The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-01-18
Communism in Massachusetts.

The "Adonai Shomo," the we'll
known communistic society located just
beyond the Athol line on the route to
Petersham, are rejoicing over two re-
cent accessions to their number. Since
the fall of 1876 their ranks have been
decimated by death and desertien, and
they hail the new arrivals as marking
the beginning of better days. The So
ciety was organized by one Rowland
nearly thirty years ago. Rowland and
the late Austin Ellinwood were almost
rival leaders of the numerous local Mil
lerites, and finally Rowland claimed to
be prophet and started the commun-
list society. After living for some years
in the house of one of the members on
Pleasant Street, Athol, they bought the
two hundred acre farm owned by the
community.
One of the peculiar tenets of the new
faith was that the members of the so
ciety wouldnever die, and though their
faith in this was somewhat shaken by
the death of Rowland himself, they
chung to the belief till Fuller, the sue
eessor of the first prophet, was taken
.away. He was followed by one or two
other leading characters, They now
only say that they ''hope to live" In
consequence of the accumulation of
property following their thrifty habits,
and of the means brought by new adj
herents, they applied for a charter
under the name of the "Adonai
Shomo, meaning "The Lord is There"
and were incorporated in 1876, and soon
afterward their ''great trial. began.
Hearing of the extensive property of
| the community-One woman is said to
have brought $50, 000-two adventures,
named John Howe and Alfred Gussler,
got into the fold and gained great in
| fiuence over Fuller and the leading
women, Howe pretending to be Jesus
| Christ. Howe led them into all sorts
of extravagances, causing them to
abandon their abstemious diet of grains
and fruits, and raising such confusion
that the law was invoked by the town
authorities and Howe imprisoned.
The Fullerites returned to their old
ways, but the taste of the world which
they had received under Howe led them
to get rid of their old-fashioned house
furniture and antiquated clothing, and
to reit both building and persons ac-
cording to modern notions. The work
is just being completed with the fur
nishing of the new parlor A new
chapel with stained floor has been built,
and some twenty-five new chamber
sets, including fine carpets, have been
put in. The large dining-room, with
beautifully tinted walls and fine silver
service, make the visitor forget that he
is not in the dining-hall of some quiet
hotel, while hetoOthsome baked beans,
the delicate bread, and the dessert of
| pie, fruit and sauce, would cause one to
/ regret the absence of beef and pork, but
| little. A new furnace and bathroom
are just being arranged, and it will be
indeed strange if there is not plenty of
people without homes who would be
glad to find resting-place with the
''Adonai Shomo," even though rumors
of internal quarrels and scratchings
should reach their ears through the
neighbors. 'The Lord" says Presi-
dent Richards, ''told us to getthe house
ready, and now we expect to see it
filled" Any persons who wish to come
are accepted, the sole condition being
the putting of the newcomers proper
ty, if any he has, into the common
stock. All the business operations are
carried on in an economical and thrifty
way, and casual observer is favorably
impressed with the management
| Spr91qfeLd (MdSS.) Republican.