The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-29
Description OF the Quaint Amana
Colonies Of Iowa.
EVERYTHING IS HELD IN COMMON
Marriage Is Discouraged, Education
Is TabOOed, Fine Dress Is FrOwncd
Upon and the Temptations Of Mod
ern Society Are Kept as Far as Pos.
sible Outside the Pale.
Erom :he Times-Herald.

peculiar way. contented, prosperous.
happy life in a wholesome manner:
where lawyers and divorces are un-
known quantities; where since the
founding of the settlement in 1855 thcra
has never been even SO much as
Justices court nor anything approx
mating the character OF a calaboos-.
There they live quiet and peaceful
lives. secure in the enjoyment of COM
paratiye wealth. during the accumu!a-
tion of which they enjoyed a greater
amount of comfort and vastly greater
security against want and demoraiiza-
ton than we've attained by their neigh
bcrs or the surrounding population. The
society owns about 10000 acres of land,
and its members live on this land in
seven different small towns and carry
on agriculture and manufactures OF
several kinds and are highly prosper
Gus. The original members were all
Germans. Religion is the basis of the
organization. The people are PietistS.
and their religious head is supposed by
them to speak by direct inspiration Of
God.
CAME FROM GERMANY.
They came from Germany in 1872 and
settled at first near Buffalo, on large
tract of land which they called Eben-
Ezer. There they prospered, but feel
ing the need of more land, in 1888 they
began to remove to their present home.
They continue to receive from Germany
accessions to their numbers, and often
pay out of their common treasury the
expenses of poor families. who recon-
mend themselves to the society by let
ters, and whom their INSPIRED leader
declares to be worthy. The name OF
the colonies is taken ont of the Bible.
They put the accent ON the first s!l-
liable. The name occurs in the song OF
Solomon: Come with me from Leb-
anon. my spouse. with me from Leb-
anon; look from the top of Amana,
from the top of Shenir and Hermon,
from the lions dens, from the noun
tains of the leopards." Amana in Iowa.
however, is not mountain, hut an
extensive plain, upon which they nave
built seven villages, conveniently
placed 50 as to command the cultivated
lands. The villages lie about mile
store at which the neighboring farmers
trade and an inn for the accommoda-
ton of the general public. Every VII
lage also has its shoemakers, carpeht-
ers, tailors and other shops, for they
aim to produce and make as far as
possible. all that they use. In Middle
Amana. there Is a printing Office where
their books are made The villages are
we'll laid out. The houses are stoutiy
built of brick. stone or wood, ana are
very plain. each with a sufficient gard
en-, but mostly standing Immediately on
the street. They use no paint, believ-
ing that the wood lasts as well with
out it. The schoolhouse and church are
notable buildings only because of their
greater size, for they abhor 'steepie-
houses" The barns and other farm
buildings are rOomy and convenient. On
the boundaries of the villages are the
houses inhabited by the hired laborers.
Each family has house for itself,
though when young coupie MARI!
they generally go to live with the par
ents of one or the other for some years.
PEOPLE EAT IN COMMON.
At irregular intervals in every village
are houses somewhat larger than the
rest. These are either cookhouses or
prayer houses. The people eat In COM
mon, but for convenience they are DIV
ided so that a certain number eat to-
eether. The different villages are
Amana. East, Middle. West and South
Amana; Amana Near the Hill ana
Homestead. In Amana proper. with its
thousand people, there are twenty-five
such cooking and eating-houses. In
these the young women are employed 10
work under the supervision of matrons,
and hither when the bell rings come
those who are appointed to eat at each
the sexes sitting at separate tables
and the children also by themselves.
In answer to an inquiry 1t was stated
that the women We're separated from
the men "to prevent silly conversa-
tion and trifling conduct" Each cook
ing house is required to make its own
butter and cheese. When the bell ceas-
es ringing and all are assembled. they
stand up in their places in silence for
half u minute, then one says grace, and
when he ends all say, God bless and
keep us safely" and then sit down.
There is but little CONVERSATION at table:
the meal is eaten rapidly. but with
decorum; and at its close all stand up
again, some one gives thanks, and
thereupon they file out in quiet order
and precision. They live well, after the
hearty German fashion. and bake eX-
celleiit bread. The table Is clean. lat it
has no cloth. They breakfast between
6 and $50. according to the season:
have supper between 6 and Z, ana ain
ner at 11.3o. They have besides an af-
tcrnoon lunch of bread and butter and
coffee. and in summer forenoon lunch
Of bread to which they add beer or wine,
both homemade.
EDUCATION LIMITED.
Every business has it's foreman. and
these leaders In each village meet to-
gether every evening 10 arrange the
hbors of the following day. Thus. if
any department needs, for an emrr-
kency. an extra force. it is known.
There Is even q temporal foreman with
hs force of helpers appointed by the
trustees to care for the cows. When
the work requires it in the summer,
the women labor with the men in the
harvest field.
The children are Kept at school be-
tween the ages of 6 and l3: the sexes
do not sit in separate rooms. The
school opens at o'clock and the chill
dren study and recite until $50 o'clock
From that hour until they are dis
missed for dinner they knit gloves
wristlets or stockings. 1t is the same
again in the afternoon. The teachers
are men, but they are relieved by wo-
men when the labor school begins.
Boys as well as girls are required to
knit. They give only the most elemen-
tary instruction. "Why should we let
our youth study more?" they ask. I'VE
need no lawyers Ur preachers: we have
already five doctors"
PLAIN DeEss OF THE PEOPLE.
t..