The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-27
Passing Away.

OF the 269 persons belonging to th,
old community at the time of ''divis
ion and reorganization" says TIL
Utica Herald, four live in Boston, eigh
in New York city, one in New Jersey
ten in the town of Oneida, four in the
village of Oneida Castle; twenty-five
i've in houses of their own near the
community, and are employed more OF
less in the business of the Oneida COM
munity, limited; twenty-seven, inclu-
ding accesslons by birth, gathered
around Christmas-tree in a small
house in southern California, the house
standing on a great plain, stretching
ten miles to the Pacific ocean one way
and ten miles the other way to tho in
curving ''foot-hills," mountain peak
sixty miles away emphasizing the
whole; three in Lockport, fifty at
Niagara Falls, attracted thither partly
by the presence of j. II. Noyes, and
partly by the tableware business,
which pays out $4,000 month in wa
ges, and the rest of them live here
in what are called the "home build
ings," and enjoy many of the old COM
forts and advantages, steam-heated
rooms, hot and cold bath. Turkish
bath, library and reading-room, lawns
and flower gardens. The reater part
of those living in these bull ngs board
in common dining-room, conducted
by private parties in much the same
spirit that prevailed in the old conmu-
nifty. There are seven or eight famil-
les that keep house separately, beside
few solitary individuals, who board
thcmselve without any very visible
connection with cooking stove. The
restaurant plan" was tried and aban-
doned in 1881. 1t was not without its
merits, but old habit and feeling were
against it. should add that five old
communists live on the seashore in
Connecticut; that two are printers in
Cincinnati, and that one is at Walling-
ford, Conn.,, taking care of the compa-
ny's property at that place. Nearly
all 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 distribu-
ted as dividends is now spent in divers
places. 1t was formerly spent here.
In this respect, the change from COM
munity to joint stock has not been
good for this reagion. Two-thirds of
the stock of the Oneida community,
limited, is more or less under the in6u-
ence of j. H. Noyes and his sympa-
thizers. Thirty or more of his most re-
ligious friends hold semi-daily meet
ings here to keep in communication
with one another and with him. He
has weekly gathering at his own
house in Canada Sundays. Some of the
ong-headed ones are predicting that
he dispersion will spend itself and we
shall soon see wave of returning adj |
7enturers. Some may think Zion is
going to be restored" Some may
hink it is going to be an era of art and |
music and good feeling. without this
plague of discipline. We have not the
of the prophets. These
ormer communists are certainly more
II less held together and kept separate
y their common history and associa-
ion, and, perhaps, too, by the fact
hat there are among them between
hlrty and forty persons who have
Common blood, and are variously rela-
ed to most of the others. Something
nay come Of this fact-perhaps moth
ng but ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS more.