THE PEOPLE AND THE LANJ> 



which they worked. There is reason to fear that dissen- 

 sion and lack of strong leadership might have defeated 

 them even if there had been sufficient working capital. 



The aggregate of these unsuccessful dream, colonies is 

 small, but their influence upon settlement is in inverse 

 ratio to their numbers. Such great examples of success- 

 ful colonization as we have seen in Colorado, Utah, and 

 southern California have commanded far less attention 

 than the abortive efforts of little handfuls of people who, 

 at different times and places, have tried to found institu- 

 tions which were either intrinsically impracticable or 

 ahead of their day. Co-operative associations in certain 

 parts of the West, doing an annual business of millions of 

 dollars, and co-operative industries and stores in Great 

 Britain and other European countries which have 

 achieved a degree of success even more unquestionable, 

 are less known by popular report and apparently less 

 influential in the economic life of our times than many 

 a little colony of enthusiasts that ended in failure. 

 Brook Farm in Massachusetts is a striking instance. 

 Volumes have been written upon it, and each successive 

 generation of New-Englanders will hear of it and smile, 

 as their fathers and grandfathers did before them. 



It would be wholly unfair to say that the disappoint- 

 ment of settlers is limited to the very few who belonged 

 to this class of idealistic colonies. Large numbers of 

 people have gone out alone, settled in western cities or 

 towns, encountered failure or disappointment, and either 

 returned to their original homes, or advised their friends 

 to remain there. 



Those who settled in cities may be disposed of in a 

 sentence. Attracted by temporary booms, they found 

 n 257 



