, 1879-01-30
THE ONEIDA COMMUNITY,


CH1cAno, Jau. IA wel1-wrItteu Art{clo
in TnE TRIBUNE OF Sunday has glyru tiiu pub.
lie Rn Insight into the atEairs OF the Oneida
Community. 1t wus the fortune Of thu writer
hereof to have been reared on u farm adtoiutng
thu lanls Of tha Community, aml from, about
ISIS to 1858 was pretty familiar with the
institution.
Tho llrat lot OF ptonecrs were apretty mcaselY
kind Of pcuple; broken down cliaps with queer
uuttous, and but tew worldly goods. Fur many
Years after the colony vas planted It was d
by-word In the neighborhooi. The land
originally purchased was . part Of the uld
Oneida luillan reservation. Thcsc IuuIans wrru
removed 10 Green lay In 1880. uud Tie
la,d which l,4d been occupied by them was put
upop the ularket, thu Community llAying pur-
Ghassd It from % ~ litst H. purchasers. rIh, Com
}eaEs. alnt VIVA exceedingly unpopular, teeaslsa
1t MAS supposed tint not al! OF Ills leu Com.
mnndnienta xero observed. Frequently conl-
plants wcss uiado before tho Grand Jury Ia
Onclaa County, AMsl seTaral tinca tue leaders
wcre tnllctcd. I1leru was general feeling .llat
t1le institution WAS nuisance ullti ought 10 bu
extcF1lnateas Am not awaIe tlint any one
wss ever convicted. II prosperrd because iuany
peopto lotne4 It. bringing Win them a,,u de-
poslttng In ttM general cutIcr considerable sums
Of .n1nvy.. Tls la,nl purcl,aard was chcap, aud,
although 10 The milst vi al 1l-sultlcd county.
II n ~ kt2fCely worm $1o pEf aero.
Thc pEeiutlce aIanst tic Community began
to wear away tu obe,llencs tD tint l4w u human
nature which pruinpta mcn to like whatever uu-
hanct4 their welfare. TAs Improvement Of 4
large tract Of land naturally euaau,t4 .he vains
Of at1iactnt f4ruE. IIIu Community pcut,la
were cash customers. an4 70 brtu,us popular
with trnIcsmrn, utl lhs institution BECAME in
tune 70 bs looked upon ~ sasautagcoua ~ a
cottun mill.
When 1t had favors To dispense, /. olvaY, bs.
iuK q f3It4 Ill.
an to-iRy It ~ shto to buy IT. w1y 10 pe4ee VI
easily ~ railroad company. "And great good
so!nsta ~ meth to tue ,,cighborhooi.n ln u!ural nolnt
but this IL atl cured by u lne,,luo of seycrai
hundreds OF Thousands of dollars, Which closes
tl!a taoutas OF u4auy. Would man spite hIs
own nosefs
The present slec.trap manufactured and .o]l
% sael' vast quantities hY. til. Community was
llrst Hlkde " une Srwell Srwhouss, Ut l]uriIt
Castle. III about 1910, III u little yhup ucar iIu
oueias Gu cseek ILL., principal customers weIe
nr a. wy usea .su toI srappux
wa IL pence for u trap. TAe trap h4. bxsu
much improved upon.
tn .ae ii.ns Newhousa took up Ills traps und
ous of lie "Meiielus Sicu.'' c "A' ''"S' 'es'ns
:, ODs Of thc first skunka sysr caught ID the
t1c subscriber.
A,ltointug liza Community farm IL the farm on
which lived mud aied uta GLlcf Sksnauloa, Vi
tlle Ouctaa tribe, memorable fur hl4 last sJ,eecl
u the councillors Of his ptople, lie sal1: !" /
am an a&cd hs'u loek. The wluds. Vi au huuJssI
winters hasu whlst!ed through my branches,
an.t Am dead At lhe top.t
Inc article OF bundaY gave u rather ! rnse-
co'nFetl prtufs u tae Sne!da Community, ail.i
Nh!ls bn business poIut vi view us t,rrseucs
May be au advantage to the uetgnborhoo1, from
moral standpoint 1t Il guits otherwise. Their
doctrines aud prurticrs cuu scarcely ho eatd tu
elevate society. The Withdrawing OF any con-
siderable uuuibor OF persuus from society, there
by sY"lding tts burdens aud responsibilities, is
hot cof'aueave u the good VI the state, nure
belief il!ey do those things which would ,.ut Ls
lolsr.sca aHunS ucecut ptoolc. Sucl! pxlpably
Ytol2Aiu48 u The LAYS " God pi,A uan xre iux.