The Democratic advocate., 1869-10-21
Misrsllantous.
Shaking Quakers.

Norris, Livingston County, N. Y, at
the junction of the Dansville Branch
with the Genesee Valley Canal, there
has lived for many years one Of the
most prosperous Of the Shaker commu-
nitiesi their property now exceeding 10
value quarter Of million OF dollars.
They occupy over two thousand acres
of the finest upland aud fat TO be found
in Western New York. This year they
have excellent crops, ranging as follows
Sweet corn, II acres; corn, 80; wheat,
l75; oats, 80; meadow, 200; potatoes,
20; barley, SO; buekwheat, 6 /; broom.
corn, $50; vegetable garden, 10; or
ehard, %; pastursge, 500 wood laud,
some Of it very valuable timber, SO0.--
Their sweet corn is mostly dried, they
putting up this ye9r fifty eight barrels,
which realize TO them s24 per barrel.
The communities have foreign order
for corn this season. They have their
steam apparatus aud drying furnaces
for manufacturing the product, and the
greatest care is taken 70 have every ker-
mel Of corn perfect. Their buildings
are very neat, both in the outward ap-
pearaace and Internal management.
Even the laundry department, including
washroom, is model Of perfect neatness,
aud not the repulsive institution Of
most hotels aud large establishments !;
while their dining and other rooms are
as free from even fly, or the trace of
one as though such pests Of Summer
never existed There are two families,
called the East" and "West families
sitnated about half mile apart. The
" West family" number thirty five men
and women; the =" East" seventy five !;
this probably includes the children
which have been adopted. Each has
his or her work assigned by the sEl.
ders or Eldresses," ," and other "powers
that be-" and none are more industrious
than those most 10 authority. The
buildings Of the West family cost up
wards Of $4,000; this includes barn ,
the cost of which was sl2, 600, four
stories high, and the main part so by
100 feet, with stalls for fourteen horses,
and grain capacity for tens Of thousands
OF bushels. Many modern improve
menss might be mentioned. Other
barns for broom corn and farm purposes
are further removed from the home
centre. The cost Of the buildings oil
the East family was s75, 900, which in
clades their fine church ediice. The
stock barn here is 20 by 100 feet and is
three stories high, In addition to the
above are the grist-mill, saw mill, plan-
ing mill lathes, broom, blacksmith, and
other shops, costing $50, 1000. . Last
year they manufactured al tho West
family 1000 dozen 'brooms ; at the other,
$500 dozen, This year they will largely
increase this number. OF stock they
have 40 work horses, 20 colts, 40 COWS,
125 young cattle, 100 sheep, 400 Of
poultry, aud 20 'sscavengerss they not
dignifydng them with the name Of
.hogs" "--swine's, fosh being prohibited. /.
They have very interesting religious
services every Sabbath at their church,
which are attended by hundreds Of
spectators from the Genesee valley and
tho hillsides around; and you win soc
here some Of the first families of Nc.
Morris, Genesee, and other villages.
They have also their more private as
semblages for worship. Ofthe religious
character Of this people ! will not speak +,
Il