The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-03-30

THE Z0ARITES.

The Cleveland Herald has been shown
q letter written from Zoarin, Tuscara-
was county about forty years ago, giving
a general view of the community of the
Zoarities as it was then. The Herald
condems the letter, giving the substance
in fewer words, as fair and interesting
representation Of remarkable people.
We often visited the community in our
young days, and can endorse all that is
said about them. The women were
robust and healthy, working in the
fields with picks, hoes, &c. on their
shoulders But here is the account fur
nished by the letter:
Their town is situated on the Ohio
Canal. 1t is on pleasant site, on the
eastern shore of the Tuscarawas river,
tie streets at right angles and broad, the
houses neat, with ample gardens and
pots of flowers.
In 1917 4 number of INDECENT Ger
mans landed at Philadelphia. They re-
manned there some time trying TO pur-
chase land. A merchant of that city
offered them several hundred acres of
wild land, where the village is now, at a
very low price, on long time. Mr. NJ
Bimeler, and others came as commit
tee TO view the place, on whose report
the purchase was made. The ground
was parceled out in lots among the pur-
chasers, but they could not earn money
enough to pay for if Bimeler, who was
a natural sage, recommended the plan
of community where all the property
should be held and managed by three
trustees elected by the proprietors.
They at first used nothing they did
not produce, and sold the balance for the
common benefit Bimeler soon became
the supreme ruler, which included not
temporal matters only, but moral and
religious affairs They paid for their
land and had money 10 buy more, in all
5000 acres which fortunately included |
mines of iron ore and coal They built
two furnaces, the products of which
were sold at Cleveland. During fifteen |
years no one left the community. Ifl
any one proposed to join them he under
went long probation to prove his in
iustry, honesty, and morality. When
all his property was conveyed
to the community, They we're then
about two hundred in number. Every
lot had its little vineyard of grapes of the
best varieties. About five barrels of
wine we're made, which the keeper of
their hotel dispensed TO such as called
for it in limited quantities, charging
them with it at cost. Strangers could
have bottle of it at high price.
Each Sunday yBimeler oficiated as their
preacher. the day being observed with
religious services. They have no creed
or sacrament, but are scrupuleus as to
conduct, requiring as they say, not so
much the form as the substance ofrelig
ion. At the age of twenty-one their
sons and daughters are at liberty TO leave
the community, but carry with them
only their necessary clothing. The men
are courteous and robust; the women
stout and wear a blue tunic with coarse,
heavy shoes, and they labor in the fields
with the men. Flour is made in their
mills from their own wheat, and manu-
factories of almost all articles of domes-
tic use III the surrounding country.
Money accumuIates so fast that as indi-
viduak stockholders they are all rich if
the proceeds could be divided Thus far !
they are content with comfortable
living in return for the light labor they |
are required to perform. No drunken.
vicious, or idle persons canremain in the
community.