Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-02-05
PASSING AWAY.
The Oneida Community Rapidly
DimintshIng.


or the 289 persons belonging to the
old community OF the time of "di-
vision aud reorganization, says The
Utica Herld, four live ia Boston,
eight in New York City, one in New
Jersey ten in the town Of Oneida,
four in the village Of Oneida Castle;
twenty-five live in houses of their
own near the community. and are em-
ployed more or less in the business OF
the Oneida community, limited !;
twenty seven, including accessions by
birth, gathered around a Christmas
tree in a small house in southern
California, the house standing on
great plain, stretching ten miles to the
Pacific ocean one way and ten miles
the other way to the incurving foot
hills mountain peak 60 miles away
emphasizing the whole; three in Lock
port, fifty at Niagara Falls, attracted
thither partly by the presence of j.
H. Noyss, and partly by the table
ware business, which pays out IS, goo
month IN wages, and the rest OF
them live here IN what are called the
"home buildings" and enjoy many of
the old comforts and advantages,
steam heated rooms, hot and cold
bath, Turkish bath, library and read
ing -room, lawns and flower gardens
The greater part of those living in
these buildings board in a common
dIning-room, conducted by private
parties in much the same spirit that
prevailed in the old community,
T.ere are seven or eight families that
keep house separately, beside a few
solitary individuals, who board them
selves without any very visible con
uecton with a cooking stove The
restaurant plan was tried and aban-
doned 10 1881. 1t was not without
its merits, but the old habit and feel
ing were against it. ! should add that
FIVE old communists live on the sea-
shore in Connecticut; that two are
printers in Cincinnati, and that one is
at Wallingford, Conn, taking care of
the compaAy's property at that place.
Nearly all of the people who have
'gone out" are living in homes built
or bought by themselves. The money
that is made in the company business
and distributed as dividends is now
spent ia divers places. 1t was former.
ly spent here. In this respect, the
change from community to joint
stock has been good for this region.
Two. thirds of the stock of the Oneida
community, limited, is more or less
under the influence Of j Il Noyes
and his sympathizers. Thirty or more
of his most religious friends hold
mi-daily meetings here to keep IN
communication with one another and
with him. He has a weekly gathering
at his own house in Canada Sundays.
Some of the long headed ones are pre-
dieting that the dispersion will spend
itself, and we shall soon see wave
of returning adventurcrs Some may
think Zion is going to be restored, =
Some may think it is going to be an
era of art and music and good feelings,
without this plague Of discipline We
have not the standing place Of the
prophet. These former communists are
certainly more or less held together
and kept separate by their common
history and association, and. perhaps,
too. by the fact that there are among
them between thirty and forty per
sons who have common blood, and
are variously related 10 most of the
Others. Something may come of this
fact-perhaps nothing but intermar-
rage perhaps more.