Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-03-11
dg9allgy y empire,
Ia g, SAlsalteFs--ShalAer work and
4 NUTII a Reuglon, n

J.
From the Springfield (Mass.l Republican
Shakerville, in Enfield, Connecticut, is a
quiet farming community OF fout families or
households These households number 1870
members, divided about a. follows: "a men,
l20 women, and 81 children. Farming is
their general business, and the preparation Of.
seeds, herbs, extracts, apple sauce, bonnels,
brooms, gra ln.crades, and snow-shovels their
speciaties They hold about 5000 acres OF
land here in solid body, or sixteen and two.
thirds acres on an average each. They keep
some 500 head of domestic animals have
plain, practical houses workshops aud barns
and barring cohnubial Bliss, arc doubtless
contented and happy Through the courtesy
OF their leaders, we have looked n upon thei:
homes, partaken Of their salt, and gathered
as we trnst, some items of general interest
The Shakers are n religious sect of about "a
centurys growth, originating from the Qua
kersy in Manchester, England They first
came 10 this country III l773, numbering ten
persons, and settled at Watervleit, New York
There the idea Of community Of property
was first broachcd which has since been
adopted BY the Shaker families. Self denial
is their cardinal virtue They believe in
Gods, Christs, heavens and helIs duplicated
They are non.resistants, participants in mol
earthly government live lrugally and simply
and consider dleness sinful Those VINO
differ from them are ''worlds peopie" Their
name is derived from their motions in wOr-
ship, which exercise both soul and body, and
consist, in part of marches, dances, and sing.
ing Anne Lee, the daughter and wife Of
blacksmith, was the author and founder Of the
system. Joseph Meacham, Baptist preacher
OF Enfield, Connecticut, was an early convert
n oil nd tunn 1tau fiaa hra NJ
missionaries were sent out from Lebanon
New York, which is considered the parent go
ciety, having five hundred members in 1906,
into Ohio and Kentucky, and they made
proselytes in those Statesl There are now
eighteen societies, and about -four thousand
members in this country, divided as follows
-Four IN Massachusetts, one in Connecticut,
two in New Hampshire, two in Maine, three in
New York, four in Ohio, and two in Ken
tucky. Each society has from two to eight
honseholders, and averages seven acres of
land TO each member .aai
The Enfield society was established in
l795, by eight persons, poor and in debit
They have grown to their present form,
though sometimes more prosperous in num-
bers than now. They are obliged TO hire farm
help more or less, owing to the scarcity of
numbers. The middle or church family here,
which doubtless represents onefourth Of the
population cultivated last year forty acres Of
corn, forty acres OF oats twenty-five acres OF
rye, besides spring wheat vegetables, &c, |
and cut one hundred and fifty tons OF hay
They keep about one hundred and City head
OF cattle, of which twenty-five are COWS OF
the native Durham and Alderney grades
These animals are mostly kept at new barn
built in 1854 Ii is forty by ninety feet in
.sytl ht,,b
lar under the whole, and what is remarkable,
the building is trussed up, so that in the eel
lar there is neither pillar nor post The |
building stands on the side of hill, The main
driveway is in the attic, and the hay is pitch
ed down into bays ON either side. Under the
barn floor, md connecting with it by scuttles
is the feeding floor, and some eight feet lower
are the cattle, while upder all is n cellar al
least twelve feet in height .
p The Shakers pride themselves on their
stock and justly They feed well, but care
fully avoid waste The first thing ia the
morning the COWS lhve one or two lodderngs
Of hay, then roots sprinkled with dry meal,
then they are watered then they have hay
and stalks, then roots aud meal as before,
aud lastly hay Their young stock is kept in
shielded yards, and is divided according 20
their age and quality They all have wide
managers and generally rack behind, 80 that
every spire of hay is saved.
Their horses are eneray very good We
saw fine bay breeding mare and four Of her
colts Of various ages. Three were "Ashlands,"
and all sorrel, and the youngest bay Ham
iltonian fully. The Shakers eat no pork,
but raise few hogs for Gentiles The Sha-
kats are posted on vegetable raising
II ia pleasant to have Shaker friends, to
meet them on the street or at their homes, to
see the neat plain attire of the Shakeresses,
and the demure looks of the little Shakers
but one cannot resist the conviction that this
is not the best way to live. We believe in
families all our own. Still they point 10 the
fact that they are not the only people in the
world who have maintained for seventy years
a system Of living, one Of the fundamental
principles of which is community OF pro
periy. Who ever saw a Shaker drink, or lie, /
or swear, or steal There is so much in their
favor
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