The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-21
SEPARATISTS OF ZOAR
One Instance fin which 1onmon
Ownership Has worked sHeees.-
fufiy-A Community In Which
Peace and Prosperity Abide

SIS peculiar history azsz rs gs-e1as@F 49,
zt lies IN q fertile valley. wateEto - n4@As
springs and threaded ~ ins IHsc~fa"'As
river.
10 faha5staafs are maiaiy descendants
Of the orsx4az. settlers. w5o came from
Wugteuburg. Bavaria and Baden 70 t8N
wea- Tss7 20 escape religious persecution Il
their mother country. These fesnEr@s
we're called separatisEs. on account q tneiF
1slfbafa Nai from The Lutheran and Roman
aatholic faiths
A. Philsaephla Ia q destitute con1ifioz.
ara were given shelter by the frle19ly
Quaker n the city OF Er0thsFsy Love
The g~essar Of tne prosecuted rsiiefoEiists
Wa a mar Of strong character and sFeas
intellect. Joseph B.meler BY nafns- 40
his efforts are due the present prosperity
aad weil-belng Of the Society q sepafai-
lists % Zoar.
Alter : few months 81 America Ar. b
rneser effected the purchase Of a tract OF
Land. $50 acres 10 extent. situated u me
,nbraksn forests OF Ohio. To obtain this
he gave his note for the entire N5,a"9 o.
purchase money
fl the autumn OF Isi7 a number Of people
were sent 10 Ohio to provide haoiiauons
for those TO follow. il the sprang Of asas
sne mass of eaaigFAnts arrived a the SCI
Element. whgeh VAS named ZoaT IL honor
after a year and a hs2 Of extreme 1esu-
tutson. a community u property was pro-
,soaez. and finally In February. lss~. tns
Society OF SepAratists OF Zoar Was incor-
uorated under the LAWS OF Ohio, sna mas
s1nce. remained In effect
The CORPORATION owns ard controls every
thlae. Individuals possess no separate
rights OF property. the theory being the
greatest good 10 tie greatest number. The
members contribute their labor and time
10 the community. receiving IN return the
necessities OK life. Eyeryg ming beyond that
goes 70 q common fund. The children OF
members can BE- admitted 30 the society
on attaining majority. but are required to
undergo years probation before aaflis-
sion 70 full msmbershlp.
During the construction OF the Ohio
canal. which passes through Zoar. tae
separBiists took a contract. and ah able
BODIED metabags worked there until It's
completion thus earning much of the
money 20 pay for their land.
The present society numbers about 30.
The people are quiet anr moral No mem
her has ever been expelled Joseph -Bsmeler
WAS the leader il religious, as well as
IN municipal affairs All religious services
pere conducted by him. and 50 much were
hia sermons admired chat after ais death
they were written from memory by one OF
his congregation. and from that time for
ward to the present Day these discoursss are
read ~ the Zoaf house Of worship In pref
eseaec to more modern or original efforts.
The homer OF Ttadlag them h conferred
upon the oldest man ln the community.
Toe cider buildings In Zoar are rooted
wlth red tiles. some 81 them moss grown
and spotted with age, giving TO them a
picturesque effect found nowhere else IN
America. Others are shlngled in an old
fashioned. sl8e-lapped manner. and the
little woo4en slabs on some OF the roofs
are 50 euFled and warped ~ wind and
weather "a to present 2 fried appearance
as novel So u IS attractive.
Although behind the times In all build
sngs save the new hotel. IN some respects
Z0ar q more modern. Zach house has its
own large refrigerator. allied several times
a week with pure clean Zee. which e. oh
falnea hy ghe yearly flooding of "A iow-lying
meadow. op sultTg. dusty days a spTink-
line cart does duty IL the htgie streets,
some OF which are bills and AFFORD vistas
of 10 mean charms. Large trees abound.
and SO quiet are the streets that when
walking through them one can plainly
hear The cooing of pigeons. Bats circle
about va the twilight. and after nightfaii
nature Is fairly dazxled with the myriads
of 0refiies that bestar the air
May OF the houses have delightful stone
or brick aoored porches at the front and
great number OF she house walls are
shaded ~ a Iuxuriawt growth OF grape
vines. Some cottages ara entirely covered
sith them.
The Zoarltes boast public garden.
pretty laid cut. and filed IN summer with
maases 81 blooming flowers and clumps OF
Reil-lrimmed shrubs. A. the gardens gate
s. fhe spring house n little house in the
wall where one can drink Of clear. pure
wHfrr re for the gods
one Of the prlnclpal buildings IN Gear Is
large brick mansion built FOR Joseph Biz
sneleF. and for this reason called The
kings HOUSE" or No. l." One can iul-
agine him driving IN state from its door.
coated On the fine cuaeh imported for his
use This coach, in pluful state % a.
sapi3af:oT- fnay stin be- seen in lott Of
large harm.
The quaintcst as we'll as one ~ The old
est houses 81 Eoar was erected ia iSi1 IL
s. made Of hogs. ard has thin. old-fsSh-
ta0ea windows, aud an outside chimney
half hidden ~ elinRiuw vuies. Its pres
ems occupant has furnished g as much as
possible IN accordance with IFS style. Re
sides the old fireplace with SIS old ard,
srans. are two ASST chairs with spreading
iers and lyre-shaped backs. ON the val
are aAhrcs swords III other weapons,
while on table stand A pair 81 silver
vanatosflcks.
ore OF Joseph E.moief's descendants
Who holds the position Or foreman 81 fhy
veoolen min. has tslilt N his house a largs
pipe orEan whteh Is marvel conFlterfes
she fact that its huthier has bad 10 ap-
prensiceship 81 arwau buFding The in.
strumeug occupies ore entire end ~ q
room. ard - finished ia cherry its tons
81 vary tfe. and NJ. stfnNt@r's iuEenuijy
has devised eueRus te nnmp g. hv water
power fvcn enc utl below the Bib
Tsar has IA own sinsnith taller ahos-
ugskeF Nsstsiier. SIS own hrf very. carnente'
and cabinet shops. and its own wocsen
four. planning. su3 cav mills the nem-
hers OF the society are a'lowe8 each
certain flnraber - gowns o. sfifs per year
Their groceries aud provisions of all scrti
arc obtained 81 the saue Wsv. an autp's
allowance Ter each family being dealt ou
an srplieassCn.
The butter for the cCrn usurltv - 81
ehurnea by orc family. Who USE q large
ehurn worked ~ horse power. Tbe Bread
l. baked by another family The hake'
makes ghTee kins2a ~ b~eSd. wnfte. rra-
ham ara Yaar. IRE latter - ratses our
ence. And ss baked on the bottom ~ th,
ovcr Teeis oven takes ur ere Whole cHt
a. Aarxe roona. and e % arscS and vers
deep Ffeor ss also 1east out to the Eoar
res ~ ths baker.
TIRE bread - FIRST mixed a a lena
w.Nesrn Euh - trough. tr = recFn aatefrtes
she owen rooTa. A sonst square cn@nlns
sennectz cheese ~ooals aH3 fast beneath q
s. a aAaf OK whteh AZ Aeksru1ana. th.
baR~r. Htarea a eowi- shaped vassel. raata
Or woosi bount snA bsttosoet W1th feon
she hansite " sh.s nj ens3 IS aSauf rea fee
seux Tee YcuuE ass stans cats ~ euouEs
aeusa gor s. laaf k1eats 90 IN al 'nssant