The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-02-07
In "THE LAND OF REFUGE. f"
A QUEER LITTLE COMMUNITY IN
OHIO.
People who Keep 20 ThemSelvCs-The
Founder OTthe Sect of TOaritcS and
His Views,


Cleveland and Wheeling is Zoar. Gland
of Refuge" a stout German boy told me
it meant, aud anyone who has been here
can see why the name was chosen. One
can not travel much in Northern Ohio
without hearing of the Zoarites, and so
l came down to see them, In 1917 a
band of about $50 Germans from Wurtem-
burg landed in Philadelphia. They were
under the lead of man named Pimler,
who appears to have been a remarkable
character. They belonged to the sect
known rs "Separatists, who ac-
kuowledged no other authority
whatever than Jesus Christ and
held all things in common.
It is clear that they had no very happy
time of it in the fatherland. In Phila-
delphia they found a man who had 5, 900
acres of land out here to sell, He asked
them $15, 600 for it, and as they wanted
to get far away from everybody as
possible, they scraped all their money to-
gether and bought it. Only three of
those who made the trip over the noun
tains are now alive. When the colony
arrived here no money was left and they
were about broken down. The first thing
done was to build big brick house for
Pimler, with walls twenty-five inches
thick, which is known all the country
round as the palace. Then they went
to work clearing off the wood, building
houses and shops of all kinds, until they
could boast that not one thing
necessary in their simple life did they
buy.
If the world had let Zoar alone, Pim-
Ter and his followers would have been
happy. But the country round about
them filed up. The BOYS and girls who
had been taught only German in the
little village school. had to learn Eng
| lish, while some of them showed de.
sire to get out of the hum drum little
village where they could look forward
to a broader life. Contact with neigh
bors had its effect and the old Zoarites
mournfully told me that things are going
to the bad Zoar is not what it used to
be, but it is interesting even now.
Pimler's idea was to isolate the colony
from anyone else. So wooden mills were
built, -four mill, a smithy, and among
the men were always mechanics of differ
ent trades. He intended to keep his
ranks full by additions from home, but
after the first lot of arrivals in 1888, he
gave that scheme up and introduced in
stead marriages, which up TO that time
had been forbidden. His associates, or
rather servants, seemed to take his
orders without question. For a time
he tried taking Americans, but the
Zoarites found that they were too rest
i've to be good for much, so that in late
years their numbers have been kept up
almost entirely by births. The settle
ment has numbered as high as 300, but
to-day there are not over $50, and they
are slowly decreasing. While Pimler
lived he was the government; he
settled all the disputes, held the
money. picked out boys to marry
the girls, and preached in church
on Sunday. 1t was nice time that
Pimler had. The religion that he
taught them was simple. They were to
acknowledge no other authority, outside
of their own magistrates, than the Bible.
The former, since his death, have con-
sisted of three trustees elected for
three years, subordinate to committee
of five, which meets only occasionally,
and the " trustees really have things
their own way. Before his taking of,
he prepared a constitution which is
carefully kept from public view, and by
which this little republic is governed,
His chief feature is that so long as three
of the society keep togetles the prop
erty is indivisible. In the courts, some
of the discontented ones have tried to
have it divided, but it has been settled
that this cannot be done while three
hold out. In 1853 Pimler died. For a
good many weeks little else was heard in
the village save the click of the wooden
shoes of the people as they went slowly
about their tasks. Now the oldest men
sit around their houses at night and
mourn for him. One of the trustees
lives in the palace, but Pimler's rooms
are not disturbed. While the children
are taught both German and English,
nothing is spoken among themselves
save the former So far is this carried
that some of the young men have for
gotten how to speak English. One of
them, sly chap, told me that he hoped
to be trustee some time, and it was good
policy to pretend not to like English.
This is the way they live No one
has any money except the cashier. He
is one of the trustees. Everything that
is raised is brought to them and put
into the storehouse. No one sells a
cents worth but these same trustees
Once year man is sent to Philadel-
phia to buy the annual supplies. They
are displayed in large store, tended by
two of the young men. If one wants a
shoe-lacing, a bedstead, or a bushel of
corn, no matter what, he goes to a trus-
tee and gets an order. The trustees take
care that no one overdraws his fair al
lowance. If young couple conclude to
marry, justice is called in, the trustees
assign them to a house, and they begin
to draw their supplies from the store.
Perhaps they have baby. The trustees
give an order for a cradle, if none of the
old ones happens to be. out Of use at the
time. When death occurs the carpen-