. Most of these were im-
-
and many of "them had distinguished
iai J oci 1 u.c, luUDl Ul lllcsl; W 11 c 1 III-»
foiled with a venomous hatred of England,
n.t'onTy EVSSHTES
gift of physical courage, but also by
the display of higher qaulities as lead
ers. Among the latter was Colonel
O'Neil, a graduate from West Point. Cir
cumstances seemed to indicate to the bit
terly anti-British Irish in this country
the expediency of a great military organ
ization in furtherance of their political
designs. Seven years before, in 1858, the
"Fenian" movement, with a name taken
from one of the legendary heroes of the
primitive Irish races, had begun in Ire
land. The "Fenian Brotherhood" now
sprang into what was to be a thoroughly
organized and equipped existence in this
country. It was reported at that time
to have a following of more than 50,000,
as well as a regular government, with an
office "in the neighborhood of Union
Square." Its organization was certainly
complete enough to encourage it to at
tempt a rising in Ireland. James Steph
ens, its famous "head center," landed in
that country, but was arrested and put
in jail. The Fenian rising in 1865 failed,
and while Stephens remained incarcerat
ed the leaders on this side fell out among
themselves.
Of the two factions In the Brotherhood,
the credit of the first attempt to raid
British North America, with the United
States as a base of operations, belong to
the "O'Mahoneyites." In April, 1866,
they assembled a force of 500 men at
Eastport, Me., and there received 750
stands of arms, paid for with the money
of their secret sympathizers. Upon com
plaint of the British consul at Eastport,
the United States government confiscat
ed these arms. The British, on their
* ide ' bavI ? B . be< r n forewarned, sent troops
from St. John to Campobello, N. B„ the
threatened point, and, on this side, Gen
eral Mendi, with a body of regular troops,
kept watch at Calais, Me. So ended the
first attempt, remembered among the
^ ubbb F ters Fenlinism as "Killian's
Rota.
Next month, however, Stephens himself,
having escaped from prison, arrived in
New York, and his arrival was the oc
casion of something like a reconciliation
between the two factions, whose animos
ities had been accentuated by the fail
ure of the Campobello attempt. Steph
ens himself is said to have been opposed
to another border raid, but Roberts, the
leader of the anti-O'Mahoney faction,
now triumphant in the councils of the
Brotherhood was determined on such a
plan. Neither their own dissensions nor
the seizure of more than 2,000 rifles by
the United States government could turn
them from their purpose. The Fenians
from many states assembled and held a
secret convention at Buffalo, and from
Buffalo disquieting rumors of a Fenian
invasion crossed the Canadian border.
Between the middle of May and the end
of that month there was great military
activity in Canada. Reinforcements of
regulars, sent from England, had al
ready reached the Dominion, and all
along the Niataga river and the borders
detachments were ready to resist the in
vaders. On May 31, however, when Col
onel O'Neil, the officer selected by "Gen
eral" Sweeney, of the Brotherhood, to
carry out this enterprise, crossed the riv
er at Buffalo, he found Fort Erie, on the
British side, unoccupied. The numbers
of the force which actually landed on
Canadian soil have been variously esti
mated. They probably did not exceed 900.
For more than a day and night O'Neil's
little army ranged about the neighbor
hoood of Fort Erie, and it is said to the
the credit of their leader that while they!
foraged upon the inhabitants, after the
manner of regular invaders, their con-1
duct was generally free from excesses.
The actual collision did not take place
until June 2, when the Queen's Own vol
unteers, from Toronto, and the Hamilton
militia met the invaders near the village
of Ridgeway. Details of the battle are
not plentiful in history. The losses on
the British side were put down at 9 killed
and 30 wounded, and they retired upon
Ridgeway and Port Colborne. A Cana
dian tradition says that a volunteer
bugler sounded the "retreat" by mistake.
At the same time it is certain that a large
number of Fenians were taken prisoners
by the Canadian troops. If the defenders
of the Dominion retreated, so did the in
vaders. Falling back on Fort Erie,
O'Neil found that General Grant, having
arrived at Buffalo that day, had prompt
ly stopped the forwarding of supplies to
the Fenian army across the river. Noth
ing was left for them but to get out of
Canadian territory as quickly as possi
ble, Which they attempted to do. though
700 of the entire force were cut off by
the United States gunboat Michigan.
General Barry, to whom had been as
signed by Grant the guarding of the fron
tier on this side, exacted from a large
number of his Fenian prisoners their
parole "to abandon our expedition
against Canada, desist from any viola
tion of the neutrality laws of the Uni
ted States, and return immediately to our
respective homes." The number of whom
this parole was taken must have includ
ed hundreds Who had not succeeded in
crossing the Niagara river.
Two weeks later a proclamation was is
sued in Buffalo signed "M. W. Burns,
brigadier general commanding Irish army
at Buffalo," requesting the "brothers" to
return to their homes. This proclama
tion bears witness that "the extreme
vigilance of the government of the Uni
ted States frustrated our plans. It was
the United States and not England that
impeded our onward march to freedom."
But in the meantime otner alarms of
Fenian invasion had disturbed the Can
adian frontier. These were mostly ex
aggerated, if not altogether groundless.
On June 7 the Fenian general, Sweeney,
was arrested at St. Albans, Vt., from
which place, already memorable for a
"raid" made upon it from Canada by
confederates during the elvil war, it had
been intended to make descent in some
force. The- Fenian army, it seems, had
actually crossed the frontier, but upon
the arrest of their general and the ap
proach of a considerable body of Cana
dian volunteers they retired.
After this Fenian raiding of Canada
languished. O'Neil himself made two
more abortive attempts, one in 1870, on
lower Canada, the other in the following
year on Manitoba, In the latter case
the vigilance of the United States gov
ernment manifested itself in the prompt
action of the troops at Fort Pembina,
Minn.
Colonel O'Neil never suffered any very
long or severe imprisonment for those
violations of the neutrality laws. He
spent the last six or seven years of his
lift in Nebraska, lecturing and promoting
schemes of Irish colonization. The after
effects of the "raids" have appeared
chiefly in interchanges of requests be
tween the government of Washington and
London for clemency toward captured in
vaders, in the growth among the British
of a more perfect fai'th in the honesty
of this country's intentions, and in the
more thorough organization and equip
ment of that Canadian volunteer and
militia army which is now able to spare
several thousand men for service in South
Africa without fear of denuding the Can
adian frontier of its defenders.
NEVER BUDGED HIM.
Malachy Hogan, the well-known dark
street pugilist referee, has been in a grip
and grumpy mood for the iast two days,
and his friends watch wearily K-st Ma
lacliy spring upon them and rend them in
fury. Mai achy was chatting about the
Transvaal war the other afternoon, and
felt at peace with all the world, when
a vast shadow darkened Ids doorway and
a Turkish gentleman of gigantic size and
gorgeous oriental garb came ambling in.
Several friends of Mr. Hogan accompa
neid the Turk, who was introduced as Mr.
Osman, late of Constantinople, a wrestler
of much repute in his section of the
world.
Mr. Hogan gave the right hand of fel
lowship to the Turk and all went well for
several minutes. Thc-n, as the Turk stood
for a moment with his back turned to
Mr. Hogan, an evil counselor made Ma
lachy a bright suggestion.
"Grab the Turk from behind and throw
him on the floor—not rough, but just
playful like, you know," came the voice
of the tempter. "He's a good-natured
cuss and he'll think it the best joke of
the season."
Mr. Hogan is large and strong and
skillful with his hands. He smiled as
he made ready and then dove at the
Turk. Catching Mr. Osman about the
waist, he gave a mighty heave. Mr.
Osman never budged and did not even
look around, continuing his conversation
as though Mr. Hogan had been some
small mosquito on the buckle of his belt.
Mr. Hogan braced his hind feet against
the floor and tugged like a fox terrier
yanking at a curtain. Mr. Osman con
tinued to chatter. Malachy strained un
til his eyes bulged out ar.d his suspenders
cracked and snapped. Mr. Osman kept
right on talking and never a muscle re
sponded to the huge exertions of Mr. Ho
gan. At last the strain became too great;
Mr. Hogan's feet gave way und flew up
behind like two 'ight Joyous birds and he
was poised in midair, his arms still grasp
ing Mr. Osman's manly figure and his
white wa : stcoat rending fore and aft with
the tenseness of his effort. A howl rang
nut from the assembled multitude and
Mr. Osman, turning his head in an inter
ested way. looked half-round at Mr. Ho
gan and remarked in his own Moslem
tongue: "I beg your pardon; did you wish
to speak to me?"
CONSTERNATION.
Uncle Reuben—"Yes, I've read this here
almanac all through. It's mighty Inter
estin', but the feller what writ it couldn t
think of nothin' but diseases and one par
ticular kind of medicine."
Uncle Joshua—"Humiph! He must have
been one of them there fellers with one
idea that we read about."
THE SUN DID IT.
"I didn't know Boxer was so bow«
legged."
"He wasn't until a few days ago. He
went to sleep In the sun, and that wooden
leg of his warped."
'One of the strangest and most dis
tinctive features of New Orleans is the
presence of collecting tanks for rain
water in almost every door yard.
Meteorological kites are developing
valuable results, and the experience de
rived Is used to make improvements. Aj
height of 12,000 to 13,000 feet has been at
tained. .