Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-11

thing with him, no matter what or how
much he contributed TO the s%ociety's treas
ury when he Joined.
Since purchasing the Burleigh farm, which
contains $500 acres, the society has erected
additional dwelling houses, a.rhnrch, school
house, steam Touring mill, blacksmith shop,
barns, graneries, &c. All these improve.
ments are made Of chalk rock. The mill
is " stories and a half high, and contains
the best modern machinery, including n
machine for the manufacture of patent flour.
The building cost $ $4,000 and the machinery
$4,000. The mill was completed and com
menced work on the "a of January, 1875.
The first year the net profits of the mill
were $4,000, and the second year, ending on
be I'd of January last, the amount made
over and above all expenses was $4,000.
The horse and COW stable is u building
about 200 feet long with two tiers of stalls
the entire length. Among the large herds
owned by the community are many fine
blooded and valuable animals. The hog pen
is also about 200 feet long, with a row of
stys on each side Of railway track in the
centre upon which food is dis ributed to the
animals from u large tank mounted
on wheels. The number Of hogs now on the
farm is $50, all of the Poland China breed.
A Sorghum mill, blacksmith shop, car
penter shop, bakery, wash house &c., are
scattered around the main buildings. a
Some ofthe customs of these people are
peculiar, and would not be taken to kindly
by progressive Americans. There is no
courtship, or swinging on the gate between
the young folks. When a young man ar
rives at the proper age to marry, which is
from 10 to 90, his elders remind him Of the
fact, and select a wife for him. II the wo-
man selected is a widow aud twice his age
he makes no demur, for he is taught to be-
lieve that as God created all human beings,
he created all alike, and that while live re-
mains one is as good as another. AS soon
rs a child arrives at the proper age to be
weaned it is taken from its mother and
placed in the common nursery, which is
presided over by a number of women who
are too old for any other service. Again
when the child arrives at a
proper school age, it is
taken from the nursery and placed in charge
Of the school master, where it remains until
old enough to take part in the labor of the
farm. The school life Of the child is
without interruption. There are no holidays;
even on the Sabbath there is no intermission,
for the Sunday school lasts from morning
till night. The childhood of these people
is cherries and without recreation. All
their studies are in solemn, religious books,
and all their exercises in music are the
singing Of serious, long-metred psalms and
hymns. The children have their meals
brought to them in the school room. There
life is Il cherries and monotonous routine.
The dwelling houses are divided in
apartments about lOx12 feet in size, which
are heated by furnaces built in the walls, in
which hay is burned. One furnace heats
two rooms. These apartments are only oc.
cupied at night, except by sick and iniirm,
as during the day all the men and women
are at work On the farm, in the workshops
laundry, bakery and kitchen. Two large
ovens are employed every day to provide
bread. The wash house employs about a
dozen women every day. One old man does
nothing but cut bread, which keeps him
busy from morning till night. A dozen or
more women do the cooking. There are two
large dining rooms adjoining the Kitchen
one of which is used by the men, the other
by the women.
The head man of this colony is Joseph
Whippf Michael Waltner is the preacher,
aud Joseph Wortz the boss farmer. Samuel
was the head man ofthis colony
it, came here. but for some reason he
deposed, and Joseph Whippf elevated
to that dignity.
Rev. Waltncr invited US into his room,
is in all respects similar to the others,
we meet the former head-man and two
members of the Wolf Creek colony. A
pottle of homemade wine, of
good quality, was drank with due solemnity.
The brothers drank one glass each, while
'onr correspondent, to keep up the dignity
If the profession, drank two. Mr.. Waltner
US two manuscript books, one Of
which was written in 1899, and the other
n 1905. The one dated in 1899 is in as
,ood a state Of preservation as If it had
'een in use but a year, instead of $50 years.
The %penmanship is excellent, and the ink
as clear and bright as ifwritten but yester-
lay. Nearly all the books owned by the
olony are manuscript, and are bound by
ne Of the members, whose workmanship
3 after the style ola few centuries ago. Il p
A colony ofthis sect is located at a place
allied Homestead in Iowa county, Iowa. 1t
umbcrs 1900 persons. That colony has
arge herds of sheep. and all the wool is {
arded at home, spun and made into socks :
nd mittens by the children of the colony. !
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