Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-09-08
A German Community.


shout seven thousand acres in extent, a part
ofa large reserve owned by the Indians lill
within few years. The seulemsn, was
commenced some ten years sgo, by four hun
dfcd cmigranis fresh from Germany. They
now number abou, Que thonsiud, al Germans
with the exception Of very slight sprinkling
u Frorc',.
Tie reorcriy is held IN com---a- -i1uagcl
by a board or trustees. numbering scmo eirh-
teen or twenty. and if'hey are al a' long.
headed AMI shrcwd a. the ono We met, they
will not soon become bankfup, for the wait
N wat. There am ON the plantation three
compact yillarcs. some mile and half ur two
miles apart. The members ofihc community
take their meals in common at the boarding
houses established in each yllace, some Gny
or sixty at table clothing and furniture,
which makes up the res, of What may be call.
ol a living, are furnished each individual or
family out Of an allowance mstcd out to each
annually. varying 10 amnuat accordingly To
employment and other circumstances. What
tins amount is We did not ascertain, as the
questions wc Tut rcspcciIn, It we're cvadcd
or misunderstood. II must he very small,
however. as their furniture and clothing arc
cuarso and plain, almost to 4 fault. So ar
A. We could learn, there is not such thing
asa carpet on the whole plniallun as TO
their drcss, something may be learned from
their tausiccs whom We me,--a man some
sixty or siXty.d,c years ol ase-was habiicd
from head to foot 10 cotton cloth, as we should
Judge, with patches on the knees and else
where, yaNins in length from 'iN to twelve
inches.
There is one store in Ihe village which We
visited, at which the member. Of the com.
munily obtained their clothing aud few
other nccdful articles. These are charged to
the accpun, of ,hc individuals who take them
TO the extent Of each mans quota there Is
no transfer Of money on the part ofIndylduals
there being, 50 flr as We could learn, no such
membranes among them as p.ivaie purses.
40 one j, allowed to leave the plantation
without a permit from the trustees. Il ab.
,cnce on a ,i.t to friends, or for other need
ul or convenient purposes. be a, any time
granted money is furnished fvr Necessary cx-
a.. ......a...... T..N
The ehiercmploymcn, is farming, though
they have mills and machine shurs Of various
kinds. We visited a wooden factory, where
hroaleloih and ranncl am manufactured TO
some eNlcn, also printing establishment
where engraving and printing were executed
in fine style.
They 7rc 50 fr as Wo coulI learn, strict
ly moral and peaceful. To our question
touching the disposition of offenders, such a.
rs thieves. dunkards. and rio,ou' persons, the
interpreter, with a significant shake of the
head. replied, 1--WE have none such" There
arc no tavern, or grogshoPs among them.
NO sp.ri'uous liquors ate allowed To- be t1nA
by ans member of the community. II one Of
their numbers il found gully of'iolai.ng The
rules 10 ,hisresroct, ani persists, after suit
able admoniton anil labor he Is expelled.
Hero In nutshell ve have the secret of their
comparative freedom from rIol and crlme' ~
argumen, in fyor ol,he Maine Law more ro.
ten, and conclusive than al the whining ol
rum.clcrs, and Legislators rom ocean to
ocean.
They ate a religious at least nomnaliy--
,nd churcl.soinr people. on tie Lords
DAY the Scriptures arc read and eSPounded hy
a clas, Of ecclcsiastics. called elders. They
observe the Lord's supper, bu, do not Irae'
,ca water baptism Further Than Ihi'' re-
.prc,inr their religious faith and practice, we
did not learn. The trustee and lis in,erPrc'
Ter answered with reserve aud caution, quos'
,on. on This subject, referring US for further
information to ono Of the elders whom We did
mo-, have the good fortune To sec.
There were iva thing. which ell under
our observation with which We were not
nleased. The one was a want Of proper or
der and nca,ncss about their dwellings. The
street, and Sidewalk, we're lined with wood,
boards. broken carts, dirty chillren aud pigs,
no, The lidiesi.
The other thing we dislikej was, the cus-
tom of women.work in the field. We saw
bu: one oftho company at work out OF doors
in which there was not pretty thick sprnS'
ling of icminines, while vc found IN the fac
tory and printing establishment, mono but men
The field women wear The everlasting blue
Observation-Disclosures and extending skirt
wise to length somewhere midway between
tic French and Ilooner fashions. These
women. by constant exposure TO the sun and
rough toll, present coarse, swarthy appear
anec, not altogether agreeable to look upon
/ Aswcleii the village toward evening OF
our return. we met herd Of some one hun
dred cows-some two.ihiris or three-iourih'
oruhich wore bells. The iinslIng of these
.eyen,y.6ve bells, as the herd slowly wended
their wsy towards the village, along the road
on each side Of which were spread out beau
,tir1l trees, dotted here aud there with groups
iof laborers, was so rural and pastoral as 'c
furnish scene unnsuolly interesting and de-
lighful.
Further on We passed large field, iiom
which wheat had been recently gathered
Here We witnessed scene which carried ou'
mind hack 10 the good old days Of Ruth