Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-10-13
The Separatists ofOhio,

aiists from the Lutheran Church, who emi-
grated to this country about AZ years since.
Having adopted the sentiments of that
pious enthusiast of the seventeenth century,
Jacob Boehme, or Behmen. as he is gener-
ally called, two hundred persons left Wir-
temberg, in 1877, under the leadership OF
one Jacob NJ Bimeler, and On their arrival
in this country, purchased 5000 acres os
wild land in Tuscarawas county, where
they still reside. They practice Socialism
in the strictest sense of the word-labor
and property being equally divided among
all. Their officers are Director and three
Trustees, upon whom devolVe the manage
ment of the temporal affairs of the Society.
These officers are elective, females voting
as we'll as males. The Trustees serve three
years, one vacating his office annually.
"In 1882 a terrible ca lamity visited the
little community in the shape of the cholera,
by which so of its members were swept
away, preventing, in measure, those ma
trimonial alliances which have added much,
it was reasonably hoped, to the numerical
strength of the society. The increase since
then has scarcely made up for the loss, aud
the number of members remaining is about
200. During the early years of the colony
all coDjugal relations calcuted to lead to
an increase of the responsibilities Of the
females and burdens of the society were for
given period interdicted, and, strange
10 say, the arbitrary ukase was obeyed. But
| if they have not increased in numbers they
have gained in wealth. Their huge farm,
| to which additions have been madc-aadar
their thrifty and economical management,
is in the most perfect state of cultivation
A large three-s,ory brick house, OF an an
tiqne build, with innumerable gables, was
lately the residence of the good King
Bimsler, but is now occupied by the Trus-
tees. A large store and a capacious tavern
(the latter conducted in the old fashioned
style of the German inn), q fine church.
] so good dwellings, and a -four mill are
among the improvements"
A reporter from the Office of The Ohio
Statesman, who recently visited the com.
munily, says:
"No fighting, no wife beating, no rioting
no prostitution is known'to the people there
i Their laws are strict and are not disregard
ed. By their code the crime of seduction
is punished by Death. OF course the ex
ecution of such law would conflict witt
the State authorities, but fortunately, with
but one exception, there never was a crime
of this character committed among them
and then it stretched the power of the con
stItuted authorities to the utmost to saw
the perpetrator from being stoned to death
The laws Of the State are also obeyed ant
carried out. The community pay taxes tb
same as other citizens, but receive littl
benefit from them. They build Their owl
roads, and do everything in tine wsv of bust
ness with the State as community and n0
as individuals. I heir ritual, like evervthin
else pertaining to them, is perfectly simple
and their maxims of morality are at one
CO mprehended by the most o5tuse.
"As may be supposed, there is no grea
mental development among them, and ye
they are net stupid or churish. Instru:to
ia given the children in Winter in the Ger
man and English languages, and all III
common branches of education. The
= = have little printing-office, recently muc
improved, in (which they print religiod
' books and tracts. The publisher is ais
the Postmaster and storekeeper of tn
town. He employs two compositcrs, an
does his own presswork on a Washington
press, lately imported. For a number O
years his entire Office was placed in sor
Of bureau, type, cases, press and all, whic
= is now exhibited as curiosity. The pres
now in use is as bright as new pin, an
the whole concern, ,carpeted and clean, look
more like lady's closet than printing
Office.
GAN the members of this Society art
dressed in blue fabric of their own manu-
: facture, the pecuiarities of the male atir
being an abbreviated coat of an unfashior
able cut. The dresses of the females ar
., of the same material and color, variegate
by white apron, and a spotlsss. uiangnll
handkerchief about the neck, the points {
which meet the apron-strings before an
behind. The primitive and somewhat pit
turesque costume is completed by an i'm
= .mepse straw hat (bound by ribbon Of tn
never-failing b.ue,) and plentiful lack {
crinoline-an institution OF which tn
: Zoar bellies are entirely ignorant. or,
. known to them, is totally ignored"
II SLAVERY IN Missouri The St. Josep
5 (MisslurD Free Democrat says:
a "It is notorious fact that this court.
Il II xl