The New York herald., 1869-06-06

Oneida county Thero are 500 acres OF the choicest
land belonging TO the community. more bcausi
fu ocatloa could hardly be found. The wn0ie coun-
try round Ii well cultivated and settled There IL an
appearance Of c0ml0rt. plenty aud thrifty industry
every where, and sometimes OF luxury aud egance.
The property OF the Oneida Community Is thus sur
rounded and lies IN an ampnltneatre FORMED Dy
gently rising hills nearly all round. Inc ground u
dales, covered Dy rich meadows. highly cultivated
fields, and IN spots by clusters OF forest trees iorma
succession OF charming landscape views IL Is, IN
Decd the choicest spOL-a sort OF Arcadla-ln
country that is In general both rch and Deaut'iuL
The chief building, whica ID the residence OIL siS
community, numbering now over Two hunureu
members, Is buit Of BRICK and Is three stories hign
with tower a1ordlng an extensive view OF the sur
rounding country. In this building are tue 0hccs;
reception room, sleeping apartments library and
reading rooms, museum and general hll or s0rs
ing for business. conversation or amusement Az
these gatherings everything relating To the Interests
Of the association to religious matters, to social al
fairs aud the intercourse ol the sexes Is d8
cussed. NOminay, this assembly OF The whole COM
munlty governs the association and directs the ac-
tiOn OF every individual member; but really the
power is in the hands OF few leaders, and chiefly
In the hands uf the founder J. IL. Soyes He Is the
acknowledged head to whom all yield obedience.
The grounds adjoining the main building are taste
fully laid out with nower gardens, shubber o. var-
GUS kinds OF evergreens, hedges shaded walks, bow
saw several Of the young women aud girls, with
books In their hands, lOunglng In the shady
retreats or prosrate on the grass under tne shade
large buildings, one dining nall and the rest for
various industrial uses. Besides these there are
stables for over 100 horses and cattle, extensive
barns cottages and other Outbuidlnls, all we'll con-
srructed and kept In exceilent order There arc
strawSerrles. raspberries and other small fruits.
The diet OF the community consists chiefly OF frult
and vegetables, though meal Is occasionally eaten,
and therefore, special attention paid to the out-
walton Of these. Stil they have sucn an abundance
that they can most kinds OF fruit anu make eilleS
realized over $4,000 Q year. They keep fifty cows,
Of improved stock, but sell no dairy produce.
Latterly the community have paid more attention
to manufacturing though farming and raising OF
fruits are still kept up. There is branch OF the
tablishment at Willow Place, on detached portion
Of the domain, about mile and quarter from
the present Institution. Here there are living
thIrty-fve OF the members. The connection
between the two, however. Is complete: A. Az TINS ms
OF water power. Steel traps OF different Sizes from
the rat trap to formidable looking ones Tor catching
force Of laborefs and mechanics not belonging
to the community is employed on wages, but the
manager and heads OF each division OF the manuao-
tory belong to 1t. TO use u common expression,
they boss everything. An extensive business is
done In these traps. They are shipped TO many amt
even distant parts Of the world. Some are sent to
Russia but the largest trade is with the far West and
California, where they are used by trappers. More
than hall million OF steel traps have been made
here IN ten years. There Is also az Willow Place
foundry where all kinds OF agricultural, machine
and light castings are made. Then there are saw
satchels The community has entered largely into
the manufacture OF sewing silk also. lnere are
probably eighty persons & or more employees, ,rn as
by the community from the village OF oneida or the
neighbOrho0d. Several immense Omnlbuses are
kept by the community for the purpose OF bringing
these girls out to the mandatory III the morning
and taxing them homo again In the evening. But
the bossing as was said before about the other
factories. Is done by the communist prOprietOrs.
Altogether the society Is extending It's works ana
business and is becoming rich. The object In paving
so much attention to profitable Manufacturing, as
was told by of the community Is to relieve their
own people as much as possible from hard work or
e want no Gny % ans as m hs1s
ample time for enjoyment and the cultivation OF
their minds 1t was SAID, however, that they did
not want to make slaves OF Others and that they had
been considering whether they could not give the
benefit OF cooperative labor to their outside em-
poyes. There educational institution connected
with the oneida settlement, and preparations
are being made to establish one OF
high order and on large scale ne the
to outside colleges for the higher branches of edu-
cation. Three have just graduated at Yale College
and returned to the settlement There Is an or
shoot of the Oneida Community at walllnglord Conn.
II was established In 1851, has forty members, and
owns 22s Of land. 1t IL principally occupied In
terprises There is family established at New
Haven for the purpose Of afrording boarding place
studying at Yale College and there is an agency in
New York for attending 10 the business OF the
society All these are In close anliation and though
separated by distance belong In fact, to one CON-
The Oneida Community was established in March,
village OF Putney, Vermont They were compelled
to leave that place IN consequence OF the new, start
attempted to carry out and found refuge &C Oneida
In connection with some other Perfectionsts OF the
same faith. This was the foundation Of the commu.
leading spirit-a sort Of prophet priest and kng-of
the society, and holds that position now. In the
M asps q Ds sna % S%ss
the following passage is found:-'The community
organization began as family; and has grQyp q .
family, with this important difference TO the Ordi-
nary meaning OF the word family that in the orgi-
nal compact between Mr.. N0yes and his wife they
mutually agreed not to be exclusively devoted 10
each other but to receive others into their unity.
Unaer this compact the original duality has been
gradually increased until II embraces three hundred
souls" In plain words, Mr.. Noyes was free to CO
habit with other women and Mrs. Noyes with other
men whenever they chose to believe they found
what is called spiritual affinity or those who we're
emancipated and perfected above the prejudice and
trammels OF ordinary social life. From such be-
ginning have nourishlng communities embracing
views and following tic same practice. The older
members evidently have the advantage In this free
love arrangement; for 1T Is regarded as better for
the young OF both sexes to associate IN love with
persons older than themselves" SIch Is the dctum
OF the chiefs OF the association wno for the most
part are people advanced in years. very pleasant
doctrine for such old ubldinous fanatics whatever
1t may be for the young folks. ~,
In book called Bible Communism published
by the association In lS53 ana which Is regarded ~
these people as sort OF gospel, their whole social
theory Is laid down. l got copy, with much DIM
Guilty, from gentleman al Oneua station, lOr Gre
ated such disgust among the citizens OF the neigh
borhood that the community withdrew from crcula-
ton every copy that could be got hold Of and the
book IL rarely be seen now outside OF the cOmmu-
mist settlement. A large portion OF this work is
devoted to the discussion OF the sexual question
from the Oneida Community's point 0f view, and,
under the pretext OF treating the matter scentin-
caliy morally and religiously Is full OF filthy details.
IL shows that with all the pretence OF religion and
reaching after perfection the minds of these people
are filled with the one Idea OF gratifying their lust
through free and indiscrminate intercourse. This
IL the foundation OF the whole superstruction; for
they pretend that this sexual freedom Is conducive
10 spiritual love aud moral Improvement, well as
to love generally, among all the members OF the
community. The two or three persons VINO have
left or been expelled from the society give disgust
ing accounts oil the secret practices; but there may
be some prejudice or malice In the statements. Stall
10 Is evident from the publications OF these people,
and from their avowed theories that state Of things
exists shocking to Christian and civilized country.
II we cannot llft the curtains OF night and secrecy
which hide their practices we may know what they
are from their doctrines and avowas. All the w0-