Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-06-28
A STRANGE TOWN


In which Houses, Lands aud wives are
Common Property.
Special oureposdSos Of te Rgfsiers
MEDrCIsE LODaE, KANSAS. June o.
Mounting my pony early in the mornings .
conpanied by two stout hearted fslloWs,
Who, IKE myself, were bent on penetrating
into the gloomy unknown. 1t was not long
are we we're ensconced IN . deep, woody
canon the most rugged, weird, dssolste,
wild placed ever saw. Clutches forked and
deep retarded our progress very much. Inc
brambles tore our clothes. The mountain
lion and panther sought TO- destroy us.
Nevertheless, by noon We struck
q strait leading up on . Edge where
dyelt q few humble sesslers.
We were now twenty miles east Of the great
State Of Colorado and in the extreme soath.
west of Kansas. Hills, mountains and
canons stretched all around US. Here the
bison roams at pleasure, and the deer and
goat linger lszily at your approach. Here
the Indian frequently strolls in seasoh' OF
game. After cleaning what information
was available we took a dim path due west,
bent on seeing all the jagged edge of nature
possible. Our surroundings as we pro.
crossed evinced on all sides the possibility
Of getting lost completely. The cauons
were deeper, the hills higher
and the woods almost impenetrsble.
1t is needless { give the details of a trip OF
this kind. 90 80 much has already been
written on rough travel. Suffice it to
say as we neared the hne of the the two
great States our eyes caught sight Of an i'm
mense valley, with stately trees, yellow
wheat and waving corn. Fastening onward
we soon were in q beautiful town, the sub
iect of our sketch. AS the town is unknown
and closely isolated it will be well to give
its locality. Il is southwest OF Kansas. The
valley is some ten miles wide at this place
and the soil ID very fertile. 1t is called
Voirle, and has q population OF q
thousand. Voile is q distinct town.
1t makes its own laws, passes
sentence of death, regulates all matters Of
equity and dictates the religious and social
status. Worle has no hotel, no place for a
stranger. He could get nothing to eat only
at private houses. Yiorle wondered at us
getting there and sternly discussed the pro-
priety of eiectment. 1t had been a long
time since strangers were in their midst.
However, after a long parley and due dehb'
Grafton we were permitted to remain. The
town was laid out and settlement COM
menced by a company Of religious bigots in
the spring OF 1868, since which time select
families have been added. In the begin
ming it was decreed that all things should
be held in common, all houses, however
small, should be built of brick, and extrav.
aganee, fnery, fancy work, should not be
tolerated. The people are plain, simple:
minded, and very common. To see good
brick buildings with loop holes for windows
and doors hewn out of timber, to see people
lie on the ground, for these houses have no
floor, and repcse on skins, and to see no
furniture, not even a dish, or stove, was not
only odd but interesting Their theory is
TO buy nothing and to sell nothing. All
must 90 to work very early in the morning
and work inst so hard and long as they
choose unless an edict is is
sued BY the Prudent for more dill.
gence. Now, the Prudent consists Of
twelve men selected By their own
body when vacancies arise. They hold q
life tenure. They settle all disputes, regu.
late all industries, and divide the crops.
The duties of their Office would seem enor-
Nous, but it appears they have little to do.
There are really no stores, but there are
three very large buildings used as store
houses, where the different products are
kept. In one Of these were stored vegeta-
bles, corn and other things; in another were
stored woven fabrics and tanned skins and
robes; in the other was whisky. The fronts
of these buildings were all door, and in the
after part of the day it was curious to see
the tbrcng of people gathering there for
their rations.
1t is strange they are so peacable for they
are not organized into families aud have no
marriage. They cohabit promiscuously and
alternate at pleasure, and it is amusing to
see the men out at night hunting for a house
in which to stay, unless he has made pre-,
vious arrangements to stay with a certain
woman for 30 many nights. At night things
were as quiet as could be, and to walk along
the streets you would think you were passing
well regulated families.
After seeing this town with its home,
made fabrics, and listening to the cheerful
voices OF its inhabitants, | am fully prepared
TO denounce the innovations made dpon ma
ture by luxuries, fully believing that sim
plicity worketh the better part. a little
more primitiveness and less gaudiness.
As these people have no title to thea
lands, it is evident that in a very short time
they will be ousted, aud their peculiarities
and seclusion broken up. Then will follow
the fancies inherent to all true American
families. SAMUEL RoBIsoS.