Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-06-21
THE Z0ARITES.
An Account of One of the Most Singu-
lar Places and People in America.
Home Manufacture and No Reduction
of the Revenue Is the MottoIOf the
Z0arites.
Zoar Co) Correspondence Worcester Spy.

and communists, holding all property
absolutely in common, Is g complete lit
/ tie kingdom in itself. The ZoArites own
| 1000 acres of land in one tract, of which
half is UNDER cultivation, while the re-
mainder is heavily timberea with valuable
walnut, oak and pine trees. Their
original purchase here WAS 10000 acres,
| but 5000 have been sold from time to
! time at a great advance over first cost.
| Every article, implement or machine
that is used, wrought with, eaten, drusk
or worn by the Zoarites is produced in
/ Xoar, as are also the materials of which
il is composed. The only exceptions to
this rule are coffee, tea, sugar and spices.
! The shoes the Zoarites wear are made by
| their own tanners from hides taken from
their own cattle. The coal that warns
them and cooks their food is dug in their
own mines and Is burned Ill stoves cast
in their own foundry, from iron smelted
in their own furnaces, from ore found In
abundance on their own lands. The
clothing that covers them is made by
their oTn tailors, from cloth woven in
their own mill from wool sheared from
their own sheep. The beer they drink is
brewed in their own brewery, from malt
made by their own MASTERS and hops
grown on their own lands.
All manufacturing in Zoar is done by
water power. Steam is scarcely used at
all. The Tuscarawas River, by means of
dams, is made to flow with sufficient
swiftness and volume TO supply thirty or
forty horse power to each of the Zoarite
manufactures. Nearly all the machinery
used was made in Zoar by Zoarlte me
chanics. One of their principal products
is -four, of which after supplying their
own wants, they ship large quantities to
Pittsburg, Cleveland, Washington and
Baltimore. One of the chief places of
interest in Zoar is the great collection of
barns, in which the milk cattle are kept
considerable portion of the zoarites
wealth is invested in live stock, and they
have devoted much attention TO determ-
lining what are really the best breeds.
They have experimental largely with the
Holstein, the Jersey, the Attorney and the
Durham, and are now inclined to favor
the last named, though all four varieties
are well represented In the herds. Every
sanitary and convenient device that mod
ern ingenuity has been able to suggest Ia
utilized in the construction of these COW
stables. The stalls extend in long rows
ON either side of broad aisle, and the
conditions for light and ventilation are
of the most favorable kind. Already the |
cows are out at pasture, and il is a rare
sight to see the mild-faced, patient crea-
lures come filing in at eventide in
seemingly interminable procession, each |
one knowing her accustomed place and |
going voluntarily to il without the slight |
est disturbance or confusion.
On the morning and evening of cash |
day all the young women in Zogr repair, |
in merry procession, TO these barns and |
milk the COWS. As members of Congress |
sometimes are for much less useful pur- |
pose, the girls are "paired, and to each |
,wo are assigned to eight COWS, which they /
must always milk. Fancy more than |
tairty buxom young milkmai3s, with the |
good looks which ara the offspring of |
good health, outdoor exercises and good /
diet, sparkling in their eyes, lips and
cheeks. Each one is tastefully dressed in
well fitting chintz or calico, and wears a
white apron, which, like every thing else
about these attractive young women, IS
scrupulously neat ANA clean. The girls
have the privilege of naming the cows
assigned to them, and the name of each
COW is painted over her stall. These
names chow that there is trace of the
romantic in the minds of the young
women of Zoar, boyines rejoicing in such
fanciful applications as Lily, Maud,
Ethel, etc.
Another place in which TO see the
Zoarites young woman TO advantage is the
bakery, where all the bread and pies for
the entire community are baked fresh |
every morning. FROM IS TO 100 loaves
comprise the average daily consumption
of the town. The baking is done by men,
but each household sends its young wo
men to the bakery to procure its supply |
of daily bread and carry it home wrapp-
cd in large, spotless white cloth which
each damsel carries with her.
Besides these quaint professions of
young women TO the COW stables and the
bakery, there is another similar one to be
seen in Zoar on every pleasant day. That
is procession of girls ranging from TO
10 years, drawing Ill an old fashioned
baby carriage a younger brother or sister
for an airing. As all property in Zoar is
held in common, so the IOarites share
equally and participate together in ALI
their pleasure and duties, "aired" stimuli
taneousy in long dravn-out procession.
Fc- the pleasure of the members of the
society and their visitors public gar
den and a greenhouse are maintained in
Zoar. Both are of considerable extent
and would be highly creditable TO any
large city. The garden IL tastefully laid
out and contains some noble trees and
elegant shrubbery. A large and delight
fully cool arbor in the center is entirely
concealed by the latter. The greenhouse
boasts a fine collection OF choice plants
and flowers. There is no prohibitory
mo admittance" or Glands off" on any
thing, and every one is free 10 enter al
all times and roam about a will From
the garden and greenhouse il Is but few
steps to the picnic ground, grove of
grand old forest trees, IN which the Zoar
ties have placed swings and covered
dancing platform for the enjoyment Of
thel, younger visitors, who, III summer
time, cone in large numbers from sur
rounding cities and towns a. well as from
the adjacent country and picnic here on
TWO or three days OF almost every week.
T4yxwvvmAN Fmuv~m