Chapter XXXVII: Life at the North American Phalanx

The following pictures from the files of the _Harbinger_, with the subsequent reports of Macdonald's three visits, give a tolerable view of life at the North American in its early and its latter days.

[Fourth of July (1845) at the Phalanx.]

"As soon as the moisture was off the grass, a group went down to
the beautiful meadows to spread the hay; and the right good
will, quickness, and thoroughness with which they completed
their task, certainly illustrated the attractiveness of combined
industry. Others meanwhile were gathering for dinner the
vegetables, of which, by the consent of the whole neighborhood,
they have a supply unsurpassed in early maturity and excellence;
and still others were busy in the various branches of domestic
labor.

"And now, the guests from New York and the country around having
come in, and the hour for the meeting being at hand, the bell
sounded, and men, women and children assembled in a walnut grove
near the house, where a semicircle of seats had been arranged in
the cool shade. Here addresses were given by William H. Channing
and Horace Greeley, illustrating the position that Association
is the truly consistent embodiment in practice of the professed
principles of our nation.

"After some hour and a half thus spent, the company adjourned to
the house, where a table had been spread the whole length of the
hall, and partook of a most abundant and excellent dinner, in
which the hospitable sisters of the Phalanx had most
satisfactorily proved their faith by their works. Good cold
water was the only beverage, thanks to the temperance of the
members. A few toasts and short speeches seasoned the feast.

"And now once again, the afternoon being somewhat advanced, the
demand for variety was gratified by a summons to the hay-field.
Every rake and fork were in requisition; a merrier group never
raked and pitched; never was a meadow more dexterously cleared;
and it was not long before there was a demand that the right to
labor should be honored by fresh work, which the chief of the
group lamented he could not at the moment gratify. To close the
festivities the young people formed in a dance, which was
prolonged till midnight. And so ended this truly cheerful and
friendly holiday."

[George Ripley's visit to the Phalanx.]

_May, 14, 1846._

"Arriving about dinner time at the Mansion, we received a
cordial welcome from our friends, and were soon seated at their
hospitable table, and were made to feel at once that we were at
home, and in the midst of those to whom we were bound by strong
ties. How could it be otherwise? It was a meeting of those whose
lives were devoted to one interest, who had chosen the lot of
pioneers in a great social reform, and who had been content to
endure sacrifices for the realization of ideas that were more
sacred than life itself. Then, too, the similarity of pursuits,
of the whole mode of life in our infant Associations, produces a
similarity of feeling, of manners, and I could almost fancy,
even of expression of countenance. I have often heard strangers
remark upon the cheerfulness and elasticity of spirit which
struck them on visiting our little Association at Brook Farm;
and here I found the same thing so strongly displayed, that in
conversing with our new friends, it seemed as if they were the
same that I had left at home, or rather that I had been side by
side with them for months or years, instead of meeting them
to-day for the first time. I did not need any formal
introduction to make me feel acquainted, and I flatter myself
that there was as little reserve cherished on their part.

"After dinner we were kindly attended by our friend Mr. Sears
over this beautiful, I may truly say, enchanting domain. I had
often heard it spoken of in terms of high commendation; but I
must confess, I was not prepared to find an estate combining so
many picturesque attractions with such rare agricultural
capabilities.

"Our friends here have no doubt been singularly fortunate in
procuring so valuable a domain as the scene of their experiment,
and I see nothing which, with industry and perseverance, can
create a doubt of their triumphant success, and that at no very
distant day.

"I was highly gratified with the appearance of the children, and
the provision that is made for their education, physical as well
as intellectual. I found them in a very neat school-room, under
the intelligent care of Mrs. B., who is devoting herself to
this department with a noble zeal and the most pleasing results.
It is seldom that young people in common society have such ample
arrangements for their culture, or give evidence of such a
healthy desire for improvement.

"This Association has not been free from difficulties. It has
had to contend with the want of sufficient capital, and has
experienced some embarrassment on that account. It has also
suffered from the discouragement of some of its members--a
result always to be expected in every new enterprise, and by no
means formidable in the long run--and discontent has produced
depression. Happily, the disaffected have retired from the
premises, and with few, if any, exceptions, the present members
are heartily devoted to the movement, with strong faith in the
cause and in each other, and determined to deserve success, even
if they do not gain it. Their prospects, however, are now
bright, and with patient industry and internal harmony they must
soon transform their magnificent domain into a most attractive
home for the associative household. May God prosper them!"

[N.C. Neidhart's visit to the Phalanx.]

_July 4, 1847._

"It is impossible for me to describe the deep impression which
the life and genial countenances of our brethren have made upon
us. Although not belonging to what are very unjustly called the
higher classes, I discovered more true refinement, that which is
based upon humanitary feeling, than is generally found among
those of greater pretensions. There is a serene, earnest love
about them all, indicating a determination on their part to
abide the issue of the great experiment in which they are
engaged.

"After a fatiguing walk over the domain, I found their simple
but refreshing supper very inviting. Here we saw for the first
time the women assembled, of whom we had only caught occasional
glimpses before. They appeared to be a genial band, with happy,
smiling countenances, full of health and spirits. Such deep and
earnest eyes, it seemed to me, I had never seen before. Most of
the younger girls had wreaths of evergreen and flowers wound
around their hair, and some also around their persons in the
form of scarfs, which became them admirably.

"After tea we resorted to the reading-room, where are to be
found on files all the progressive and reformatory, as well as
the best agricultural, papers of the Union, such as the _New
York Tribune_, _Practical Christian_, _Young America_,
_Harbinger_, etc. There is also the commencement of a small
library.

"Only one thing was wanting to enliven the evening, and that was
music. They possess, I believe, a guitar, flutes, and other
instruments, but the time necessary for their cultivation seems
to be wanting. The want of this so necessary accompaniment of
universal harmony, was made up to us by some delightful hours
which we spent in the parlor of Mrs. B., who showed us some of
her beautiful drawings, and in whose intelligent society we
spent the evening. This lady was formerly a member of the
Clermont Phalanx, Ohio. I was sorry there was not time enough to
receive from her an account of the causes of the disbandment of
this society. She must certainly have been satisfied of the
superiority of associated life, to encourage her to join
immediately another.

"It was my good fortune (notwithstanding the large number of
visitors), to obtain a nice sleeping-room, from which I was
sorry to see I had driven some obliging member of the Phalanx.
The orderly simplicity of this room was quite pleasing. It
enabled us to form some judgment of the order which pervaded the
Community.

"Next morning we took an early breakfast, and accompanied by Mr.
Wheeler, a member of the society, we wandered over the whole
domain. On our way home we struck across Brisbane Hill, where
they intend to erect the future Phalansterian house on a more
improved and extensive plan.

"There is religious worship here every Sunday, in which all
those who feel disposed may join. The members of the society
adhere to different religious persuasions, but do not seem to
care much for the outward forms of religion.

"As far as I could learn, the health of the Phalanx has been
generally very good. They have lost, however, several children
by different diseases. During the prevalence of the small-pox in
the Community, the superiority of the combined order over the
isolated household was most clearly manifested. Quite lately
they have constructed a bathing-house. The water is good, but
must contain more or less iron, as the whole country is full of
it."

_Macdonald's first visit to the Phalanx._

_October, 1851._

"It was dark when I arrived at the Phalanstery. Lights shone
through the trees from the windows of several large buildings,
the sight of which sent a cheering glow through me, and as I
approached, I inwardly fancied that what I saw was part of an
early dream. The glancing lights, the sounds of voices, and the
notes of music, while all nature around was dark and still, had
a strange effect, and I almost believed that this was a
Community where people were really happy.

"I entered and inquired for Mr. Bucklin, whose name had been
given me. At the end of a long hall I found a small
reading-room, with four or five strange-looking beings sitting
around a table reading newspapers. They all appeared eccentric,
not alone because they were unshaven and unshorn, but from the
peculiar look of their eyes and form of their faces. Mr.
Bucklin, a kind man, came to me, glancing as if he anticipated
something important. I explained my business, and he sat down
beside me; but though I attempted conversation, he had very
little to say. He inquired if I wished for supper, and on my
assenting, he left me for a few minutes and then returned, and
very soon after he led me out to another building. We passed
through a passage and up a short flight of steps into a very
handsome room, capable, I understood, of accommodating two
hundred persons at dinner. It had a small gallery or balcony at
one end of it, and six windows on either side. It was furnished
with two rows of tables and chairs, each table large enough for
ten or twelve persons to dine at. There were three bright lamps
suspended from the ceiling. At one end of the room the chairs
and tables had been removed, and several ladies and gentlemen
were dancing cotillions to the music of a violin, played by an
amateur in the gallery. At the other end of the room there was a
doorway leading to the kitchen, and near this my supper was
laid, very nice and tidy. Mr. Bucklin introduced me to Mr.
Holmes, a gentleman who had lived in the Skaneateles and
Trumbull experiments; and Mr. Holmes introduced me to Mr.
Williston, who gave me some of the details of the early days of
the North American Phalanx, during which he sometimes lived in
high style, and sometimes was almost starved. He told of the
tricks which the young members played upon the old members, many
of whom had left.

"On looking at the dancers I perceived that several of the
females were dressed in the new costume, which is no more than
shortening the frock and wearing trowsers the same as men. There
were three or four young women, and three or four children so
dressed. I had not thought much of this dress before, but was
now favorably impressed by it, when I contrasted it with the
long dresses of some of the dancers. This style is decidedly
superior, I think, for any kind of active employment. The dress
seems exceedingly simple. The frocks were worn about the same
length as the Highland _kilt_, ending a little above the knee;
the trowsers were straight, and both were made of plain
material. Afterward I saw some of the ladies in superior suits
of this fashion, looking very elegant.

"Mr. Holmes shewed me to my bed, which was in the top of another
building. It was a spacious garret with four cots in it, one in
each corner. There were two windows, one of which appeared to be
always open, and at that window a young man was sleeping,
although the weather was very wet. The mattress I had was
excellent, and I slept well; but the accommodations were rather
rude, there being no chairs or pegs to hang the clothes upon.
The young men threw their clothes upon the floor. There was no
carpet, but the floor seemed very clean.

"It rained hard all night, and the morning continued wet and
unpleasant. I rose about seven, and washed in a passage-way
leading from the sleeping-rooms, where I found water well
supplied; passed rows of small sleeping-rooms, and went out for
a stroll. The morning was too unpleasant for walking much, but I
examined the houses, and found them to be large framed
buildings, the largest of the two having been but recently
built. It formed two sides of a square, and had a porch in front
and on part of the back. It appeared as if the portion of it
which was complete was but a wing of a more extensive design,
intended to be carried out at some future time. The oldest
building reminded me of one of the Rappite buildings in New
Harmony, excepting that it was built of wood and theirs of
brick. It formed a parallelogram, two stories high, with large
garrets at the top. A hall ran nearly the whole length of the
building, and terminated in a small room which is used as a
library, and to which is joined the office. Apartments were
ranged on either side of the hall up stairs. All the rooms
appeared to be bed-rooms, and were in use. The new building was
more commodious. There were well furnished sitting-rooms on
either side of the principal entrance. The dining-hall, which I
have before mentioned, was in the rear of this. Up stairs the
rooms were ranged in a similar manner to the old building, and
appeared to be very comfortable. I was informed that they were
soon to be heated by steam. All these apartments were rented to
the members at various prices, according to the relative
superiority of each room.

"As the bell at the end of the building rang a second time for
breakfast, I followed some of the members into the room, and on
entering took my seat at the table nearest the door. I afterward
learned that this was the vegetarian table, and also that it was
customary for each person always to occupy the same seat at his
meals. The tables were well supplied with excellent, wholesome
food, and I think the majority of the members took tea and
coffee and ate meat. Young men and women waited upon the tables,
and seemed active and agreeable. An easy freedom and a
harmonious feeling seemed to prevail.

"On leaving the room I was introduced to Mr. Sears, who, I
ascertained, was what they called the 'leading mind.' He was
rather tall, of a nervous temperament, the sensitive
predominating, and was easy and affable. On my informing him of
the object of my visit, he very kindly led me to his office and
showed me several papers, which gave me every information I
required. He introduced me to Mr. Renshaw, a gentleman who had
been in the Ohio Phalanx. Mr. Renshaw was engaged in the
blacksmith-shop; looked quite a philosopher, so far as form of
head and length of beard and hair was concerned; but he had a
little too much of the sanguine in his temperament to be cool at
all times. He very rapidly asked me the object of my book: what
good would it do? what was it for? and seemed disposed to knock
down some imaginary wrong, before he had any clear idea of what
it was. I explained, and together with Mr. Sears, had a short
controversy with him, which had a softening tendency, though it
did not lead to perfect agreement. Mr. Sears contended that
Community experiments failed because the accounts were not
clearly and faithfully kept; but Mr. Renshaw maintained that
they all failed for want of means, and that the public
impression that the members always disagreed was quite
erroneous. At dinner I found a much larger crowd of persons in
the room than at breakfast. I was introduced to several members,
and among them to Mr. French, a gentleman who had once been a
Universalist preacher. He was very kind, and gave me some
information relative to the Jefferson County Industrial
Association.

"I also made the acquaintance of Mr. John Gray, a gentleman who
had lived five years among the Shakers, and who was still a
Shaker in appearance. Mr. Gray is an Englishman, as would
readily be perceived by his peculiar speech; but with his
English he had gotten a little mixture of the 'down east,' where
he had lately been living. Mr. Gray was very fluent of speech,
and what he said to me would almost fill a volume. He spoke
chiefly of his Shaker experience, and of the time he had spent
among the Socialists of England. He said it was his intention to
visit other Communities in the United States, and gain all the
experience he could among them, and then return to England and
make it known. He was a dyer by trade (on which account he was
much valued by the Shakers), and was very useful in taking care
of swine. He spoke forcibly of the evils of celibacy among the
Shakers, and of their strict regulations. He preferred living in
the North American Phalanx, feeling more freedom, and knowing
that he could go away when he pleased without difficulty. He
thought the wages too low. Reckoning, for instance, that he
earned about 90 cts. per day for ten hours labor, he got in cash
every two weeks three-fourths of it, the remaining fourth going
to the Phalanx as capital. Out of these wages he had to pay
$1.50 per week for board, and $12 a year rent, besides extras;
but he had a very snug little room, and lived well. He thought
single men and women could do better there than married ones;
but either could do better, so far as making money was the
object, in the outer world. He decidedly preferred the single
family and isolated cottage arrangement. I made allowances for
Mr. Gray's opinions, when I remembered that he had been living
five years among the Shakers, and but four months at the North
American, whose regulations about capital and interest he was
not very clear upon.

"I had a conversation with a lady who had lived two years at
Hopedale. She was intelligent, but very sanguine; well-spoken
and agreeable, but had too much enthusiasm. She described to me
the early days of Hopedale and its present condition. She did
not like it, but preferred the North American and its more
unitary arrangements. She thought that the single-cottage system
was wrong, and that woman would never attain her true position
in such circumstances. She had a great opinion of woman's
abilities and capacities for improvement; was sorry that the
Phalanx had such a bombastic name; had once been very sanguine,
but was now chastened down; believed that the North American
could not be called an experiment on Fourier's plan; the
necessary elements were not there, and never had been, and no
experiment had ever been attempted with such material as Fourier
proposed; until that is done, we can not say the system is
false, etc.

"After supper I had conversation with several persons on Mr.
Warren's plan of 'Equitable Commerce.' Most of them were well
disposed toward his views of 'individuality,' but not toward his
'cost principle,' many believing the difficulties of estimating
the cost of many things not to be overcome; the details in
carrying out the system would be too trifling and fine-drawn.
Conversation turned upon the Sabbath. Some thought it would be
good to have periodical meetings for reading or lecturing, and
others thought it best to have nothing periodical, but leave
every thing and every body to act in a natural manner, such as
eating when you are hungry, drinking when you are thirsty, and
resting when you are tired; let the child play when it is so
inclined, and teach it when it demands to be taught. There were
all kinds of opinions among them regarding society and its
progress. My Shaker friend thought that society was progressing
'first-rate' by means of Odd-Fellowship, Freemasonry, benevolent
associations, railroads, steamboats, and especially all kinds of
large manufactories, without such little attempts as these of
the North American to regenerate mankind.

"I might speculate on this strange mixture of minds, but prefer
that the reader should take the facts and philosophize for
himself. Here were persons who, for many years, had tried many
schemes of social re-organization in various parts of the
country, brought together not from a personal knowledge and
attraction for each other, but through a common love of the
social principles, which like a pleasant dream attracted them to
this, the last surviving of that extensive series of experiments
which commenced in this country about the year 1843.

"I retired to my cot about ten o'clock, and passed a restless
night. The weather was warm and wet, and continued so in the
morning. Rose at five o'clock and took breakfast with Dr.
Lazarus and the stage-driver, and at a quarter to six we left
the Phalanx in their neat little stage.

"During the journey to Keyport the Doctor seemed to be full of
Association, and made frequent allusions to that state in which
all things would be right, and man would hold his true position;
thought it wrong to cut down trees, to clear land, to raise
corn, to fatten pigs to eat, when, if the forest was left alone,
we could live on the native deer, which would be much better
food for man; he would have fruit-trees remain where they are
found naturally; and he would have many other things done which
the world would deem crazy nonsense."

_Macdonald's second visit to the Phalanx._

"I visited the North American Phalanx again in July, 1852. The
visit was an interesting one to me; but I will only refer to the
changes which have taken place since my last visit.

"They have altered their eating and drinking arrangements, and
adopted the eating-house system. At the table there is a bill of
fare, and each individual calls for what he wants; on obtaining
it the waiter gives him a check, with the price of the article
marked thereon. After the meal is over, the waiters go round and
enter the sum marked upon the check which each person has
received, in a book belonging to that person; the total is added
up at the end of each month and the payments are made. Each
person finds his own sugar, which is kept upon the table. Coffee
is half-a-cent per cup, including milk; bread one cent per
plate; butter, I think, half-a-cent; meat two cents; pie two
cents; and other things in like proportion. On Mr. Holmes's
book, the cost of living ran thus: breakfast from one and a-half
cents to three and a-half cents; dinner four and a-half cents to
nine cents; supper four and a-half cents to eight cents. In
addition to this, as all persons use the room alike, each pays
the same rent, which is thirty-six and a-half cents per week;
each person also pays a certain portion for the waiting labor,
and for lighting the room. The young ladies and gentlemen who
waited on table, as well as the Phalanx Doctor (a gentleman of
talent and politeness), who from attraction performed the same
duty, got six and a-quarter cents per hour for their labor.

"The wages of various occupations, agricultural, mechanical and
professional, vary from six cents to ten cents per hour; the
latter sum is the maximum. The wages are paid to each individual
in full every month, and the profits are divided at the end of
the year. Persons wishing to become members are invited to
become visitors for thirty days. At the end of that time it is
sometimes necessary for them to continue another thirty days;
then they may be admitted as probationers for one year, and if
they are liked by the members at the end of that time, it is
decided whether they shall become full members or not.

"They had commenced brick-making, intending to build a mill;
thought of building at Keyport or Red Bank. Some anticipated a
loan from Horace Greeley. Their stock was good; some said it was
at par; one said, at seventy-five per cent. premium. (?) The
profits were invested in things which they thought would bring
them the largest interest; they had shares in two steamboats
running to New York from Keyport and Red Bank.

"Their crops looked well, superior to any in the vicinity. There
were large fields of corn and potatoes and a fine one of
tomatoes. The first bushel of the latter article had just been
sent to the New York market, and was worth eight dollars. There
was a field of good melons, quite a picture to look upon. Since
my last visit, there had been an addition made to the large
building. A man had built the addition at a cost of $800, and
had put $200 into the Phalanx, making $1,000 worth of stock. He
lived in the house as his own. There is a neat cottage near the
large building, which I suppose is also Association property,
put in by the gentleman who built it and uses it--a Mr. Manning,
I believe.

"The wages were all increased a little since my last visit, and
there seemed to be more satisfaction prevailing, especially with
the eating-house plan, which I understood had effected a saving
of about two-thirds in the expenditure; this was especially the
case in the article of sugar.

"The stage group was abolished; and the stage sold. It called
there, however, regularly with the mails and passengers as
before.

"I gleaned the following: The Phalanx property could support one
thousand people, yet they can not get them, and they have not
accommodations for such a number. Some doubt the advantage of
taking more members until they are richer. All say they are
doing well; yet some admit that individually they could do
better, or that an individual with that property could have done
better than they have done. They hire about sixteen Dutch
laborers, and say they are better treated than they would be
elsewhere. These board in a room beneath the Phalanx
dining-room, and lodge in various out-places around. They had an
addition of six Frenchmen to their numbers, said to be exiles;
these persons were industrious and well liked.

"In a conversation with one of the discontented members, who had
been there five years, he said that after an existence of nine
years, there were fewer members than at the commencement; there
was something wrong in the system they were practicing; and if
that was Association, then Association was wrong; thinks there
are some persons who try to crush and oust those who differ from
them in opinion, or who wish to change the system so as to
increase their number.

"There was more than enough work for all to do, mechanics
especially. Carpenters were in demand. They had to hire the
latter at $1.50 per day. They don't get any to join them. Some
thought the wages too low; yet the cost of living was not much
over $2. per week, including washing and all else but clothing
and luxuries.

"My acquaintance, John Gray, had been away from the Phalanx for
some months, but had returned, having found that he could not
live in 'old society' again; sooner than that, he would return
to the Shakers. He spoke much more favorably of the North
American than before, and was particularly pleased with the
eating arrangement; he wanted to see the individual system
carried out still further among them; for in proportion as they
adopted that, they were made free and happy; but in proportion
as they progressed toward Communism, the result was the reverse.
After alluding to their many little difficulties, he pointed
out so many advantages, that they seemed to counter-balance all
the evils spoken of by himself and others. Criticism, he said,
was the most potent regulator and governor.

"The charges were increased at the Phalanx. For five meals and
very inferior sleeping accommodations twice, I paid $1.75. The
Phalanx had paid five per cent. dividend on stock, for the past
year."

_Macdonald's third visit to the Phalanx._

"In the fall of 1853 I made another pilgrimage to the North
American. On my journey from Red Bank I had for my
fellow-passengers, the well-known Albert Brisbane and a young
man named Davidson. The ride was diversified by interesting
debates upon Spiritualism and Association.

"At the Phalanx I was pleased with the appearance of things
during this visit. I saw the same faces, and felt assured they
were 'sticking to it.' I also fell in with some strangers who
had lately been attracted there. I was informed by one or two of
the members that the articles which had been published about the
Phalanx in the New York _Herald_, had done them good. It made
the place known, and caused many strangers to visit them; among
whom were some capitalists who offered to lend their aid; a Dr.
Parmelee was named as one of these. The articles also did good
in criticising their peculiarities, letting them know what the
'world' thought of them, and shaking them up, like wind upon a
stagnant pond.

"Mr. Sears informed me that they had had a freshet in August,
which destroyed a large quantity of their forage; and the dams
were broken down, causing a loss of two or three hundred
dollars. Their peach-orchard had failed, causing a deficiency of
nearly two-thirds the usual amount of peaches. He was of the
opinion that in five years they would be able to show something
more tangible to the world. He thought that in about that time
the experiment would have completed a marked phase in its
history, and become more worthy of notice.

"In a conversation with Mr. French I learned that he had been
away from the Phalanx for three weeks, seeing his friends in the
country; but it made him happy to return; he felt he could not
live elsewhere. He said their grand object was to provide a
fitting education for their children. They had been neglected,
though often thought of; and ere long something important would
be done for them, if things turned out as he hoped. Last year,
for the first time since their commencement, they declared a
dividend to labor; this year they anticipated more, but the
accidents would probably reduce it. Their total debts were
$18,000, but the value of the place was $55,000. They bought the
land at $20 per acre, and it had increased in value, not so much
by their improvements as by the rise of land all through that
country. They were not troubled about their debts; it was an
advantage to them to let them remain; they could pay them at any
time if necessary."