Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-01-10
LIVING In ALTRURIA.
PEACE AND PLEASURE OF CON-
MUNITY LIFE.
One Spot I'm California where the Cares
of the world, 1t Is Declared, Are Shut
Out From the Mind-Abs olute Equality
Among Members.

says the San Francisco Examiner.
She tells of a strange community re-
siding on Howell mountain, few
miles back of St. Helena, so singular
that she cannot get over the impress
sion received of it.
The community, which is Altrurian
in character, consists of about 100
people of all ages, but mostly adults.
1t was founded some time ago and has
got upon prosperous basis, but
owing 10 the quiet ways of the COM
munity and the secluded mountain
vale in which they live apart from the
rest of the world, little has been heard
of them.
There is one very large house, which
is used as hotel, and six or eight
cottages. besides any number of tents
which have been utilized by the AL
trurian settlers. The buildings are
heated by steam. There is an eleva-
tor in the hotel for the convenience of
the guests. There is also a steam
laundry in the village.
There is no ambition, no malice,
no harsh words for anybody or any
thing, and no restlessness of spirit, ="
said Mrs, Buckingham. "All is quiet
and peace and contentment. They
seem to know nothing of the great
outside world nor care for it. 1t is
such calm, such a state of content
ment, as l have never seen or heard
of before.
Everybody is treated with perfect
equality, no matter what his position.
When l went there l was conducted
to my room and pleasantly made to
feel at home by one of the ladies.
Pretty soon fair, fresh-faced girl
came in and | was introduced to her
as Miss So-and-So. She will take
care of your room, you KNOW said
the former. Thereupon the girl, who
was the chambermaid, came forward
and reached her hand. | shook hands
with her and then she, as pleasantly
as possible, but exactly as ones So
licitous friends might do, asked me
what she could do for me.
"Thereupon she made all the ar
rangements, even down to details, as
to my hour for baths, for meals, for
hot water and everything of the kind.
"The girl who took charge of my
room was one of the helpers, the man
who ran the laundry was another, and
the elevator boy was another, yet these
and other helpers were referred to as
brother and sister, and were so intro
duced, and were treated on a perfect
equality with everybody else. They
likewise talked as freely and openly
with every one as though such thing
as cast and class had never existed or
been thought of. Thus it was that
they were all brothers and sisters in
fact.
acres of land. About the buildings
are beautiful grass plots and flowers
of all kinds. These are variegated
and so beautiful that whether near or
remote the place at the head of the
mountain vale looks like an elysium.
"There is an orchard of fig, peach
and other trees, and vines producing
berries. There is also a dairy con-
nected with the place. Dairying is
one of the industries. The members
of the community also make hay from
the WllQ lanQS OF bn0 valley.
'They require no conformity to ex-
listing religious beliefs, but let every
one settle it according to his own con-
science. Most of the founders are
Seventh Day Adventists, but they
never engage in anything like proselyt-
ing.
1.-The first morning after got there
hn n1nuo cfnnnnI Hnny. nd
pretty soon there was a gentle tap on
the door. Elevator for prayers And
all over that floor l could hear that
gentle tapping and that unobtrusive.
kind voice saying, Elevator for
prayers
Il went down for prayers. l was
strangely impressed in this new and
quiet atmosphere of this place which
seemed more restful than any other /
had ever seen. However little or
much you might be inclined to be
skeptical of their judgment outside,
you could not feel it right to indulge
I'm it there.
FINALLY missed the tapping, and
the strange voice which had in such a
winning way said, elevator for pray
ers, and do you know l really felt dis
appointed, somewhat forgotten, and
: ventured to inquire about it. oh, we
didn't want to obtrude in any way
was the kindly response, .but hoped,
if you felt like it, you would come
anyway; bur we were afraid you might
not be pleased, and SO we let it CO.
II told them wanted the elevator
to stop and to hear the voice and the
kindly tapping every morning, and
when it continued again L felt almost
as though was myself one of the
community, with something of the
same purposes.
"There is gymnasium in the place,
and every evening the help, as the
employees are called, would assemble
with all the others. There is skilled
teacher of gymnastics there, and he
gave sundry instructions of interest.
They do not dance, properly speaking,
but on these occasions they indulge in
marching and countermarching, and
they also formed the grand right and
left.