Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-01-13
SHAKERS IN TROUBLE.

| strange Scene in the New Forest
The London Daily News, of Deem
Der II, says:
The Shakers community at New
I crest Lodge, near Lymington, were
elected from their residence by the
aherl1t, acting for the mortgages
twenty men and one hundred and
eleven women and children were turned
out. Shelter was offered them, but
they refused it, and stayed in the road
all night singing and praying. Snow
and heavy rain fell throughout the
night, with strong east wind The
scene next morning was wretched be-
yond description, whole families
as they could obtain under the roadside
and half persisted with cold and
hunger. A Huntington correspond
emit thus describes the scene: Late
on tuesday evening. on an estate called
the New Forest Lodge, about sixty
acres in extent, purchased about two
years ago and mortgaged at the same
time, an extraordinary scene took place.
AS the interest and principal had not
been paid, the mortgages foreclosed,
and an ejectment writ was served on
tuesday. Notice has been given, but
body of Shakers who were upon the
| estate made no endeavor to remove,
At eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning
the sheriff officers entered the premises,
but met with no resistance. A crowd of
five hundred people assembled to wit
ness the ciectment. About twenty or
thirty men ware selected, and the re-
moval OF goods commenced and lasted
about fifty yards on each side OF the
road goods and chattels were piled up
against straw ricks, bean ricks and furze.
At one o'clock the Shakers assem-
bled for dinner, which consisted of
boiled carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions
and pumpkins, and after the meal was
over they continued singing and pray
ing till the ejectment was concluded at
o'clock. One woman danced for two
| hours without stopping for a moment.
About fifty children of from one year to
fifteen or sixteen years of age, about
twenty men, and the rest young women
and old women were elected. They al !
| looked half-starved, having been living
on one daily meal of vegetables for
some time past. When elected they all
| clustered round dear mother Girding,
| and when offered shelter the women and
children all refused to part with dear
mother The snow was falling fast I'M
| till nine o'clock, when the rain fell in
! torrents. The children were sheltered
in laborers' cottages; but the men and
women passed the whole night in the
| Init
ing to eat A farmer sent pail of u ilk
in the morning. All of them have been
eating raw carrots and swedes during
the day till the afternoon, when Mr.
Palk, farmer, sent them some bread
and cheese They are still huddled up
together, covered with some mat
tresses, and declare they will
not move till the Lord moves them. All
are wonderfully cheerful, and laughing,
and are glad to suffer, as they say, for
Christ's sake. The police, acting under
the instructions of a magistrate, have
ordered them to move by eight o'clock
tonight, or they will be forcibly elected
and taken in charge. Their goods also,
if not removed by s o'clock tomorrow
night, will be seized and sold. 1t is
stated that a doctors certificate of in
|
san ty as regards Mrs. Girding has been
obtained, and it is believed that if she
can be moved they will all go into the
Union quietly. They are ali penniless,
having nothing but their furniture,
which they won't touch. They look
miserable and wretched. All the women
are still dressed in bloomer costumes,
with no covering for their heads but
small shawls, and with no jackets on,
their clothes beng very thin. A later
telegram states that at half-past elven
o'clock last night the Shakers had been
removed by the police into neighbor-
ing barn for the night. At eight
o'clock the snow was falling fast, and
the ground was covered with it.
| 4 RiShOn,S Classmates