erybody knew every one else tho they had never met 

 before. You just took your seat where your fancy or the 

 waitress suggested, and began a course of physical culture 

 among the well-filled dishes. Turn to the left or right and 

 begin a talk on politics, religion, socialism, finance, 

 forestry, botany, bugology or burglary, and your neigh- 

 bor knew how to answer you. No frills, no restraint. 

 QI was there several days the time was all too short. 

 There was no starch, no fuss and feathers, no ostentation, 

 no pomp or ceremony. That conference acted like one 

 great family coming home from many parts to attend a 

 reunion. Surely there must be something in the Philis- 

 tine habit, once acquired, that brings strangers into close 

 touch as friends without the formality of an introduction. 

 Q There were Philistines there from everywhere, and 

 royal good fellows they were. Many of the Roycrofters 

 are women, and they were well and handsomely repre- 

 sented at that conference. 



East Aurora is not a drinking town, but it was full the 

 day I got there, and Mr. Hubbard took me beneath his 

 roof, as his guest during my stay. He just took me to my 

 room, pushed open the door and said: "This is yours 

 while you are here, you may come when you get ready, 

 go when you please, do as you please, get up in time for 

 breakfast at the Phalansterie if you want to no doors 

 are locked here so you need not hurry home nights." 

 Q I stayed there four or five days, and by the second 

 day a feeling of honesty began to steal over me. I found 

 myself leaving that room without even closing my satchel. 

 Hubbard has not advertised for any of his personal 

 property since I left, and that speaks well for me. 

 Marshall P. Wilder was there, too. He is the biggest little 

 man in the country. Hubbard did n't know but that it 

 might rain or be cloudy part of the time during the con- 

 ference, and he brought Wilder there to take the place 

 of the sunshine, 

 iv 



