Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-12-15
THE sHAlrm COLONY.
A Most Interesting Religious Colony In
New Mtxieo.
OAHspE. A nIw BIBLE.

About ak miles north Of Las Cruces
aud about City miles from this city Is
the Shalem colony, one Of the strangee,
and most interesting things In New
Mexico. the lind OF strange sights, says
the ri Psso Times, IL is a small reli
gious colony founded some fifteen years
ago BY Dr.. Newbrough. a New York den.
list. He was an ardent spiritualist and
a medium. according TO the story told BY
his followers. He practiced s~piritualism
Tor many years and received many com.
munications from the spirit world, but
was not satisfied, however, with the or.
dinary commonplace communication
which be received from the dead. and
finally became convinced that IL he
would purity himself by fasting and
prayer he could got into communication
with q higher order OF spirits. He tried
this, and after SONS time he received in.
structions to got a typewriter. Every
morning he felt himself drawn to this
machine by SONS unseen Influence, and
Tor an hour he would write on II without
knowing what he wrote He was told 10
put II carefully away each day and not
70 read II until Il was completed. After
a year Of this he was instructed to read
what he had written and have IL pub
lished. This was the origin OF the pa
cred Book or Bible Of the Shalemites, as
Il is related by them.
IL is called 0ahspe and IL an immense
book Of more than nine hundred pages
supporting TO be a history Of the heav.
ans and earth from the creation to the
present time. According 10 it the world
is seventy million years old. Il teaches
belief In n supreme god, called
Jeyohih, and q multitude Of inferior
spirits, known a. gods, lords and lord
gods and evil spirits called drujas. The
Inferior gods, lords and lord gods all
have dominion over a certain portion OF
the heavens aud earth. The use OF
meat or TIE killing Of animals for any
purpose whatever are strictly forbidden.
Acecr ling 10 0lhspeo the different re.
lts ious systems Of the world, as Chris.
tlanity, Judaism, MOhammedlsm and
Buddhism we're all founded by evil spirits
or false gods who rebelled against the
rule OF JeyUhih. o .hspe tells OF an al
legged continent called Pan, where the
Pacific ocean now lies, and which was
submerged at the time OF the deluge.
The book is we'll illustrated through
out with many strange pictures repre-
senting alleged scenes In the earth's his
tory, prehistoric races and other things.
IL reaches the doctrine Of reinearnation
and the Shamelites hold that after death
the soul must be born again In q higher
or lower state, a. the case may be. accord.
ing 10 the life one has led. and after be-
coming sufficiently purified the soul
passes into the heavens. which are several
In number. After passing through the
several inferior heavens every soul will
eventually reach the highest heaven.
The colony is situated IN a bend OF the
Rio Grande on a tract OF several hundred
acres Of rich, fertile land. II Is about one
mile west OF DOna Ana STATEN on the
Santa Fe. and is a magnificent piece OF
property and u large part OF II Is under
cultivation.
d. Newbrough established the colony
soon after the completion OF his book,
oahspe, In obedience, II Is claimed, to
ihe commands OF the spirits. DIR. Tanner,
the noted faster, was n OF the nrst col.
Onists aud resided at shalem for a long
time.
The present chief Of shalem Is A. NJ.
Rowland, formerly OF Boston, who was
one OF DR.. Newbrough's first followers
and chief assistant In the work OF estab.
fishing the colony. Since the death OF
DIR. Newbrough In 1884 he has been at
the head OF affairs. He is a very pleas
ant gentleman. about 40 years OF age,
and Is always polite and kind 20 visitors,
He IL quite wealthy aud a cousin OF the
famous Hetty Green. His costume IL
quite unique. 1t consists OF white linen
pants and jacket with a wide blue sash
around the waist. At home he never
wears q bat and goes with head barred
alike to cold blasts OF winter and the
herce rays Of the sun In the New Mexi-
can summer. In winter, shoes and leg
gings are sometimes worn, but in sum
mer this strange individual dispenses
with all footwear and goes b~areiOoted.
At present there are very few adults
In the colony except Mr.. Rowland and
his family. and they are devoting them.
selves in accordance with the directions
OF 0ahspe TO the raising OF children.
They make q business Of gathering In
numbers Of HOMELESS orphan children
whom they bring up In their way with.
out knowing the taste OF meat, and In,
struet them In their religion. In thil
way they expect to raise a race OF pureI
and better beings.
Approaching the colony from bona Anl
station, the visitor enters through
large wooden gate TO the farm aud passes
up an excellent road 10 the buildings o.
the colony. There are two OF these fol
dwelling purposes.
One IL a red brick and is for the uss o.
the children. The front door opens int
q large hall that Ia used as a play room
for children. Opening of this hall are
number Of rooms that are used as kiteh
en-, dining room and bed rooms Mr.
Rowland also has his library or office II
this building. II is we'll supplied witt
excellent standard works on diaeren
subjects, as Mfr. Hovland IL, nOtwith
standing his peculiar religious belle
and eccentric dress, a very intelligen
and we'll read man.