New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-30
AMONG THE SHAKERS.
A VISIT TO MOUNT LEBANON.

AT MOUNT LEBANON-TAIEs SPIRITUAL
MANIFESTATIONS TO MEMBERS OF THE COM
MUNITY.
IRON A STAFF CORRESPONDENT TRBUNEI
SHAKER VILLAGE, Mount Lebanon, N. Y. July
2Z.-tor many years had desire to visit Shaker
community, arising in part from curiosity concern
ing exceptional religious growths and part from
an interest IN the problems of cooperative industry
which have been solved more successfully by the
followers of Ann Lee than by any other body of peo-
pie My purpose was quickened by reading that ex-
| ceptionally good American novel, Fowells's I'm
discovered Country" but doubt as to whether
could get an inner view of the life and
| IDEAS OF a Shaker home kept me back from any
definite plan to put my wish into action.
Not long ago met in New York one of the leading
men OF the Shaker faith, Elder +. w. Evans. "Come
up and see u.s. he said quite cordially at the close
| OF few moments chat, and gave directions for
reaching the Mount Lebanon Community, the pa
rent and guide of all the Shaker settlements in the
country. fortnight later came brief vacation
time, blessing that rarely occurs to newspaper
workers, and getting enough in three days of
jersey seashore resort, with it's crowds of stless
people, the glare of the the hot sands and the
monotonous swash of the waves, l bethought my
soil OF the good Elders invitation. six hours
ride from New-York brought to Leba-
non Springs. where there is rambling old
hotel which boasts of Lafayette, John
Quincy Adams and Winfield Scott among its early
guests, and possesses the only Warm Spring in the
State. Thence, after bed and breakfast and
serious doubts of the landlord as to whether the
Shakers would really let stay with them was
| put forward to my journeys end by the aid of
horse, boy and blackboard, with a dollar and n
| half for ultimate motive power
This is Shaker land" said the boy cleared
the outskirts of the little village and it runs up
the hill there and down into tho valley and away
out to Canaan. They gave that lot there where the
| mis- L.
certainly" thought, or they would not encourage
| the building of rival churches" The boy did not
know how much land they owned but
had heard that the six families in this
Vicinity held altogether about 10000 acres
Inc heds were trim and clean. Sleek cattle of the
liolstein and Durham breeds grazed in the pastures
| Thick stone walls, admirably put mp and capped
with broad fiat slabs separated the farms from tho
| roadway. White painted gates of uniform construc-
ton led into the fields and broke the long stretches
| of brown wall with pleasing effect Nothing could
be more refreshing and resting to the eyes OF city
! man than the views of the fertile valley, the bill
| Lowry green slope notified with orchards grain
| fields and woodland patches. and the dark back
| ground OF the low mountain range III the western
| horizon
The frst sign of the Shaker village was an inn
mense stone barn, such n barn rs | never in my
| lie before 1t was two stories III height in front
| and four in the rear; its walls were thick
| '"""Sn lot u IortfcSs !; It's slate roof gs-
| tened in the sunshine and from out
its vast cavernous interior came delightful odors of
new mown hay and freshly cut wheat straw Just
beyond this monument of good husbandry Law the
group of dwellings, shops and Offices belonging TO
the :" North Family" 1t was here the boy said
would be likely to find Elder Evans. Find him /
| did by the aid of smiling, sweei-voccd shakcress
who led the way to his room. Why this is extra
ordinary" he said after the first greeting was
| lust writing a letter urpinp In
he showed half-tilled page. " wanted YOU to see
some spiritual manifestations are having nowr
What, have you Shakers turned Spiritnalistsf ~
Nay, we are the original Sbritualists we have
always had communications md guidance from the
spirit world. The records of our society abound
in instances of the display of spirit power Our
iaith was FIRST spread by signs and wonders similar
to those the mediums show nowadays and these
things have never ceased with u.s."
This was surprise 10 me- for had supposed that
ike most denominations. the Shakers dated back
their supernatural manifestations To the beginning
OF ther sect, lad admitted none genuine occurring
since. From tho conversations have had with
many of them and from the few books which con-
stitute their literature have learned since arriving
that their main ideas touching the future life are
identical with those of the Spritualists Their
hymns abound In such phrases the summer
land" the earth-lifc" calling down the angels
spirit friends" etc, which are in current use among
'ho hoicIh Splfltuallsis. What the Sprituallsts
call " trance speaking" they call "tho powcrp
They narrate instances when the spirit of Joscph
Seachair, one OF the first disciples of Mother Ann
inspired some brother to speak with his yoice and
his manner and his force of argument so that the
listeners exclaimed: THAT is Father Joseph come
back To usV Most Of the elders have had waking
VISIONS or significant dreams, have at Some time
exercised the same power to mako tables move
winch the mediums exhibit In short, the Shakers
would seem to he Spritualists dating back their
Iaith more than century instead OF only TO the
Rochester rappings. was somewhat disappointed
10 hnd mat the medium on this occasion was not n
product OF the Shakers Themselves hut the famous
william Eddy, who had come by invit ton
to spend week in the community. / had seen his
performances before and did not greatly TO see
them again, save for the novelty of a Shaker
" circle" to witness Them
was not invited to dine with the family. but was
served with an excellent meal in a separate room IN
company with Eddy and young companion of his
called Ralph Just across the hall from the big apart
ment with its two long tables without cloths where
the grave. bearded Shakers and the serious Shaker
esses sat down to their repast of bread and yege-
tables. trim little woman in the ugly costume of
the sect, glided quietly into the room two or three
times to see If our teacups needed replenshing No
sound save the rattle of dishes and knives came from
the big dining-room the hall. WANTED to
ask whether they said grace before eating and
whether conversation allowed, but had found
by experience among peculiar people that tho best
way to get information is not to seem to be eager
1or IT, and determined to put few questions mt first
Soon after dinner, while sitting in a big breezy
room with yellow floor, a narrow monastic bed and
s..lk I...Ir HI