New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-18
A TOWN OF FREETHINKERS.
THE STORY OF AN EXPERIMENT IN LlV-
ING WITHOUT CHURCHES.
cAR1srADr n. J.. WAS FOUNDED OVER FIFTY
YEARS AGO BY GERMANS WHO WANTED
PERSONAL LIBERTY AND NO RELIGIOUS
SOCIETIES. BUT PROSPERITY AND
NOISY SUNDAYS HAVE MADE
1T ORTHODOX.


NOISY SUNDAYS HAVE MADE
1T ORTHODOX
CarIstadt a borough OF about 1000 inhabitants IN
Bergen County ". j., bears the mistaken reputation
OF never having had a church within us nhil''' INC
village was founded In 1854 by an ASSOCIATION Vi
Germans from New-York who had radical iueaS
on the subjects of religion and society. They were
freethnkers with communlstic tendencies, put they
believed above all things else In their ri8ht 10 uo
as they pleased days in the week TnIs risht
they chose to exercise chiefly by drinking beer and
having good time Sunday town founded
under such circumstances by such people was naur-
ally subject OF attack by the ministers OF neish-
boring churches, who believed that church-gohg
and Sunday observance were the foundation OF
morality and good order and an essential factor OF
material prosperity. Carlsbad was assaed again
and again from Bergen County puplts prophecies
of degeneration and chaos were hurled against Its
peaceful homes. but the town continued TO grow III
wealth population and commerce on Sunday beer
Tho sun continued shine on both sides OF the
streets, the vineyards and gardens nourshed ana
assumed air almost German. the lawns were
green tho roses bloomed the homes OF the work.
ngmen showed evidence OF prosperity other settlers
arrived children were born and the village spread
out This In fact. the end OF the town WITH
| out churches II absorbed the places around II
| that had churches and now there are three within
| It's borders-not many perhaps for a borough OF
| 1000 people. and yet enough TO accommodate all
| who desire to attend them Therefore CarIstad
tho churchless town. the village OF freethinkers
| and Sunday beer IL no more. Tho question whether
Carls,adt was unable to do without churches. or the
churches were unable to do without Car!stadt re-
| mains be
| A LOTTERY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
| And yet It Is a fact that the territory comprised
| in the original village of Carlsbad has not and
| never has had church. This territory however.
| Is only two blocks wide. This was the nucleus or
| A town which the coon!sts hoped would never con-
| tain a church. They were Incorporated under the
| name of the German Democratic Land Association.
| They bought the land from Judge Henry Berry. who
| at that time well-known figure in bergen
| County and divided It into building lots The tract
extended from Berry's Creek up 10 the top OF the
| hill overlooking the Hacensack fats distance OF
mile or Every shareholder was entitled to
| seven lots-two In the upper section, two In the
| middle and three in tho lower. These lots were
numbered and awarded by lottery every man be
| ing entitled 10 draw seven OF them. according 10
| the previous arrangement. Some OF the allotments.
OF course have proved 70 be OF much greater value
| than tho orhers. but no who drew at that time
| and has held hls property to the present has any
occasion to bemoan HIS luck. The lots have all IN
creased In value and tho holders are now COM
| iortably wcll-to-dO
| Started as a lottery and dedicated TO personal lib
| erty and no churches the village could hardly be
expected 10 shine example OF religious devel-
| opment. NJ legal steps were taken to keep out the
| churches but by common consent among the prop
| erty-hoders land was sold TO be used for re-
| ligious purposes Philanthropic people. who were
possessed Of desire TO enlighten the self satisfied
| coonlsts and teach them not 10 drink beg and
| play games Sunday. found that property suitable
| for church purposes was held too high The Hack
| ensack River could be traced up and down for miles
| By the succession OF church spires tho highland
along i,s banks. but there n gap In the line az
Carlstad,. The place became famous. or per
haps notorious would be better word FOR It's sun
day outings. The trains brought in crowds Of
thirsty and noisy jewellers from Jersey city. Hobo
ken ana New York: bands paraded the streets while
Sabbath bells ringing elsewhere; concert halls
and beer gardens ran I'm full blast and Carlsta adj
quiet AMI peaceful six days in tho week. began TO
overIo the original German characteristics II noise
and beer the liberty FOR which the founders OF
tho town sighed they had It In degree that Ger
tany should have proved satisfactory TO any ordi-
nary lconocast
And yet there wasn't much drunkenness or DIS
order" said an old inhabant recently I'll guar
an,ce thero wasn't much drunkenness In Carl
.tsit as there was In any other town o, i,S SIZE N
people who were bNsierous and Troublesome
should b. allowed 20 get drunk Inere WASH mus S
danger about the inhabitants. bu, the people VINO
They came to Carls,adt because they thought they
could throw on AL res rant here We dln %H an,
tention OF the settlers to make this Sunday beer
our common agreement 20 prevent disorder as
much as possible better than all he policemen
fewer murders and other crimes Of violence than
anywhere around here and II Is faet that the place
was more ospcrous than any ot It's helshDorS'
THE CHURCHES WERE ANNEXED.
Then came the churches and Efforts by people
living In towns by u stop the sale OF beer on
SUNDAY The churches could not get land 70 build
on. 50 they built up close to the borough line The
people who iiled to stop Sunday selling were not
highly successful In their appeals at the county seat
Uereen County to this day has had only slight
touches OF the fever that has affected Hudson ana
well as newborn Some people in Carstadt were
even unklnd enough to say mat the ht'einpts 70
By jealousy OF the prosperity Of the hberty-o'ihs
the luck Of the churches not much better In
New-Carlstad,. Immediately across the street on
the north. the people Dullt PresDyteTlah enurch'
| but II did not prosper The Cd town lid hot sup
port Il, and The CONVERSATION was Eni9rtuna.e ~
other went away because OF charges OF int.nperate
conduct and third WAS as9ased OF lhe he mn nn
cnger living In the vicinity is still we'll remembered
Vi.nso Of Carstadt. The mortgages and mocha mics
liens on 1t caused be sold AT forced sale and 1t
church In the present borough is 81. Joscphs Roman
Catholic Church in East Rutherford just across the
zeal and urhanty has finally brought the church up
TO hourshing condition but IKE al other relisons
bligh,ed by It's proximity to the town OF Tree
less than two years ago Windsor and NewCarl-
siadt and small part of the township Of Bergen
| were annexed to Carlstadt and received Its name
| With these the three churches so the ancient
tradition that there should be no churches In Carl
| stadt s set at naught.
| A change, too, has come over the town II - no
longer bad form to attend divine service on Sunday
| some people go TO church In the morning and TO a
beer garden In the afternoon. and this may be said
TO be the height OF good form Bands do not parade
| tho streets Sunday more, but ball games and
dancing are prohibited and 1t is still IA long way
| on from a Puritan Sunday. Carlsbad and the
| Church are now united. Each has had Its influence
| on the other At present the Church seems TO have
| the upper hand OF the argument The experiment OF
| having without religious societies OF any
kind has I'm this instance at any rate. proved fall
| ure The people could not get along without them,
or If they could they did not care to- and II Ii safe TO
| say that there is much personal liberty now In
|