Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-05-19
Proposed Paradise on the Shore
of Lake Erie.
An Extraordinary Religious Community.
From the New York Sun. ]

Mic lHiIeS bcf Gnu on tiIc
southerly shore of Lake Erie, in the
Wiz of Brocton, township OF Pomiret,
and county of Chautauqua, in the State
of New York, is a community which, in
some respects, and especially as TO the
central idea around which the members
gather by attraction, as particles around
magnet, is probably without a parallel
in the annals of mankind.
THE FOUNDER OF THE COMMUNITY
The founder Of this Community is the
Rev. Thomas Lake Harris, an English
man by birth, but whose parents came
to this country about the year 1927,
when he was only three years old; so
that he has had American characteristic
les internationally stamped upon his nature,
and woven into the very fibre of his
being
Mr.. Harris was for several years a
noted preacher of the Universalist de-
| nomina ion in this city, to a ccngrega-
ton Of able and radical thinkers. The
Hon Horace Greeley was one of the
| trustees of the society, and other gem
tlemen Of eminent ability were habitual
attendants upon Mr. Harris preaching,
which by his friends was considered
something very remarkable.
REAL ESTATE.
The society has sixteen hundred acres
of land on the margin of Lake Erie, IN
the county of Chautauqua, and township
of Pomfret, living around and including
the station Brocton, where the Lake
Shore Railroad and the Buffalo and
Pittsburg Railroad intersect. AZ yet,
their possessions are in chaotic state,
Il. ,E,
but little toward design, which is agri~
culture on aesthetic and celestial princi
pies They are largely engaged in the
grape culture, having eighty acres deyo>
ted to the vine A perfect social equal
ity is enjoined between the members of
this strange community, who all work at
the same tasks and enjoy the same priv
! iIeges. Their temporal affairs are I'M
der the control Of nineteen trustees or
directors, who can do nothing except by
unanimous consent
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE.
There are about sixty adult members
of the Community, besides nunber of
children There is also corps of hired
laborers, mostly Swedes, who are en-
ployed because the regular home force
is not sufficient to push on the necessa-
ry work fast enough
The membership, take it ali in ALL
presents a most remarkable aggregation
Of persons, and a singular coaiescence
of character.
The parsonage whose presence in such
a Community, will probably excite most
surprise in the fashionable world is an
English gentewoman, Lady Oliphant by
name. the widow of Sir Anthony OH
plant, G. B., fo merly Chief Justice of
/ Ceylon. But the most romantic case,
not only in this particular movement,
but so far as we know in any similar
movement, il that furnished by MIR.
Laurence OIiphant, the son of Lady Oh
iphant, to whom special attention will
hereinafter be given.
The exigencies OF time and space for
bid the special mention OF every singu>
lar or important indi duality of this ex-
traordinary community. There are five
orthodox ciergvmen there; and repre-
sentatives from Japan; and American
ladies of high social position and exqui-
site culture; and a great variety OF per-
sonages who, rs things go in the OUT
side world, range from the highest to the
lowest ranks Of social HE.
LADY oLIPHAST AND HER MAID
But in the Community there is ne diff
ference of social rank They are all
equal before God, and in the estimation
OF one another Lady Olphant and her
former seryant-maid live on terms of
perfect equality, without condescension
on the part Of the lady, without seryili-
ty on the part Of the maid-children Of
the same Father, sisters IN the same Sa-
vior heirs of the same heritage.
BRITISH GENrLEuAN's RELIGION.
And Mr.. Oliphhant, pet of the Brit~
ish Government; an accomplished schol-
ar and successful author; a young man
whose extraordinary capacity caused
him to be put in training, while yet Il
boy, for the highest duties of diplomacy;
who was Lord Elgin's private secretary
during that nobleman's remarkable miss
sion to China; who was subsequently
sent. while less than thirty years Of age,
as British Ambassador to Japan, whence
he returned on account of having been
severely wounded during the memorable
at ack on the foreign Ministers, which
was instigated BIZ the Daimois in oppOsl-
ton to the tycoon; who was then ect>
/ ed to Parliament for the borough of
Stirling bv Liberal constituency, where
3 MS aDlIltF- MS eiotI utHtt- INV tio StiA'i
acter gave him an influential position
this high bred gentleman, to whom the
/ most alluring worldly honorS were, and
still are, profTered in bounteous meas
ure, works side by side, and on terms Of
/ perfect equality, with fellow~laborers
/ who are without culture, or wealth, or
anything except love for God mani-
( tested after fashion which makes the
aristocratic young Englishman feel in
his heart of hearts that they are in very
( truth children of the same heavenly Fa-
/ Their, and brothers in the Lord Jesus
/ Christ
THE RELIGIOUS STATUS.
! We viii first stat generally, that Swe-
/ denborg furnishes the original doctrinal
and philosophical basis of the whole fab
( ric. to which Mr. Harris. as he conceives.
4 has been lead by Providence to add other
and vital matters which were unknown
/ until they were called through him -
I They reverence the scriptures as the
( very word of God
: The fundamental religious belief of the
community may be summed up in the
dogma that there Is one God. and only
one, and that He is the Lord Jesus Christ
The religion of the community is in
tenselv practical, and may be stated as
/ Faith ia Christ, and q Ire an accordance
,cjti His Commandments.
And here comes the question, What is
+ a life in accordance with Christs COM