Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-08-08
4 STRANGE COMMUNITY.
and Social Features Of Flour
,x..... .r,tonx liza Iowa.

ishing Colony Is Iowa.
Probably the most prosperous coni
,,,r;stie society in this country . 10
Iowa nearly 100 miles west from
Davannort. on the line of the Mi.wau-
lee and ST Paul road There are no
saloons in the colony and every man.
woman and child is a worker. Ihere
are no oilers no caucuses, no poiitics,.
Marriage is looked upon as one OF
the necessary evils. but il is not re
garded by any means as meretorious
act. Children must be had ana any
looseness Of morals is sternly irowheu
mon. vet the lot of the newly mar
ried couple is not in any sense happy
one. Tile religious standing OF young
married people is very low until. oy
patiently bearing the yoke Of niatri
mony. they demonstrate their fitness
to enteriinto the circle OF the elect.
Despite their costumes there are
many remarkably pretty girls in Anna,
ma. In form they are straight and
slender. Many OF them have clear
cut features. and their compilations
are beautiful beyond description.
The costumes of the women are Sc
verely plain, and at the same time are
picturesque. A print kerchief, manu-
| featured in the village, is folded across
the bosom so that the waist OF the
loosely fitting dress is hidden. The
villagers manufacture all the fiannels
and calicoes worn. and each has a
wide reputation. A black cap OF some
thin material is worn rather far back
1 on the head, being gathered into ut
tie bag at the back, narrow black RIB
bons tying it under the chin. Knit
stockings and broad slippers or coarse
shoes are worn, wooden shoes being
reserved for field work. Neither age
nor condition in life brings any
change in these garments.
No social intercourse is allowed be-
tween the young men and the maidens,
and they see each other at intervals.
and even then at distance. The as
ISOLATION of the sexes is forbidden. On
Sunday afternoon the boys and girls
are permitted to walk in the fields, in
opposite directions, though sometimes
they come together
| When young man signifies his de
sire to marry maiden he is put on
probation for year or more. Once q
week he is allowed to see the object oil
|. his affection, and no encouragement
is given his suit by any one. He is
never allowed to see her alone, how
ever When the marriage finally takes
place it is made the gloomiest of fiesta
occasions.
There are no wedding clothes ane
no wedding guests. Two or three
elders meet at the home of the bride,
parents and read hymns and lead il
prayers. The chapter in Paul's epistlt
to the Ephesians, wherein the apostle
with untlinching severity, describe!
the duties OF husband and wife, i:
read, with somber comments Aftel
the lecture there is a dead cold supper
and every one is made to feel as mis-
cradle as possible. When once mar
ried, however there is no hope for TIL,
/ couple, as divorce is unknown.
These communists are rich, We
) they go without amusement of any
sort; all musical Instruments save tn,
flute are tabooed and there are NJ
brass band contests to disturb the Sc
+ renity of their even existence.
A small colony came to the United
States from Germany in 1912, headed
by Christian Metz, an inspired lin
! strument, and settled near Buffalo
N. Y, the name of Ebenezer being
given to the colony AS the colony
! prospered beyond all expectation i
was necessary to secure more land
and the present peaceful valley wa.
5 selected. The old name was left be
hind and Amana was chosen as the
title by which the colony should bt
J hereafter known Seven village:
sprang up and are known as Amana
East, West, South, Middle and High
: Amana and Homestead Anything
J more peaceful than these little vii
! lagos cannot be imagined
The inhabitants are pietists, or
rather, inspirationists, but they do no
look happy. They are puritanical t.
the last degree and the children ar
as sedate and staid as their elders
Christian Metz, their leader, die,
twenty-five years ago, and Barbar;
Heyneman, who was also an '.instru
ment, led the people for fifteen year
! after, when she, too, died. Since the,
there has been no one prominent o
holy enough tosucceed them and Their
4 Is In consequence no leader. Good
pure diiu VlfIuOuS as barbara was
a however, she came under the ban once
though she finally regained her stand
i ing as an instrument
I She fell in love with comely yout,
i named George Landmann, and MARI,
him she would and did, though SD,
suffered expulsion for it. AS she wa
power in the community, she sue
ceeded in getting back, but she wa
never really and heartily forgiven 70
! having taken to herself a husband
There is a community of everythino
I No cooking is done by families, III
; meals being prepared and served i,
kitchens maintained for that purpose
There is an abundance of everythint
and no one ever goes hungry. II
Amana, for instance, where there arr
perhaps five hundred inhabitants. fif
teen kitchens are maintained Tn,
proportion is the same in the other 81,
villages. Philadelphia Times.
Too Much Reading.
1t was said of some one, His svs
tenn of reading smacks of the Ole