New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-09
MIR. ELEPHANTS COLONY.

TION-sKETCH or MIR. HARRIS AND MR.
oLIPHANT.
BpocKToN, Aug. 30-There is no more com
mon assertion than that oneha the world does not
how the other half lives, 1t might be added WIN ~"
truth that onehalf the world impatient OF ts Ho
rance OF the doings OF the other half ana III N
aud often mportinent curiosity frequently accepts
,nents without the slightest inquiry into ther truth o
probability Thus while thinkinglt KNOWS ever! 'H"s'
In reality II knows nothing. TINS craving requires -,
SAINT feeding. and the sensational VIII uione "PP
vitiated appetite. ,,.,o,,sr, Il "a
,.ourrod of 70 than the accounts Of the little COLONY
which Mr. Harris and Mr.. Oliphant estaDisheu ADOu
two wears ago at BrOckton village some seven VI -,
miles from Duukirk. on the shore OF LAKE Ero' - -
various beliefs and practices with Whlch 'h'' ~ go
accredited had really any foundation they wouiu o
80, Lent one ~ the most remarkable studies OF hu
man nature in its religious aspect They nave peo o
scribed as praccing poygamy' as reHa'uius 10
with peculiar sanctity, and again as aNoiu"s - CIV
pether One journal announced that they OeheNe .io
millennium mas already commenced, and Will grauuaiy
spread over the entire world as mankind Is regeneraeu
nv the Influences emanating, by the iDvine WILL fom
Salem Mr. Harris. who may be SAID 10 Do 'nV
parent Of the colony has been spoken OF as seco"
MahOmet, and is supposed TO emulate MS eAanPi'' '
ting in his lonely tent surrounded by his followers anu
scrbes who with scarcely repressble enthusiasm "lc
down the mystic revelations to which he gives utter
snce Communism has also been generally attributed 10
Them and in fact, almost every ism that Is Known
An this however is mere gossip. The reporter OF one
Journal paid visit Brockton to write up what he erro
neously calls e" the Community" and rewarded MI. Oh
bant for his courteous reception by relating converse
ton in which Mr. Ophan opened his heart ana gave OK
preston his inner feelings upon the express promise
that it should not be published
Having known the Oliphant family in England, and
having taken considerable interest in Mr. Laurence Oh
phants phianthropc labOrs in his own country was
n ,1 aul amused
counts Of what lac doing, and what he proposed 10
TO do of what he believed and what he did not believe
was therefore very glad Of an opportunity TO take
trip TO BrocktOn what really the state OF thgS
there and how much foundation there is for the sensa
tiona reports Brockton is short rdeof twenty minutes
from Dunkirk on the Buffalo and Erie Railway and is
situated about mile and half from the shore Of the
Lake. Within a short distance Of the railway depot
which stands the Salem Erie estate is the SALEM
onErle Hotel and belonging to the estate and managed
by Mr. Clarke. one of Mr. ELEPHANTS companions VINO
came out from England a year ago. This gentleman
whose particular ayOcaton appears TO be to promote
temperance in the of spuOus liquors rather than to-
tai abstinence from them explained to me that the con-
sequence Mr. Opbant Of all this foolish writing IN the
newspapers had been worse than annoying Correspon'
dence from all sorts Of silly people flows IN upon him;
visitors flock BrOckOn the register OF the little hotel
teses some impeed by curiosity; others, by the
more laudable desire to know II anything Is being
done there 10 elevate the moral tone OF man
kind but nearly all apparently considering that Mr.
Ophsnt has nothing else to do but TO answer inquiries
All depart or less disappointed SO harrassed has
Mr. Olphant been by them that he has at last been
obliged to isolate himself from their intrusions conse
quently compelled to wait at the hotel while lad
went to his house, mile and half distant. Mr.
Ophant at drove over TO the hotel and felt quite
relieved him clothed and in his right mind had
long talk with him about the estate his companions,
what they doing what they proposed to do their
religious views and what bonds kept them all together
listened with establishment as he depicted the simple
character Of their lives and explained the sort OF CO.
operative farming in which they were all employed. He
expressed great regret the style in which their assoc
ton had been written up in the newspapers. He does
by any shun fair publicity, but he objects to
undue nooriety "There is absolutely nothing here TO
be written about" he said having myself written
for the principal English newspapers may be supposed
TO know something OF these matters and repeat that
there is nothing here TO be written about. But" he
added, come and see for yourself"
We got into his buggy and took tour round the estate
II sdiyded into II farms consisting in the aggregate Of
1000 Of land, mostly fat and uninteresng, with
the exception Of small and more picturesque portion
the shore of the Lake, Mr.. ELEPHANTS house.
About 80 planted with several varieties Of grapes
small quantity supplies the Association with vegeta-
bes. and there few patches of and oats the
rest Of the estate where cleared grass land This year
they have made about 200 tuns Of hay. Farming and
winemaking, however, still quite in their infancy
both for the table and for canning increase he
dairy business as soon their progress will permit
their doing but yet there much TO be done befor
they bring the whole estate into proper cultivation
The members Of the Association living the estat
vary from so 10 of them occasionally leaving 70
while, but not permanently. They composed al
natonalities including two japanese Mr. Oiphant has
travelled much in different parts Of the world especially
in the East where he has many friends who take a warm
interest in the Of this movement and with whom
like this in which the religious element conspic
place is certain to attract the sympalies
and cooperation OF cergymen 1t is not surprising there
fore, to find several reverend gentlemen resident at
Salen-onErie. What the organization is may be best
Judged from Mr. ELEPHANTS words at is an entire
misnomer." said he, Ito speak Of us as a cOmmu.
uity. We have no communism among We are
SIMPLY band Of persons who, thinking alike
on most subjects having strong democratic tendency,
holding enthusiastically the same religious views and
being equally DESTROYS Of doing Gods Will and making
our daily lives one continuous Of obedience 10 HIS
cOmmand-in fact, making every day a sunday-haye
associated ourselves together and live together hoping
that while by the concentration OF energies and by
mutual religious sustainment we may benefit ourselves
both here and hereafter, may at the came time set
lively example to Others, and if cannot draw them to
ourselves, lead them to do do in other places"
very powerful religious fervOr appears fact to be the
handspring Of the association the particular form of its
belief being sort of pOetical development of Sweden
borgiansm. Religious aspirations and full acceptaton
of their particular teachings which incucate that the
breath Of Colds under certain circumstances directly
Impaired to the soul Of man, essential to admission
into the association though they have place Of
ship but apparently depend more upon internal than
external religion.
AS to the arrangements under which they hold their
property, Mr. Oliphant assured that they had not
dvulged them, nor do they feel called upon to do So al
though one New York journal puported to give them
"surely" said Mr.. Olphant somewhat bitterly, "pri-
vaoy may be so far permitted to us" The management