The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-05

A visit to the Watervist Family-Thsir Pre-
sent Condition and Prospects Religious
Ceremonies Domestic Life

Within the boundaries Of the Empire State dvided
into two families or colonies, live radically queer
people. They form sort OF distinct world In minia-
ture, with original and peculiar notions OF religion.
| dress manners and domestic economy. We allude
to the Shakers, the religious descendants OF good
Mother Ann Lee" The reader. probably, has no
| further knowledge Of these people than pertains 10
| an acquaintance with shaker apple saucen or
shaker garden Seeds" and the following notes Of
| visit 70 the Watervlet branch may therefore be
| acceptable Taking Albany as base OF operations
we set out in private conveyance-for there was
no public means OF transition q recent sunday
morning for 1.-THE society Of believers The road
was excessively sandy and the weather excessi ely
hot, 80 that the drive Of about eight miles was not
very enjoyable. At an angle or the road We came
| suddenly upon the
SHAKER VILLAGE,
which comprises about dozen large wooden bu I'D
| lngs, all apparently and IN excellent repair.
Opposite the village is q natural sheet OF water per-
| haps hall mile square ana the avenue which may
be said TO form the main street OF the miniature VIII
lage, Is beautifully shaded. Everything about the
grounds Is scrupulously neat and placards
enoin upon visitors the necessity Of keeping OF the
grass, cleaning ther feet, eschewing chewing and
smoking DC Under the sheds and tied 10 the fences
under the trees were q large number or convey
ances u every description, for the attend
ance or strangers was, as usual on pleasant
Sundays quite large. The Shakers encoura re- such
attendance on The part OF thc worlds people'' on
pleasant days; but on rainy days In muddy wea-
Their their house OF worship is Invariably Closed to
visitors, as the purity Of their secured floors is OF
more consequence them than the qualification OF
curiosity seekers.
THE RELIGIOUS CEREAO MES
are In pleasant weather. always open to the public,
and the Shakers are very polite and attentive to
vli'ors although they are strict in suppreasag aDy
approach 20 levity or INDIGENOUS conduct. Entering
the commolious hail used for worship We fonnd
nearly all the yeats provided for spectators already
occupied. These eeats are arranged in amphitheatre
fashion and wen calculated for easy observation
Of Tie ceremonies. The Shakers carry out their Pc
cuiiar notions to the fullest extent, and the
audisnce was carefully separated as regards
sex. aolernu old Shaker watched the
Uales increasingly, ready to prey upon any
s!aher who should indulge III any unseemly conduct
and an csnay solein Shakeress performed the
same oflicc Tor si,e females. Inc main or centre
portion o. the hall u LETT clear, and the door OF it
was polished Us snJo a. glass. IN fact, the air Of
excessive neatne.. beca,.s positively uncomfortable.
AFTER waiting hail an hour IN ?. oIrlnd silence door
~ eitner Sue Oh the room opened, ia - IN one nied
out the male Shakers and rom the oher .ie fe,uaes
Ihcy numbered altogether about one hundred end
1l,y ana we're arranged With the oldes. at The hel
anu SO 'aperlng OF to the Youngest. The men aha
boys wore broSn pans, dark blue wa!stcoats anu
white shirts, with their hair cropped rather short
and coinbed straight down in front-thc whole
make np' being highly suggestive OF barney va.
@ % "n s s'aV We're IN ares a on ~ %e 1 Or
very light drab stun. with cropped hair
FAIR san Of 1na aaI efs oo %ers os aea
and IN their denure and sober dresses, they looked
IKE the piepossessing nuns IN the pclures Grayely
aud WIN an evident profound sense OF awe, they
formed In two lines facing each other, the ma CO on
one side and the females on the other, and, thus
standing, sang hymn. Tne,r singing throughout
the services WAS rather pleasing nom its Oddly
their tunes being quaint and lively. This hymn was
followed by the reading OF chapter OF Scripture.
Then portion OF The worshippers formed hollow
square In the centre, whe the others moved around
them IN sort OF hall march, hal dance, all jolning
In the singing OF lively hymn. Their movements
anu gestures were utterly indescribabe, psrraking
arSey 81 the gfote que, not OF the ridiculous.
minutes they seated themselves the benches
at me SIDES and rat bot upright look
during q somewhat lengthy discourse delivered by
visiting brother from the Lebanon family lie
dws5 ciieiy upon the subject OF celiDacy as prac-
tised ny the Shakers ana quoted an abundance OF
Scripture in Support Of hts views The Shakers rose
again at the close OF his remarks and, striking M
an ayr closely resembling "The girl l lett benlnd
me, joined IN
that surpassed anything We had ever seen In the
crpsic!orean line. 1t consisted in forward and
back movement intespersei with peculiar
double shuille, ana was executed with precision
that could only have been acquired by long practice.
Ola and y0uUg joined IN the satatory POI Of the
woTshp WIN great gs9 and the excessive soem-
foimance the more absurd to the spectators,
r who, VIII r, great difficulty restrained their
minues each moment growing wilder, while the
singing grew louder and iivelier. suddenly it ceased
and TO the sound Of another song, The arrange wor.
shippers filed out as they came in. Then The solemn
sentinel, who had not for one moment taken his
eyes nom the spectators Oil joined Ia The ceremony
thanked the vsltois for their good behavior and ie.
Guested chem TO retire.
THEIR HISTORY.
Tta
settlement, and was founded by Aun Les IN IT7G In
l77o there was great revival III Shlkertsm and
several societies were formed elsewhere. Many be-
came Impressed By AGn Ice and The divine inspra-
tons under which she claimed TO preach and be-
llevod mat thelr only chance OF salyaIln was 70
separate themselves from the word. They conceived
1t to be their duty TO cruelty all worldly lusts and,
abandonlDg al private property for the comnon
good, they had all things IN common. From their
great fervor IN preaching, their uenplin2s and
quaiiines, they CAME 50 De SPOKEN OF ''Sabers,o
which name they gnaly adopted.
DOMESTIC LIFE.
The Shakers have the reputation OF being thrifty,
charitable and smp.eminded. the management OF
their afrairs is vested in three OF four leaders"
Visitors always welcome am, they never take
Pay Tor food on lodging Tuat cleanliness Is next to
goodness they evidently believe, and that t,ey rrsc-
tisc thelr belief Is evidenced everywhere ABOUT the
premises. They al W0rk--on the iara,s IN summer,
"a Nihter. The na,es and females occupy the same
building ct night their sleeping apartments .pg at
opposite pa. OF the house; Tney rise q halI-past
dinner at twelve, sapper al six and go to bed at nine.
AT meals the nlen occupy one end OF the table and
the women the ctnts. Before meals they all kne !
and offer up silent hant-. visitors DeinE required
u do the same. Their rules arc sad to be ryidiy
enforced and they bear good reputation for mo.
raLty among their neighbcrs.
PRESENT CONDITION.
From business standpoint the Shakers have been
succeasfui. FROM small beginning. by industry,
eco1oiny ana good mana cement, they have grown
enormously wealthy. Their buildings are numerous
ana co=ty, their acres many aud u1der the higncsG
degree Of cultivation, and ther bank accounts
always in q ncuilsbiug condition This degree OF
prosperity Is not much 10 be wondered at when VIC
consider that Their products are the "esut OF the
cheapest Imaginable laoor-sinply tho board and
clothing OF the proenccr-and always sJld OF ac-
rates. AS 10 numbers, ho%ty3;, they art rt, II 80
prosperous a conIton. Their ranks have been
t1Gn.ng for tie last ten fifteen years. the older
nlcn and Mnrlen diving and leaving few To nl their