Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-07-19
THE TRAPPIST MONKS.
4 Community which Was Founded in Iowa
Ia 1879.

rOliiug prairies and IS surrounded by u
dne wooded lawn.
Ringing the bell Of the guest house,
saws "a writer in the New York Gralhtc,
was met by beardess brother, to
whom | presented my card and asked
To see the father abbot He glanced
from me TO the card and back again.
but uttered never a word.
was I'm doubt IL he were a man, and
knew he was not woman, Tor, ac-
cordine TO the rules Of the Trappists,
ssuuder no circumstances is a woman
allowed to enter any part Of the mon
astery."
They are, however, when accompa-
MED by men. allowed the privileges
of the grounds and the guest-house
parlor; but thus far and no farther do
they penetrate.
Presently one of the fathers entered
the parlor. He was thick-set,
smootu faced man, whose richness Of
brogue and glibness of tongue left no
doubt as to his nationality
He wore white serge habit, ar
ranged somewhat like a Roman toga,
only it had large, flowing sleeves, and
bell at the waist. From his neck
hung a plain wooden cross six incnes
long. On his head was a tight-fitting
cap.
like an oriental or criminal, his
sleeves were his pockets. and in one
hand he carried a big cotton handker-
chief and in the othera guf-boN. He
politely offered me a pinch from the
last mentioned article. refused say
ing had no small vices.
ono. said he with sober face but
twiukiug eye, ''if it were a vice you'd
be sure TO have it,
beeau the business Of the occasion
by asking aim if everything ! heard OF
the order is true
Did Trappsts go to bed in upright
stone collins @arnshed with death
head and cross-bones?
Did tuey sleep standing barefooted
on ciudcrs and broken glass bOttIesy
Did they wollop each other into a
pulpy state or until the blood flowed
from their wounds.
Ii wa. only because monks never
laug at ignorance that the good
father did NOT roar outright 40 THESE
questions. HIS face bcamcd like fun
moon
lie said: Come and be one Of rs,
and Won viii find we do nothing of The
kind. 1rappists live peaceful, silent
life, and many Of them 1.-Two - a great
Old ogo.
Even the prospect of n pcsceful,
silent life that would be so seductive to
many IL Bencdiok failed TO induce me
to brcomea Trappl.t ON the spot, but |
was anxious to liud out all could about
thom and asked the privilege of stay.
inc all night.
This request WAS freely granted, and
! was turned over to Brother Dominic.
another man of Erin.
Brother Dominic wore serge habit
like other father abbOts. only brown,
tho color worn by all the working
brethren, and with hood which is
always ON the head except during
prayers.
The Cistercians, the order of monks
of which the Trappists is a reformed
branch, was founded in 1923 for the
purpose OF ailordug an asylum TO re.
penmut criminals and others who
wished TO cNpiate their sins by life.
long punishment OF the flesh and con-
socratiun to God In order to be re.
moved the more entirely from all
temptation, they botook themselves tt
solitary place, where i'm the privacy
of their own meditations they could
fulfu the scriptmal injunction of earn.
inc thuir bread 10y the sweat of their
brow. and 0o il in silence and prayer.
The primitive auSteritV of the Cistor
clans astouishcd an and was main.
tanned for several hundred years; the
strict silence. severe abstinence and
auduous coil that characterizes the
Trappists to-day was established by
them. A very notable abbot of the
order who established n monastery at
IN Irtppi exercised such an influence
on his brethren MS TO bring about 81
change I'm the name of the order
During the French revolution the Irish
Yappists of whom thorc were many
were expelled from France, and thev
returned TO Ireland, whore they ob-
tanned possession of five hundred acres
Of barren land and founded the now
amou. monastery of Mcueray.
In 1912 this community sent fills
ham to America. They settled here i'm
Iowa. and named their home New
MHJcry. They consisted OF three
priests, suyeu "chor and two clay
brothers. aud they owned half a section
of land Now the community NUNS
beers seventy, and as many more are
buried behind the monastery. They
now own about five thousand acres Of
the best farming land I'm Iowa.
Their stock of cattle, shoep and
horses. Is the best I'M the country.
.In..u,rIt,itt Tho bIilIiurs thgrr is na