Milford chronicle., 1895-10-11
MONKS AS FARMERS.


/ She Trappists Said to BE the Most Sue
cessful TilIers Of the Soil In Canada.
Undoubtedly the most successful farm
ers in Canada are tho Trappist monks. At
| rncadio In the east, at Okla, in Quebec,
and at st. Norbert, on tho Red river, in
the west, they have changed unpromising
tracts OF land into fertile farms
To the latest Of their settlements-that
at st. Norbert paid visit recently dur
ing a brief holiday trip out west. This
/ great farm IS an object lesson that would
show TO the dullest capacity what perse-
yerance and industry can do with vast re-
gions Of untitled or semitlliod loan lands
out there. Three years ago, I learned,
little company Of Trappist Brothers came
out to Canada from France and built a
monastery on farm Of ! 800 acres that
had boon presented to them by a priest
named Father Ritchot, who had taken IA
leading part in the efforts that have for
years been made to settle our great west
Immediately upon their arrival they set 10
work on the ground. They cleared it OF its
scrub, laid out a garden and began what Is
called breaking" What progress has
becn made since then may be Judged from
the fact that this year thoy will harvest
IL, 600 bushels of grain. And their garden
Is a sight worth seeing, with the marvel
Gus abundance and variety Of vegetables,
enough, apparently, to support a good
sized town. For cattle and for horses they
have put up stables Of the most approved
modern type They have a creamery,
hennery with hundreds Of fowls, piggcry
Of what is said to be the proper kind,
and they are building a large granary.
Tho father superior who is a French gen
tleman Of distinguished family, was work
ing In the garden. He saluted us politely,
and told us to make ourselves at home.
We were afterward told that he is the
humblest and the hardest working Of all
the brethren.
It is well known that the rules Of tho
order Of In Trappe are Of the strictest
kind They are, however, somewhat modi-
fled in Canada. Here tho daily life of n
clerical member Of the order Is regulated
as follows; Six hours, from $3.50 D. m to
2;8O q. m, for sleep; six hours for devo-
tiOns; six hours for manual labor, and six
hours for the reading room and for private
work. The lay member of tho order gives
from eight to ten hours to manual labor.
No Tappist, clerical or lay, is permitted I
to eat fish or flesh food. All arc strict vege-
tarians Yet they all appeared to be phys ]
ically strong, clear eyed and clean limbcd. I
4A1AH utd 10 iiiNlAHtie III lllt ilhHunttAl !
at prcsontr-l2 French ard Canadians. !
The work Of the whole establishment is /
done with military precision, without the /
slightest appearance OF stiffness OF re-
straint. Thole Is implicit obedience, but, /
as it is based on religion &c has all the APP 4
pearance Of freedom. They sleep on plank !
beds In narrow cells and never speak to 1
visitors nor, for that matter, to each 9TH I
er. The father superior and the guest I
master do what talking there is TO be done. 4
Their conversation is confined to "a saluta-
ton, which they exciaim when passing
each other, and which Is Mon frcre, il
fault mourirw CfBrothcr, we must dior) /
When a brother dies he is buried in the
orders graveyard and a rude piece Of
wood bearing his Christian name merely
Is placed at the head of tho grave The
Trappist is truly the man who tho world
forgetting, is "by tho world forgot. -
Letter in Providence journal.