Their city acquaintances were very curious to see everything and were surprised at the comforts to be had under the circumstances.
The apartment houses were only partly built and some of the factories were actually running, so it was a small town of tents and makeshifts until their permanent homes were ready.
All were glad to see their friends. They were to form a boating party, and before starting to the lake, Paul Arling said to Tom Vivian: “I want to secure four more shares for my mother. You see, we came out here on business as well as pleasure. I want permanent shares and I came direct to you, for I want them to secure the five-year interest, for in that time I hope to have secured her pension as well as her apartments, so that she may feel safe for life. It is better than an insurance policy, for nothing can be lost here, and in case of my death she is not competent to invest money left in that way. Besides, if I survive her, which I will in all probability, I will have the benefit of the permanent shares. There is a young millionaire in our crowd to-night, did you know, Vivian? He seems to be interested in some of the ventures that have been taken in starting the factories. I don’t suppose he will invest in them. He never earned a dollar in his life, knows nothing about the distress of the struggling classes, just has some friends who are members; that is how he happened to come. He wanted to know why we started before we had more capital. I told him five hundred members now constituted a market, for all farm produce to commence with, made the transaction a good and sufficient reason for securing a farm. A second reason, that being near the city the president secured work for the unemployed. The society having secured transportation by manufacturing enough automobiles during the first summer that the society was forming to take the toilers to the land independent of the railroads, was the means of starting enough laborers to grow the food and dig the foundations of the buildings. Many people said at the time, ‘But how can you find enough land near the city to make it pay?’ he asked.
“‘Our owning automobiles solved that difficulty,’ I told him, ‘as long as we had land to build upon and raise garden truck the first few years. We only secured as much land as we could pay rent for by the membership fee.’ There he is now, he evidently knows Birch, for they have recognized each other.”
Yes, he knew him, for at one time he and Birch were rivals. As they looked at each other, he exclaimed:
“Why, what are you doing here?”
“I am living here,” replied Birch.
“What!” he said, in surprise, “living in this slow place where there is nothing to be seen, and you a graduate of the first college in the country? Well, if I had passed with the honors that you did, I would have been in some city practicing law. We all thought you intended to.”
“No, sir,” Birch replied, “no profession for me in these days. I want freedom. Hundreds of our fellows are scattered among our cities with their shingles out to practice on the helpless sick, so I am doing what I can for others who are not even as fortunate, by giving them something to do in my restaurant. I have two learning to cook. You see they want a good living and know they will be as much respected as cooks as poverty-stricken doctors and lawyers who fill up the offices in the down-town buildings. This society, you know, honors all labor, and the higher the education the better the prospects will be, for those who are on the spot to take what comes.”