The Opelousas courier., 1886-07-24
A QUEER SECT.
Y.he Faithistssof Shalarn And
What They Believe.
A Religious Colony inNew Mexico Which
Aims to Reconstr pt Society.

Aims to Reconstr pt Society.
A recent letter to the st. Louis Globe
Democrat, dated Las Cruces, New Mex
leo, says: On the eastern bank of the
Rio Grande River, and about six miles
from this place is a colony of people
whose customs, history and religion are
the most peculiar to be found in this
country. They call themselves "Faith-
lists" have a new Bible written by one of
themselves; have a new calendar, in
which the days, sabbaths and holidays,
are changed, and the months are called
signs; eat only two meals a day, while
fish and flesh are forever forbidden as an
article of food.
The ~"Faithists," as the members Of
the Shalam colony call themselves, claim
to be a religious sect. They discard all
religions save their own, the essential
dogma of which is faith in Jehovih, as
he is called in their Bible, and to become
q covenant member a person must abjure
all other gods, lords or saviors. Accord
ing to their Bible, Jehovih is the spirit
that created all things, is omniscient,
omnipresent and omnipotent, and has
his kingdom on earth, of which the
Faithists are the sole members up to
date. DR.. j. B. Newbrough, a dentist
of New York City, is the originator of
this sect. He claims to have been
wrestling with the spirit for ten years;
he declares that he wrote the new Bible
under the influence of the spirit, and he
is now the head or chief of Shalam col
uny which has been established as Jeho-
wins kingdom on earth, according to
plans laid down in the Faithist Bible.
This new bible is called "Oahspe,"
meaning that it contains all that is worth
knowing about light, earth and sky, or
the sum of all knowledge; and in it Je-
hovih says: sit is not for the past but
for the present era" 1t was written at
New York, in 1881. The book contains
900 pages, and is written in the most
ancient style, doubtless to give it a
musty smell. It is sold at $5 a volume,
and has been circulated quite extensive
ly. The work of establishing Jehovih
kingdom or earth was first attempted ON
what is known as the Thompson farm in
New Jersey, but that failed in a months
time, on account of a disagreement with
Mr.. Thompson in the year 1882. Head
quarters were kept up in New York City,
until in December, of 1883, the Faith
lists began TO assemble at Pearl River,
Rockland County, New York. In No
'vember, 1883, they held a convention in
New York, at which a committee was
appointed to search for Shalam, and in
pursuance of this appointment Messrs.
Newbrough and Grill left Pearl River in
August, 1884. Shalam was discovered by
these gentlemen in September, 1884, when
a deed was made by John D. Bancastle
of Dona Ana, N. NJ, conveying about
400 acres of level land in the Rio Grande
to VIM. Rowland, of Boston, !
Mass, and in October, 1884, two dele
of Faithists arrived in Shalam.
one of whom was the veritable DIR. Henry
Samuel Tanner, who tasted forty-two
days several years ago
The colony claim that they have begun
q new race of people which will finally
people the whole earth. They propose
TO begin with children, orphans, waits
and castaways, Indians, Mexicans and
They have a calendar called
BOSNIAN, which calls the months tsigns.n
and in which the days are numbered /,
., 8, 4, s., Q, Z. Each seventh day is
their Sabbath, and they have religious
services in the Temple on that day. They
have a p~rayer-meeting on the fourth
night of each week, and they have en-
5ertainments and dancing.
The Faithists have 1, 500 acres of fine
and, and are planting vineyard, orchard
and agricultural crops, and each member
Is required to work as the c-chief directs,
any compensation whatever. 1t
mas recently become known to the MEM
oers of the colony that the title to all the
ands. buildings, ETC., is vested in Will
Rowland, of Boston, who has fur
all the money up to this time,
sbout $40, 600, and this discovery has led
a rupture of no small proportions.