The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-07
THE S%EPARATISTS OF @ A
4 QUEER ON. TOBLD vILL4GE IN
GENIAL OBIp.
One Instance In which Common Ownership
Has Worked successtuiIy-A Community
IN Which rence and Prosperity Abide.

country IL the little town OF /onr, with its
peculiar history and its peculiar people. II
lies In q fertile valley, watered bv many springs
and threaded by tho Tuscarawas River.
Its inhabitants are mainly descendants OF
the origin al settlers. who came from wurtem.
burg. Bavaria. and Baden in the year 1877 to
escape religious persecution In their mother
country. these refugees wcro called Sepa-
ratists. Oh account of their withdr. wal from
The Lutheran and Roman Catholic faiths.
The Scparatists. $50 In number. arrived At
PHILADELPHIA in q destitute condition. and vera
given shelter by the friendly Quukcrs In the
City OF Iirotnerly Love. The leader OF the per.
secuted rellzionists wns n man OF strong char-
,cter and great intellect, Joseph Bimclcr ~
name. To his efforts nte duo the present pros.
perity and wc!l-bciug of the Society OF Sep
nratists CT Xoar.
After a few months in America Mr.. Bimclcr
effected tie purchase OF q tract OF land, $500
ncrcs IN extent. situated In the unhrokcn for.
e-s Of Ohio. To obtain this &c rnvc-his note
for the entire SIS. OOO OF purchase money.
In the autumn OF 1917 a number OF people
were sent 10 Ohio b provide habitations for
those to follow. In the spring OF 1918 the
mass CO emicrants arrived at the settlement.
which was named Zoar In honor OF the city to
which Lot fed from Sodom. After a wear and
a hnlf CT extreme destitution. n community of
property WAS proposed. and finally In Fcbru-
ary. 1899. the Society nj Separa lists Of
Ionr WAS Incorporated under the law OF Ohio,
and has since remained In effect.
The corporation owns and controls every.
thing. individuals possess no separate rights
OF property. the theory being tic greatest good
tn tho greatest number. The members con-
tribute their labor and time 10 the community,
receiving In return the necessities OF lite. Every
thing beyond that goes TO II common fund. Tho
children OF members can lie admitted TO the So
ciety on attaining majority. br ARE required n
undergo II years probation bef IRE admission
to full me nbership.
During the construction Of the Ohio Canal.
which passes through Xoar. the Scparatists
took a contract. and all nblo.hodIca members
worked there until lite completion. thus cam.
Ing mus III Of tile money to pay for their lnnd.
Tho present society numbers about 300. Tho
people are Quiet and moral. No member has
ever been ex 9elled. Joseph Binc!er was the
leader In religious as well M In municipal at-
fairs. All religious services were conducted
~ him. and so much were his sermons ad.
nired that after his death they we're written
from memory by one OF his congregation. and
from that time forward to the present day
these discourscs are read in the Zoar house q.
worship in preference TO more modern or orig
inal efforts. The honor Of reading them IS con-
" Nh'' NAN 'AeNSN lbhil AA wv WIN AlAAAN
The older buildings In Ioar are rooted with
red tiles. ONE OF them moss gro Sn and soot-
tel with age. giving TO them a picturesque et-
feet IN be found nowhere else In America
Others are slintled In an old-fashioned. side
tenped manner and the little wooden slabs on
some OF the roofs are s, curled and warped by
wind ard weather ~ tn present n fr!lled ap-
pearance as novel as II is attractive.
Although behind the times in oil buildings
save the new hotel. in some RESPECTS Zoar Is
more modern. Each house has its OWL large
refrigerator. filled several times a week with
pure, clean Ice. which Is obtained by the yearly
iioodiaG az n low-lyinc meadow. On sultry,
dusty days a sprinkliny cart does duty in tho
little streets. some of which are htliy and az
ford v!stas o: no mean charms. Large trees
abound. AID so quiet are the streets tlat when
walking through them one can plainly hear
the Inc t SSHiGf OF ana G'T S { nlF naii f' nasur ae Is ioi r.
Is dazzling with the invriads OF i~iret'es that
Macy Of the houses have delightful stone or
brick 'loorcd .porches NJ the front and rear.
ami notcnly the oorche. but a great number Of
grow;h OF Grapevines. some cottages are en-.
lnrly ,overed with them.
The Ioarltcs boast a public garden, PRETTY
lad OUT. and filled in summer with masses OF
blooming flowers and clumpso OF well trimmed
shrubs no A. the hSr sar Re gate i the sp-ins
drink OF clear, pure w,ter, ~ ior the gods.
Oae OF the principal buildings in Ioar Is o
large brick mansion built for Joscnh Bimelsr,
and for tins reason called THE Kings House"
or NO. l." One can imagine hin driving in
ported for his use. THIS coach. in IA pitt ,ul
state OF diiapidation. may still he seen in a loft
The qul!ntest as well as one OF the oldest
houses IN Ioar was erected in 1877. II Il male
of-logs. and has. tiny. old fashioned windows.
Ing vines, Its present occapant has furnished
II as much as possible in accordance with rs
irons arc two. aged chairs with spreading
legs and lyre shaped racks. On the wall are
sahrcs, swords. and other weapons, while ont
table stand n pair OF silver candiesticGs.
One Of Joseph B!mcler's descendants, who
riill.. has built in hi. house n large pine organ
which Is n marvel, considcrin1 the fact that
It's builder has had no npprenticeship in organ
building. The instrument occupies one entire
tone is very iinc. and Mir. Bimeier's Ingenuity
from the mill below the Hill.
Ioar has ats own tinsn.ith. tailor, shoemaker.
shops. and its own woolien, ilour, planning. and
saw mills. The members OF the society ars
suits per YEAR. Their xroceries and me- pr"Sision,
of all sorts are obtained in the same way. AN
ample allowance for each family being dealt
The butter for the community Is all chnrned
by %ns family, wig use a large chrrn Torkei
Other family; The baker make; three kinds
in'tV' - Talscu Dut once. ana ~ Uuhfu Ou
the bottom OF the oven. This oven takes up
the whole end of q large room, is OF brick and
ties by the baker.
The bread is first mixed in a long wooden
tub or trough. in a rooE. adjoining the oven
these rooms. and just Leneath IL is a shelf, m
Witch Mr.. AckeInann; the baker, places
with iron. The handle Of this
utensil Is about ten feet long. Tn. young as-
sistant cuts or enough dough for n loaf.
kneads II in an instant, gives 1t dcN;crouS
Twist or two. and thrusts II through the open
ING into the bowl, VIII On the baker then shOyes
away back into the oven and turns over,
eInptying the dough out on thc oven floor.
rom 100 10 10 loaves are baked each day
AT harvest time most OF the men and half
grown boys work all day in the fields. aud each
FAMILY las the task Of preparing n certain
share 81 their dinner. which il carried 10 tho
lhrNeSt"rs. olc OF the most interesting places
10 visit Is the COW barn at milking tune. IN
our way there We met mn old man shouldering
a yoke, and buckets. looking as II hr had lust
out or some picture Of peasant lie.
The society keeps about n hundred COVE.