If they have a surplus to dispose of after their own wants are supplied, they may market it to such advantage as they can, but not being a profit-making institution primarily, they are not compelled to enter the market in competition with others. Ordinary farmers and laborers may continue to walk the streets homeless and shelterless; may continue to starve and go in rags as a result of low prices and poor markets, but the Co-Operative Brotherhood workers will own their own homes and have an abundance to eat and wear, as also first-class school facilities, all as a result of their own labor. And besides, what is equal to all this, they will have a noble object in life to live for.

The organization has two classes of members, resident members, called cooperators, who are engaged in the company's industries, and the non-resident or contributing members, who are paying dues of one dollar per month each, thus furnishing capital for the making of improvements and the establishment of new industries as they are needed. To become a non-resident member it is necessary to make application to the board. of directors on a form furnished for that purpose, depositing two dollars to pay entrance fee and first month's dues. If accepted the applicant is given a Benefit Certificate setting forth the contract between the organization and its members, and is required thereafter to pay dues of one dollar per month for a period of 120 months, at the end of which time his payments cease and he is entitled to enter into the benefits of resident membership. at any time thereafter at his option. A non-resident member may also become a resident member at the end of one year from date of application on payment of $300, or immediately on payment of such greater sum as may be considered equitable, a home and employment being thereafter secure.

There is also life and accident insurance provision that deserves special consideration. A non-resident member who becomes totally or permanently disabled, while in good standing and after at least twelve month's dues have been paid, may be admitted as a resident mem

ber, together with his dependents, and thereafter all shall be entitled to a home and maintenance, with all the rights and benefits of other resident members; or in event of the member's death, his dependents shall be admitted on the same terms.

This extraordinary insurance provision is the most humane and far-reaching ever devised by any corporation or fraternal association, and it is of the utmost importance to families of men who are working for wages or employed on salary. It is absolutely safe from a business standpoint, as there sare no salaries to be paid high-priced officials, no expensive offices to be maintained, and no dividends to be paid stockholders. Moreover, the income and resources of the corporation are constantly and rapidly augmenting. The families who are taken in under this provision will be more than self-supporting in the industries of the corporation almost from the beginning, and in guaranteeing to furnisa them a home and employment for life, instead of a fixed sum in cash, the company is assuming no obligation it cannot easily fullfil. The insurance is thus a safe risk as well as a noble act of humanity.

The company' first industrial settlement is located at the head of Henderson Bay on the west side of Puget Sound, only eighteen miles from Tacoma. The company's land comprises 300 acres of first-class alder bottom, located on both sides of Burley Creek, a fine stream of water from which ample power can be developed for manufacturing purposes. Good judges say the land is one of the finest agricultural tracts in the state. It contains an abundance of the finest cedar and alder timber, but only a limited amount of fir.

A first-class saw and shingle mill are in operation. The former is used mainly to manufacture such lumber as the company itself needs in its building operations. A planer is part of the outfit, and both rough and dressed lumber are turned out as needed. The shingle mill is already a source of considerable revenue to the company, as besides turning out what shingles are needed in the local building operations, from five to six

hundred thousand first-quality shingles are marketed monthly in the Tacoma market. There is also a cigar factory which is a source of some revenue.

Fourteen neat and substantial dwelling houses have already been built for individual use of families, and others are being built as rapidly as resources permit and needs demand. Besides thesc individual dwellings the company has a large hotel building, school house, kindergarten, barn, blacksmith shop, cigar factory and laundry, and other necessary out buildings.

The livestock consists of eight horses, nine cows, four head of young cattle, five pigs and two hundred chickens. There are also five hives of bees among the company's assets, the total value of which is now at least $20,000 at a conservative estimate.

The land occupied by the company was purchased at a contract price of $6,-000 in round numbers. On this sum $2,200 has already been paid, and the balance is being paid at the rate of $200 a month, as it becomes due, with no interest on deferred payments. The above are the only obligations the company has on its fixed capital.

The total membership of the organization at the present writing is 925, and it is increasing at an average rate of 12 per week. In the settlement at Burley there are now 145 persons, men, women and children. A first-class school and kindergarten are in operation, and the colonists are enjoying much greater social advantages than are enjoyed by a like number of people of the same class anywhere outside. There are no classes, no cliques; all receive the same compensation, and all feel that proprietary interest in the affairs of the company that is so essential to a smooth and economical working of its business affairs.

It must be understood that the results set forth above have been accomplished in less than eighteen months by a company that started without a dollar in money and without a member. Wholly as a result of good business management and proper application of the co-operative principle, results have been attained that are little short of astonishing, and

which would have been absolutely impossible for any company of persons working on an indiviualistic basis. By force of the co-operative principle, and an aggregation of the small capitals of members, paid in at the rate of but one dollar each per month, results of momentous consequence for the benefit of the whole body have already been attained, and the company has as yet but fairly begun operations. The company's policy is one of indefinite expansion, and its power will increase proportionate with its membership. With a membership of 25,000, or even 10,000, which latter figure at least, should be reached within the next two years, the company will be in an irresistible position, and its progress from that time will be a triumphai march.

The organization is national, even international, in scope. It has members in 26 states of the union, and in all of the Canadian provinces; and recently an application for membership was received from Renfrewshire, Scotland. Naturally, however, its strongest membership is in the Pacific Coast states. The policy of the organization is to establish industrial settlements in the various states as fast as resources will permit and the neei is apparent. The question of establishing an Oregon settlement is already under consideration, and is likely to become an accomplished fact within a year. Propositions for a California settlement, and also for another Washington settlement, in the wheat belt east of the mountains, have also been received and are being considered.

Unlike other co-operative movements. that have been heretofore established, the Co-Operative Brotherhood is attracting a membership from among substantial business men of the middle class. These men are feeling the pinch of the trusts, and are awakening to the fact that they must protect themselves by following out the new business principle. The economic principle of the trust will be put in operation by this new organization for the benefit of its entire membership, instead of for a few dividend re

ceivers.

E

"I

LIZABETH GRINNELL, on the event of a visit to a large rabbitry in Los Angeles, says: have caressed Lord Britain, Queen of England, and others of the hare aristocracy, and stood as spellbound before their beauty and intelligence, as if they were real, human nobility. To look into the eyes of Lord Britain is like looking into the depths of a forest stream, bordered by autumn foliage. And his feet! O, one has to look at the feet of a high-type Belgian hare to appreciate them. Every inch of the creature, from the tip of its splendid ears to the tapering toes of its farthermost foot, is beyond compare."

These sentiments voice the feelings of all admirers of the Belgian hare.

What is this creature that is taking this coast and many eastern cities by storm? In the first place, it is not a hare at all, for it will burrow to some extent, if it has an opportunity, and it plucks fur from its body to cover its newly born young, two things a true hare never does. Further, the young of a hare are born with open eyes, which is not the case with a Belgian. Its origin is uncertain, for no one seems to know whence it really sprang. It is commonly believed that it owes its nativity to the crossing of a black rabbit in Belgium

with the European rabbit (Lepus caniculus). This supposition is given color by the fact that occasionally jet black Belgians will be born from reddish parents, and their young will revert to the red color again.

It is in England that the breeding of this Belgium-born variety is carried to perfection, our cousins across the water aiming to produce in the tame animal. the general characteristics of the English hare (Lepus timidus). Hence we find a standard established, an ideal hare, toward which all lovers of the animal are striving. The leading features in this standard, briefly, are: Color, rich rufus red, 20 points, as little white under jaws as possible; ticking (the black tip of each hair) wavy in appearance, plentiful, but must not run to fore legs, 15 points; shape, body long, thin, well tucked up flank, tail straight ,etc., 20 points; ears about five inches long, thin, well laced on tips and as far down outside edges. as possible, etc., 10 points; eyes, hazel, large, round, bright, etc., 10 points; legs and feet, forefeet and legs, long, straight, slender, well colored (red) and free from white bars, hind feet with as little white as possible, 10 points; size, about eight pounds, 5 points; condition, not fat, but flesh firm, 5 points; without dewlap, 5 points. The sum total of the above is

100 points. Hares which score 90 and 91 points toward perfection are very good hares. Animals scoring 92, 93, 94, are excellent specimens, and to the best of my knowledge 96 is the highest score yet reached by any hare.

This high score was reached by Lord Nason. The photograph of this animal reproduced herewith, will illustrate the perfect type as near as it has been attained.

This animal was recently sold for $600 (not a remarkable price, perhaps, everything considered) and shortly afterwards repurchased by his former owners. A prominent judge, one acceptable to all hare fanciers, has this to say about the

a thrill in the hearts of the lovers of the Belgian hare.

But the average American is practical, and he at once askes, "Where is the profit in keeping hares? Are they of any value apart from their beauty, and is this a fad destined to perish, like all other fads, or will the Belgian hare have at permanent place upon our farms in our cities? Are they easily cared for, and without much expense?" Alas, that we must turn from the aesthetic side of this question to the one of utility, for it is hard to associate such a beautiful creature with the thought of the butcher's block. As if Nature had foreseen these very questions and provided for

animal, which he says reaches the highest score ever given by him to a Belgian hare: "A wonder in color, and equally as great a wonder in shape-his beautiful eye, length of limb, neat, clean-cut neck, his excellent pose,his entire makeup, places him as one of the grandest specimens ever produced." Lord Nason, of course, is not the only hare of high rank. Champion Fashoda (the acknowledged champion of the world), Lord Britain, whose picture heads this article, and who, up to the time of his death, brought his owners $3000 per annum, Rochdale, Duke of Edinboro, Lord Lurgan, Duke of Cheshire, Sir Styles and others, are names which cause

the practical as well as the ornamental, we find heavy weight Belgians, some of them weighing 12 or 13 pounds, with and without good pedigrees, not commanding such high prices as those we have been discussing, but selling in California for from 20 to 25 cents per pound, dressed. The hides are valuable and are used for felting, hats, etc.

The animal is very prolific, 50 young each year from one doe being a very conservative estimate. I can bear witness to the fact that the meat is more delicious than chicken or turkey. contains 83 per cent of digestible nutriment, far superior to beef, mutton, pork or chicken in this respect, and is par

It

ticularly valuable for invalids on this account. A New York physician says it should be found in every sanitarium. As to the expense of feeding, I can give no statistics beyond stating that they are kept in the best condition by not overfeeding. A good handful of oats in the morning, with a little hay in the evening, with a judicious use of green stuff represents fairly well the daily rations of an adult. Plenty of fresh water at all times. The Belgian is a cleanly animal, and, although doing best in spaCious quarters, thrives very well in a drygoods box 4x5x3 feet.

No branch of business, probably, is more affected by ladies than that of raising and selling Belgian hares, since it gives light employment and yields good

returns. A case has come to my knowledge of a lady acting as housekeeper in the home of a wealthy family who purchased a few hares, three years ago. Today she has two or three hundred animals and a yearly income of $1500, and finds it more profitable than housekeeping. Not long ago a gentleman paid. $5 for a doe which in a few years had netted him $375. This was just an ordinary animal, probably well colored and with no disqualifications. Fancy does bring marvelous prices. In ordering some fine stock not long ago I stipulated what the doe should be, and the dealer wrote me that the cheapest animal he had filling my requirements would cost $275. I have heard of another doe for which $1000 was offered and refused.