The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
LIFEoN THE "LORDS FARa"
LATEST REPORTS FROM "sILAS THE
PURE
John the Bapti-t- wassinE ana HakinE. All
the Rest working Like rrsJans. and
"Nnason- LsrdinK IL over the Shoie Job
ara the HruIts thereof In Great style.

without chickens, cows, or any other toNiS OF
animals awe horses, is a dectdei novelty 90 the
rugged Bergen county DutchEien, who are
.rsat lo--rs Of all live stock and animal pets;
I'M, managing Ave or six farms In SniS wuy.
nd without paying for hslp, is \ proposition
that astounds the descendants NJ the Old Hot
lard settlers and causes them to fall back upon
supo-stition to account for The phenomenon.
For persons who believe IL whipping the
charn when butter fails to comic ON time. be-
cause The de7il Is holding It back. IL IS not dtt.
dcult 20 conceive an uncaany solution OF tho
simple my story presented by Nnnson T. Hunts
man and his half dozen faithful followers on
the Lords Farm In reality, there Is no nys-
terry about il. The facts show nothing but
slircwd management on the part OF the man
whose life, purpose. and actions have been too
much for the lawyers and the courts Of Bes-
gen county. under whose jurisdiction ne has
frequently beer.
This man, whose real nAnle il Mace I. hunts
man. was born in Scranton. Pa, where he Is
remembered as an eccentric young man, a
scuffer at orthodox religion in whatever suise
presented, and ever happy in q controversy
with those known to DO his interiors in arsu-
mcnt. He Is not a man OF Intellectual attain
ments; this is-clear In the letters he has written.
His brother Frank, who with his wife and child
passed q few weeks at the Lords Farm" about
Q year ago, remarked:
Mace never ~amounted-+to much and never
would. He didn't like school. and he didn't
like much of anything but talk, and he didn't
want to talk q deal with them that could talk
Is good as no could"
Frank Huntsrnan, who was out of work In
Ecrantou and did not know how soon he would
bo out of o house, accepted an invitation from
his brother Mace to Join the Lords chosen"
On the Storms farm. but he was not poor enough
10 remain-there many weeks. Il never laid
nuch store by Mace's religion" he said.
Sbus I didn't know how weak-it was until 1
rot into the family over there at what they
can the Lords farm II that's the sort Of
farms the Lord has, there viii be plenty Of room
ln Paradfse.s
Mrs Huntman, who Is o busting matrou Of
about thirty years. with large brown eyes and
Nayy brown hair, gave this opinion Of the re-
hsion Of the Lords Farm:
Il never REQ any religion about it except
THAR parrot talk Of Praise tho Lord and such
expressions. But you never hear them praise
the Lord There's Just one thing about Mace
Hunrsman. He isn't weak In one way. He
atways wanted to DO boss vherever:he was,
and he's boss Of the Lords farm, and he's
cute enough to remain boss. Those Storms
people arc sort Of tnaturals,' and Jane Howell,
and sras. and John the Baptist are about
equal In mind. Mace handles EN- like o litter
of pups. Some people have an idea that the
crowd Is generous because every tramp that
calls Is fed and taken into the circle. Well, I
reckon they play liberal that way, but you
don't hear of many tramps or anybody except
their own half dozen staying long. Why :
Because tho gloss soon wears or Everybody
must work, and work for nothing but vegetable
diet and rough clothes. The earnings all go
into the Lords treasury and Mace is the
a s-.z,---S - .-,--@binr ala. tka~o
This simple talk Of a plain little Pennsylvania
woman gives an insight into the character Of
~Mnason'' that has been verified recently
from other sources. Everybody must work
and work for nothing on the Lords Farm, >
and "Mnason" is the Lords treasurer" In
this Ia probably the secret Of the mans per-
ststencs in returning to Bergen county after
having been warned by the court to remain
out of the State. He had gained absolute
power over the Storms family. and after serv-
ing his Last term in prison, returned with the
determination to control the "unruly member
that had caused him so much trouble. and
work out his purpose without further antag-
onizing the community that proved itself too
powerful for him
1t is true, as frequently stated. that all
kinds and conditions of men and women are
welcomed at the Lords Farm but all must
work early and late, and submit without ques-
ton to the rules established and rigidly en-
IOEEtu uJ -1ltSOl- LHC iAOko 6LD
gathered he markets them and holds the
purse strings. He orders Improvement,
ments Of the establishment. While he says
W work for love, he never fails to enforce q
Most OF those who have visited the farm dur
res Of the pure and easy life in the Church Of
.aMnason." and imagined that they might
find some religious or speculative theory TO
these 70 were tTsH a Wen R n female Theosop6iss
from Brooklyn, a sptrttualstic doctor, a sal
pretended to have reached a level far beyond
the realms OF rampant theology" and q woman
Known as Queen OF the Cat CStehers,, said to 2
sworn.duty it is to decimate the feline popula-
ton of New York city.
But none Of these strange characters re-
manned longer than twenty four hours TO fathom
the shallowness OF the head OF the Church OF
the Living God" .
his Zealots in the county court, whence the High
Priest and Jane Howell were sent TO State
Using angel dances youns Richard storms,
then just graduated from Rutgers College.
came home and cast his lot with his mother,
-Anason.' But after the return OF ''Mnason, -
zane Howell, John the Baptist and silas the
the place with him. Before this old Herman
httle farm 70 his daughter Mary, whose faith
III the IhBu lC1 ID AhS u
alton mentioned in the deed Is 800, subject To
81, 800: mortgage held by Garrett r. Herring.
The stories OF the manner in which old man
Storms has been treated since that transaction
are not edifying. One Is that the old man was
led into the big dining room by the whiskers,
and then around the table. 50 as TO furnish en-.
plauded by the family. These acts and 9th
ers disgusted young Richard Storms, and he
and his mother left the old homestead on Wear
linus Hill to live alone In a Christian manner.
Two years ago there was q remarkable in,
crease In the family at the Lords Farm. y
Some twenty,eight men, women, and children
}0ined ne family. 1t was this temporary
--Mnason" his name for generosity, which ha:
been lost through later developments. Stories
OF a very strange nature were told by some o
those who. deserted the farm regarding tbs
tests TO which incoming women were subjected
by "Mnason' TO prove their worthiness OF q
DO poor widow OF q New York printer was
sEuuced by the printed declarations that the
Lords Farm was a haven a. rest for the
weary to go there with her four children. Sh,
left the farm long since, and has told her story
20 a woman of the vicinity who befriended her
This widow declares that the public Concep