Connecticut western news., 1873-01-03
Ancient Monastery at Ephrata, Pa.

some twenty-six miles from Lancaster The settlement of Ephrata was caused by circumstance of very romantic in. terest.
 A religious society was formed in Ger many, in the year 17O8, by eight per- sons, who entered into @ covenant to unite in the examination of the rules and doctrines gathered from the New Testament, and to form a mode of wor- ship and life in conformity with the re- suit of their investigations. Persecu- tion soon drove them from their homes, and Alexander Muck, leader amongst kthem, devoted his property to the com mon use of the society, and emigrated to Mill Greek, Pa, in 1729. Conrad Bis sel, one of the members of this church, issued religions tract in 1725, and, owing to the excitement caused by it at Mill Greek, he retired secretly to a cell on the banks of the Oocalico, where he remained for some time undiscovered by his brethren. When his retreat was found, they gathered about it and built cottages; so that the hermit's cell was the nucleus around which the future town of Ephrata gathered.
 In the year 1732, the solitary cottage life was changed into a convenGcle one, a monastic society was established, and the erection of buildings commenced.
 The dress adopted was, fer the breth- ren, 8 long white gown and cowl, of tex ture suited to the season; and for the sisters the same, with slight change in the shape of the oowl The first buildings of the society af any consequence were "Kedar" and Zion," a meeting house and con- vent, which were erected on the hill called Mount Zion" Larger accom- modations were afterward built in the meadow below, comprising a Sisters house, called "Saron," to which is at Ttached large chapel and "Saal," for the purpose of holding "Agapas" or Love Feasts; and a Brothers house, ! called Bethania," with which is con- nected the large meeting with gal leries in which the whole society assem- bled for public worship, in the days of their prosperity.
 The buildings are singular, and of very ancient architecture, all the out CT walls being covered with shingles. The two houses for the brethren and sisters are very large, being three and four stories high. Each has 8 chapel for their night-meetings.
 The chapels and "Saals" are hung and nearly covered with large sheets of elegant penmanship, or ink-paintings, many of which are texts from the Scrip lures, executed in avery handsome man. ner, in ornamented Gothic letters, called in German Fractttr-Scrifter.'
 A few days after the battle of Brandy wine had been fought (September 11th, 1777), frem four to five hundred of the wounded soldiers were taken to Ephra- ta, and placed in the hospital. Drs. Yerkel, Scott Gather of Colonel Joseph W. Scott, of New Jersey and Harrison were the attending surgeons. The wounds and camp-fever baff1ed their skill, and one hundred and fifty of the soldiers died here. They were princi- pally from the Eastern States and Penn sylvania, with few British who had de- serted and joined the American Army.
 The place where they rest is inclosed, and for many years board, with an in scription setting forth the fact, was placed over the gate of the inslosare. This has given place to the foundation of monument, the cornerstone of which was laid, September 11th, 1845.
 Atthe time Congress left Philadelphia and met at Lancaster for safety, money was minted at Ephrata
 The difficulties and disadvantages which these hardy pioneers had to con- tend with in putting up their buildings may be imagined, when it is known that thsy had to prepare all the timbers, etc., 7, unaided by machinery or power, save their own strong arms. Trees were cut down in the forest and dragged by hand to their required position. The locks and hinges of the doors, all household utensils and such primitive agricultural implements as they used, were made from wood, and the window-sashes cast from lead. The leather was tanned upon which to make the card, the card was made, the sheep raised and sheared, the wool carded, spun and woven, all by their own hands, upon their own premi- ses. They wrote and printed valuable books when printing was in it's infancy here, and specimens of their typograph- ical art are still in existence, which re- fleet credit upon their abors.
 As religious community, they never lost sight of their duty to God in their efforts to have home comforts sround them; and to their credit be it said that the first tSabbath-school in the world was established at Ephrata.