The New York herald., 1874-09-21
AMONG THE AFFINIT1ES.
A Herald Correspondent in Search
of the New PrOpagandists.
An EYE TO THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.
Spiritualism, Sensualism and Ad-
vanced Thought.
WINoosKI, Vt, September 10, 1874.

J0urneying on my way north and eastward In
search OF the new home OF the free lovers who
have chosen to bury themselves and their detest-
able doctrines on an island in the beautiful bosom
OF the bluest OF American lakes. Champiain, met
with very communicative gentleman Of middle
age who took his seat at Saratoga. In the dark
ness OF the night, with the car lamps burning
dmly, and while the train dashed on into space,
listened to this gentleman, who furnished in
drowsy monotone some facts in regard to this
new free love movement.
'Y0u see, sir, )" he said, under the car lamp, 'T
am Vermonter and am proud OF my Srate but
let me tell you we are queer people in Yankee
land. We have great love for the dollar, and
money is getting scarce in New England, particu-
larly in the extreme northern part of 1t, toward
the Canadas. Cur young men have exhausted
all kinds OF BUSINESS all the professions are filed
up, and where there is o chance for a dollar to
be made even in the free love line there are
scores of our people who will jump at the
chance"
"Where are those free lovers about to esrab-
lsh themselves. now that they have been ex-
ecrated so much in New York and BrooklynY'' l
ventured to ask my communicative friend as the
train neared Whitehall, preparatory to our taking
boat for Burlington, on Lake Champlain.
"Wny, STR" said he, 'they are going to take
possession Of one OF the fairest islands on Gods
footstool, the Island Of Vacour, in the northern
part Of Lake Champlain. and there they are going
to pitch their tents and carry their ainltles with
them. believe that is what he or she free lover
calls his or her friend OF the other SEX"
THE NECK OF LAKE CHA%PLAIN.
Lake Champain is about one hundred and
twenty miles long, and at the widest spot between
Essex Junction and Plattsburg, a historic ground,
It ls about ten miles in width. The lake has the
shape OF a bladder with elongated neck,
and IN the widest part before 1t becomes at
tenuated into the st. Johns River, south
OF Montreal, 1t has large number OF islands, the
largest OF which is Grand Island. Some of these
islands are more than four or five acres in
surface area, While two or three are larger than
the island Of New York. 1t is impossible to DO
justice to the beauty OF these isles and isets set
and encirced in this sapphire inland sea, and
covered with emerald carpeting. Here and there
among their embowercd trees may be seen white
minarets and snowy Mansard roofs and cosey
little iarmhouses, the homes OF people who seem
to be, so secluded are their retreats a thousand
miles from any OF the hurlyburly OF our modern
civilization. And on the west, in an endless
chain, stretches the Adlrondacks with their hoar
emineuces bathed in darkest blue imperial
purple. TO the eastward stretches the
green hills and peaks OF Vermont,
rough and Jagged, ana all around is stiffness and
the majesty OF nature. puf Of smoke from
chimney-tOp owned by some hermit-lke being or
the thin, spiral, wavering line from the hunters
rife. accompanied by sharp, echoing report, with
here and there the flight Of flock OF W Id BIRDS is
all that occurs to disturb the maiden solitude Of
mountains and the surface Of the lake to which
the gallant cavalier ChamplaIn gave his undylng
name
MOHAMMEDAN PARADISE
Twenty-Five miles northeast OF Burlington. in
the state OF Vermont, and about ten miles to the
south east OF Pastsburg N. " lies the beautiful
island OF Valcour, called alter an old French
BE ttler, to whom, in the days OF peri
wigs and silken doublets and ready ra-
piers, the island then belonged. There is
area Of 1000 acres the island, 500 acres being
the property OF one owen Shipman, an eccentric
and wealthy old man, whose residence is at
Winooski, thriving little manufacturing hamlet
situated on the banks of the Onion or Winooski
River, whose only care Is to SOW onions and watch
the mill wheels along Its banks. This Old man Ship
man has for a long time been resident OF this
vicinity, and has been afflicted 1or Tany years
with the disease OF Spiritualism. which has never
failed TO go hand in hand with its kindred dis
ease, Tree love. Not by any means that | would
have 1t unders TODD that all Spirtualists are
free lovers, but that I have rarely found
free lover OF either sex who Ia not, to
CeTlulU cNlcut DelcVeT III SplTlLul-
ism. Shpman owns. some two miles from
the village OF Winooski, farm, or rather
q wood, Of about thrty-fve acres, and has plentt-
iul acreage Of meadow lands, when are well
stocked with poorly ted cattle. In addition to his
reputation Tor being an ardent and lifelong be-
lever in Spiritualism, the old man is reported by
nll persons in his vicinity to be miscr and skin
mint OF the hardest pattern. For some time past
the leading Tree lovers OF the United States,
scattered from Maine TO Oregon, fn'ling that the
large cities are becoming too hot to give further
practical development to their doctrines, nave
been looking ior some remote spot where they
might settle, ike flock ol great-wlnged bats, and
there establish central propaganda. Ola ship.
mar soon became e,B 7dpp0r with these peculiar
people ana the result is tnatthe nee love leaders
ana the eccentricmscr nave been IN constant
negotiation iOr the 500 acres OF Valcoyer
Island ana about 100 acres n the pine woods
which are on the outskirts OF Winooski. The price
TO be paid for iourhths o; this island gem OF Lake
Cham plain and the property at NipoOsk, which
has an unfnshea house to serve as the hapitat ion
OF the Tree love community placed at S26 OO0 TO
be raised IN the form OF subscriptions from the in.
dlvldual members OF the disciples OF this carnai
doctrine. 1t was rumored and falsely reported In
daily newspaper published In Vermont that the
island as 1t stood, with farmhouse aud barns ana
improvements was worth $4,000, ana that the
Mr.. SDipman a proof OF his earnest Iaith
IN the free love doctrine But as in
many other things IN this wicked world which have
Tor main spring and u lever the almighty dollar
ascertained that the supposed glft was not In any
sense, Gilt at all, but merely and purely busi-
ness transaction on the part OF ooth parties, with
the addition that there is not, as yet, any money
subscribed toward this modern American Island
OF Calypso.
IN SEARCH OF THE BELLEvERs.
1t was somewhat difficult for me TO IND the
headquarters OF these strange people who pleach
ths midnight gospel Of the Wooahuli Venus.
was told that / would find believers. or 1s0me
oi thehi, at Plattsburg, at Burlington, at Wino0ski
or, may maps, according to their errahc wander
nngs at Chicago, the commercial shrine OF the
neshly periectionlsts. 1t was told me
John A. Wicox ha,,ing from, nmrn Wis and
ahotner professor named Lyman, whose course has
been eastward rom Chicago, In winch city he de-
votes ms spiritual energies to the vending OF
Yea, conee Siu spices, It was hinted that these
Two poWerIu lights were to be found soOurnng
m tue hls OF We mont and was also informed that
the Iree love community had not ct gathered IN
any numbers. nor were they, as yet, located either
~ .aiSour IslWhu OF az Winooski. In Burlington
fOund quite an excitement about the free lovers
INVASION OF their state, but the excitement was Of
the lncredulous Kind, aud 1t did not seem to keep
th.al.