The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-03

tied around the bust about two inches below the
armpits, wearing white handkerchiefs or vandykes,
and close fitting caps-were seated on the forms next
the wall at one end Of the room, and opposite to
them were number of men dressed in psntaloons
and vests, cut after the Shaker fashion, and worn
over scIupulousy white shirts; they wore no coats
We had been seated but a few minutes, when the
door OF one OF the ante. rooms was opened and a
number Of men and boys came in, all dressed in the
same uniform, and took their seats on the benches
at the end of the room appropriated to "males.'
Another door opened, and entered a squad of "fe-
male" Shakers, who took their seats on the benches
st the other end of the room. Having assumed
their seats they sat like statues, only occasionally
casting glance towards the benches on which were
seated our benighted selves, the worlds people,
Again there was perfect silence for some minutes
when both ante-rOom do )rs were thrown OPEN and
the congregation Of Shakerdom came marching in
the men from one room and the women from the
other These all took seats; but in doing so hand
some manGuvre was practised by the women. There
were half score Of young and half dozen of verv
pretty Shakeresses; these were all, by a system of
marching and hating, placed in q position fur
thest removed from the seats which were allo v
number Of about two hundred; and there they sat-
as motonless as though they were petri6ed.
Among the number was one bls,k man and several
yellow women. But motionless as they were and
tinguish, from our omewhat elevated position, the
master spirits from the mass Of Shakers. One man
Of rather large frame, with an excellent phreno-
logical developement, and a nose some what Roman
agood eye, and an independent bearing of person,
could at once be singled out for a commanding go.
MUS Another, and another, and third, might be
seen, who bespoke, by their appear ance, that
to give direction, and not to follow with their
eyes closed. There may have been six or seven
OF these. The rest were persons who, any one
could imagiue would follow, with blind submis-
sion, the ad set by their superiors After sitting
in perfect silence for about five minutes tho whole
congregation arose, and the benches were taken up
and removed to the extreme ends of the Dom. The
thavf ,v1kN lakAa L.
ways retaining their appropriate end of the room,
and the men ditto-the sexes facing each other The
platoons now fell back, the men on the right flank,
and the women On the LEFT, about five PAGES, the
shape of letter reversed, or thus A. One of
the leaders now came forward and took up his posi-
tion at point which may be termed the apex Of the
A, with the women on his left, and the men on his
right Casting his eyes first to the left, and then to
the right, he commenced an address, the burthen of
which was the privilege they enjoyed in being thus
remarks were we'll worded and his style of oratory
was pleasing, having nothing in it fantastic or az
fected. His address being concluded, the congre-
CATION sang hymn, the tune to which was never
long since lost; it was something between a chant
and glee-the time varying, but regularly
marked even in its variations, by the feet of the
performers. This being concluded, silence again
started, having kind of chorus; the congregation
faced west, and commenced kind of exercise, con-
sistng of three or four dancing steps forward and
then as many backward. This was kept up for
some time, when they all came to dead stand;
and after resting few moments, repe ated nearly
the same movement, dancing the regular steps
forward, and then facing about in military style,
and coming back to their original position. Ano-
Their short exhortation was then delivered by ano-
Their Of the leaders, and then tune was started at
the sound of which the performers formed in three
circles; the one in the centre standing STILL the one
next them half marching and half dancing around
them and the outer circle performing the evo-
buttons, but marching in a counter direction. The
motion fnally ceased; and while the company were
standing at their ease one of the orators Of the fra
ternity broke out, without any warning, into dis
course upon the topic Of the Resurrection. His
ideas were communicated with great felicity of
expression His figures were partly drawn from
sort Of transcendentsl piece of well sounding So
phistry, remarkably accommodating in its terms,
pleasing to the vanity Of listeners Of small minds
charitable at the expense of and, at the close
commencing, in the most modest terms, the doc
trines ofthe sect, without at all telling what those
doctrines we're. 1t was an address which would suit
the novelty seeking men and women who frequent
the lecture rooms of the city, to listen to incompre-
hepsible nonsense, infdel lectures sugared over
with the names of philosophy or philanthropy. But
far the oratory itself is concerned the Shaker
orator would put any of the Hope Chapel and Gin
ton Hall lecturers to the blush, fthey submitted to
comparison. Another dance, lecture directed e,pe
cislly to the worlds people," another hymn, and
few remarks by one of the elders on Diminishing
|
ing men to whom ! have before referred, did
not join in the erotesque performances Of the
day. They were about the room, seeming to jon
but in fact, only giving countenance to what was
going on. When any ofthe cerem ones actually in
volyed them in the work, they went through the
cvolutons with kind Of dgniied indifference, like
person walking through a quadrille. Somehow
or other. their vests and pantaloons seemed to fit
the barber seemed to have performed their work
better en- their hair, than on that Of the rank and
file. In short, IL was evident they the Office
holders. He ofthe Roman nose, stood in the centre
circle during all the roundabout dancing, and his
keen eye seemed to survey the whole band like
military commander when witnessing the martial
exercise Of regiment
IL the Shakers are queer religionists, they are
selected, and are well worked They allow no drones
in their hive, and their industry is handsomely re-
warded. The act Of incorporation under which they
hold their property, does not permit them to amass
money beyond a certain extent. Thcy, therefore,
expend their surplus earnings in improving the pro-
perty which, from time to time, they add to their
CONAN. There are abou. two hundred Of them at
this establif bment, AMI there is another Shaker
village few miles of. They are an inofIensive
people, and render themselves popular by mindiug
their own business
The readers of the Herald in New York, may
want to know the best way to reach this heslthful
ard comfortable retreat. There several routes;
but the most pleasant is the following Take the
morning boat New World or Reindeer at 7 o'clock.
A. M they will land passengers ut about o'clock,
Il. NJ. At Hudson, lei them take the Hudson and
Berkshire Railroad, procuring tickets for Lebanon
Springs Mt the railrt ad Office. They will then be
landed at Edwards station, where carriages run
nirg in connection with the railroad will take them
up, and after delightful jaun; of nine miles over
good road, and through a fine country, will land
them at the door Of Columbia Hall. Some persons,
Who prefer railroad travelling, come by the way Of
the Housatonic Railroad to PIttsfeld, and thence
by stage, seven miles, to this place. The people
about here are anxious to have q railroad from
Chatham -Four Corners, running through the valley
Of Lebanon, and north, TO intersect the Western
Vermont Railroad at Bennington, or the Washing
ton County Railroad at III oosac, either of which
will put them In connection with the great line of
railroads running north through Vermont, and
en- 10 Montreal. The surveys have been made, and
the route found 10 be practicable, having low
grade. and but little rock TO work A committee
Of tie leading men in this enterprise are now in
Now Nofk. 70 offer the charter TO the New York
ara Harlem Bsilroad Company. as that CON pany