Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-07
THE zOaRlrRs.
An raserss,ipE Rsiiriuus osmmoniry Ia
Onto.

An rnseres,ing Religious usmmunity Ia
ohio.
This little colony Of z0ar has from 200
to 400 people and Ia no way resembles
any other sect known In the United
States.
Their village Is situated In beautiful
valley Ct Tuscarawas county, Ohio. For
miles their fertile high lands aud low
lands stretch ont before YOU as you pass
either by rail OF carriage, and by the lux
ursant yerdure OF foliage and rich green
delds are easily distlnguishahle from the
less highly cultivated land OF individual
propriotors.
No fences mark the boundaries OK their
farms hero and there clump Of trees
marks the site ot some Isolated farm
house, not more than two Of these, pro
badly, to be found ON all their land. They
follow the old German custom, live to-
gether In Village and 20 from there In
numbers TO their work In the morning
and retnyn at night.
4 Religious persecution compelled them
20 leave Wuriemburg Germany, 10 1917
TO ind free home Ia America, Joseph
Blomler, teacher and religious en-
thusiast, headed this little colony and
brought them 10 this country They
landed at Philadelphia, Pa HE bought
them, from QuAkers Ia that city on long
credit In 1918, $500 acres OF the land they
now own, Of which they took possession
: Ia mld-winter They were almost desti-
! tute of money, farming utensils, food aud
the necessarles OF life. The land was
covered by for0sts, no settlements we're
near and the eountry aboundcd In animals
OF prey
Bark huts and log shsnties were built
l aud Afforded their only shelter. The
3 hardships Of poverty, cold and hunger
were misunderstanding their way through
Q heavy timber, grabbing up the under
G brush, breaking the ground aud cleaning
on the stones TO make a tttlng soil for
r the cultivation Of the corn aud potatoes,
!, which formed their chief articles OF diet.
!, Instead OF the church.going bell Ia.
|. Wiling to the house Of God ON Sundays,
II the sound of the trusty rife was heard
r, revsrberating among the hills. Nenisor
J. and game, which ahoundod, were stored
for the coming week, The building o.
r. the Ohio canal gave them work anC
d means TO pay for their lands; they took .
sr section and ali hands labored upon II
10 women included. This was their begin
r ming; they now own many Thousand Rorel
10 OF the richest and best land In tho countrl
They invest their money IN government
At bonds and are large holders Of bank ant
railway road stocks. They live togethe
In a small but substantial aud comiorta
BILE village, whose red-tiled roofs an,
church Hpire, hiding Ia the green trees
greet you from distance with sue
friendllnees that you dream OF u
"fatherland.r
an The Wirthshaus was built soon aftc
an the first winter MAS open TO traveller
Ith straying that way. Nina Ia the kitche
n. as cook and nEran Wirthluu soon had
M reputation for an excellent dinner, an
- for many years TO 20 20 zoar for one
- Mlnas hdlnnersn WAS considered raj
~, treat by those who had lived even 80 ID
Oh as a hundred miles away.
:, In 1892 the Wlrthshaus was rebuilt
W Their church a OF red brick without arch
lis teotural beauty either outside or In, an
oil ia only ornament IL A very large an
IN handsome pine organ.
ny They are a people very fond of must
Itil and have several OF the very best model
I'm pianos and other Instruments In the
various homes ana IN the Mlrththhu