The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-22
COMMUNISM IN GEORGIA.
A Queer Lot-A Leader with Almost
DictRtorial Powers-Sscoision from
the Ranks.
From the Augusta ConstItutlonali.t.l

From the Augusta ConstItutlonali-t.l
Some months since religious colony pur-
chased the stearns place, on the Washington
Road, about eleven Iailes from this city, and
there settled with their household gods The
colony at first was small, consisting Of only
two or three families. They gradually received
accessions to their ranks, and at the begin
ming OF the present week numbered about
fifty souls. This colony, embracing families
from Springfield. Mass. and other places In
the.NeW England States, and one from Phila-
delphia, has been under the leadership of
Joseph +. Curry, of Springfield, who, We have
understood, is clothed with almost
DIcTAToRAL POWER
and exercises the functions Of a judge in set
Ting all disputes between the meWbers Of the
colony, and of o religious instructor, In which
latter capacity he conducts the peculiar servl-
ces of the belief, though every man of the oody
has the right to preach whenever he feels 80
disposed. Monday last difficulty occurred
between Curry and several OF the colony,
which resulted in The secession Of the latter
from the settlement. These, consisting OF
four families, numbering about twenty
persons, conveyed their movable property to
this city, and rented The large brick house,
owned by Foster Blodgett, on the corner OF
Greene and Lincoln streets. Here We sue
ceeded In interviewing one Of the men yester-
day. We found him TO be very Intelligent
person, but though polite and courteous 10
every respect, he seemed extremely reiuctant
to give any detailed account Of the colony or
the difficulty which caused the secession, aud
we were only able to obtain few facts. He
stated that himself and family were from
SpriDgfield, Massachusetts, and had only been
on the settlement four weeks when they be.
came dissatisfied; Another @ OF the ss seeding 9s
families had remained there but q week. he
said that the principal cause Of
THE TROUBLE
was that the society had adopted for Its guild
ance very strict rules, which were enforced In
some instances, while n'others they were not.
The colonsts had sold out everything that
they owned at the North, except what few
things they could transport easily, or which old
associations made unpleasant to part with,
and settled down upon the land which they
had purchased. Here the majority Of them
were comrelled to live In one house until
others could be built. He'(the seceder) had
erected substantial cottage. When this was
finished, Curry declared that 1t was too large,
and that the rules had been violated. His re.
ply was that he did not consider that ne had
Violated any rule, and that he had made the
house somewhat large because he had ane
piano and other furniture which he wished 10
put In it. The dispute, which was the culmi-
mating point of previous dissatisfaction, led
to the secession above stated. The seceders
nave rented the hohse In which we found
them until the lst Of October. The men are
frst-class cablnetmakers, carpenters and TIN.
ners. and hope to obtain work In the city. II
thew can do this they express the determine
tIon to settle permanently In Augusta. Our
informant stated that they had by no means
abandoned their religious belief, but felt con-
ylnced that they had made false step some
where, and wished to take time to consider
where their mistake had been. As far as We
could gather,
of the sect sect seems to be an implicit belief
in the whole Scriptures Interpreted by them
selyes. According to their Interpretation,
baptism by water is not necessary, but only
that BY the Holy Ghost, or q receiving OF the
faith, 60 to speak. They celebrate Saturday
their services on that day. On every Sunday
evening, however, a sermon Is preached by
Curry, at which time all persons are Invited
10 he present. Our Informant stated that the
sect had no particular designation, but was
merely O. community of persons bonded TO-
gether for the purpose OF exercising their pc
culiar idea of religion. From others, how
ever, we learned that the colony Is called the
NEW CANAAN.
There are evidently other tenets held by
this people OF which we could obtain no knoWl-
edge. Several of them have been limited to us
by outside parties, but we refrain from statlng
them as we have been unable to obtain au-
thentic Information on those poiRts. the
colony seems to be quiet and orderly. They
have purchased farming utensils Of all Kinds,
and of the most approved patterns, and are
actively engaged In planting operations.
About twenty additional families are expected
to strive some time next week, when the
colony will be nearly doubled In numbers.