American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-09-18
Shakerism.

A correspondent of the Boston Journal
writes: AS Rome is the capital of Ca
tholiclsm, so Mount Lebanon is the seat
of government OF Shakerism. Each fam
lily or society, in whatever part of the
country it may be, has its own temporal
and spiritual managers, consisting OF two
deacons and as many deaconesses and the
same number of elders and elderesscs, but
in all religious matters the whole order,
all over the world, Is subject to the control
of the ministry, composed of two females
and two males, who reside here They
travel among the different villages of the
order during part of the year, but this is
their residence, and to them here are
brought the disputes of all the societies
upon religious matters to be settled The
village is also the largest and most impor-
tant and wealthy of any belonging to. the
sect 1t consists of eight families, SO
called, numbering, in the aggregate, per-
haps 800 persons. Each of these has its
separate buildings and lands, and is adj
ministered by distinct government The
village is built along the western side of
the Taconic Mountains, about 800 feet
above the level of the valley, and on either
side Of the road leading from New Leba-
non to Pittsfield, Mass. Many of the build
ings are large and imposing. One house,
recently erected, is five stories in height,
besides the lofty basement. During the
past winter . number of their most valua-
BILE buildings were destroyed by incendiary
fires, but they are being replaced on even
. larger scale than they occupied before.
Atfhe North House, assone Of fhe fam
lilies il called 10 distinguish it, is
one Of the large4t sad most conven-
iently arranged barns ID the country. 1t
has been built some fifteen years, is of
stone, large enough for q dozen loaded
hay teams to drive into and unload at
once, and then turn around to drive out.
To the farmer il is worth q visit here to
see this barn alone, and an hour would
not be too much time for an experienced
farmer 10 spend in examining 1T The ut
most neatness prevails throughout the en-
ments. Buildings, fields. gardens yards,
even the roads near the village, are perfect
ly kept. Such neatness and order are not
seen anywhere else on SO large a scale ex-
cept, perhaps, in Holland, where the
necessities OF existence impose them.
Shaker habits of life are peculiar. The
men live on the right side of the houses,
the women on the left, generally four in
room. Brethren and sisters eat at the same
time at two long tables placed in the
kitchen, the men sitting at one, the women
at the other, all sitting on long benches
and never speaking They go to their
meals from their rooms walking in order,
the elders and elderesses in advance. The
cooks and walters are relieved weekly.
There Is meeting-room in each house,
where they assemble morning and even.
ing and Sunday afternoon. Until this
summer they have always had a public
service in the large meeting house 1T the
Church Family every Sunday morn
ing, but this summer it is discontinued
The reason which the Shakers themselves
give for this is that owing to the recent
fires they have been compelled to use their
house for storeroom."