The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-21
Shakers Coming South.

Shakers, one Of the most unique Of all
the religious sects arising in modern
times. Quaint, old-fashioned, in
many respects primitive, the Shakers
are strangers to the social, domestic
and financial ills peculiar to- the world
in general. This results from two
departures from the ordinary customs
Of civilized peoples.
In Shaker settlements all goods are
held in common and the members are
all celibates. The membership does
not increase through offspring, but
through recruits from the outside.
Everyone has his or her special du-
ties. No drones are allowed. In such
q way the seventeen societies in
Maine, New Hampshire, Massachu-
sets. New York, Ohio and Kentucky
have grown from Mother Ann Lee and
her seven English converts, who came
to this country in 1774, until they
number 4,400 persons, and are now
rich in gold and silver, in lands and
houses aud in reputation as shrewd,
yet upright, men and women.
| In the fertile bottom lands of /, ne
Miami Valley, in Warren County,
Ohio, lies the attractive village of
Union. Ohioans know the place for
its fine stock farms and its model ap-
pearance as farming village. Here
DR.. j. R. Slingerland, head of the
Union Society, makes his home. The
Doctor is a minister and trustee.
He is an able and far-seeing man, and
has at heart the future welfare of the
Shaker Society. He believes in the
tenets Of the organization with un-
questioning faith, and anticipates the
growth in membership time must
surely bring.
Looking into the years to come DR..
Slingerland saw that room for cxpan-
sion would be needed. Lands in Ohio
were not as available nor as cheap as
some further south. The Doctor re-
solved to investigate the Southland.
In this determination he had the good
fortune to meet the one, man best cal
culated to further his work--Mr.
Edwin Brobston, of Brunswick, Ca,
an authority on the lsnds and resour-
oes of the southeantern part Of the
United States. through Mr.. Brob-
ston DR.. Slingerland and another
trustee of the Union Society visited
Glynn, Camden, Ware, Wayne and
Pierce Counties, ir Gee rgia, and even
tually made extensive purchases. The
total transfers to date aggregate 68,-
800 acres, and involves the sum of
S125, 900.
The new Southern home of the
Shakers is historical ground. Near
here the Spanish forces from Florida
made their last stand previous to the
settlement Of the boundary line be-
tween the Providence or Georgia and
the lands held by Spain. II those
| early days the country WIS settled by
hardy immigrants from Great Britain,
principally men Of Scotch extraction.
A goodly proportion Of these settlers
were Of the old cavalier stock-men Of
blood, Drawn and brains. Along the
valleys of the Altamaha and other
streams flowing into the Atlantic they
founded the grand homes and the
great plantations Of the old South.
Among these none was more noted
for natural beauty or for the wealth
expended upon them than the twin
holdings Of the Couper family, Atlanta
and Hopeton. Here the first expert
ments with cane sugar in Georgia
were made; here rice first became a
wealth-producing crop.
All these lands are now the prop
| erty Of the Shakers. The Hopeton
mansion has long been in ruins, but
at Altama the residence stands in
almost pristine beauty-a splendid
brick and marble structure, built in
the generous and solid style charac-
teristic Of the houses Of ante-beilum
planters.
It is at. Altama that the Shakers
have made their headquarters. From
the halls where oonviviality and the
various forms Of recreation affected by
society Of an elder generation held
sway, the orders Of this austere and
frugal people will henceforth be issu-
ed. The broad fields will again smile
to the touch Of the husbandman and
cattle will wander across meadow and
marsh as they did in slavery days.
Stock raising will be the chic: indus
try, though the rice fields will be re-