The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01

by Gods acre. In which repose the dead
1oraites, and It Is essentially q German posy
hollyhocka. bleeding hearts. Single roses. and
the like. A few monstrosities such as GYM
orlcany trimmed fr trees and other Ger
are placed at fixed intervals about the park
and around the kings house.
.Ths town is just as unprepossessing since
the log cablns have given way 10 p,lch
houses as 1t was in the old days; It is laid
out without any regard for regularity, and
although each lawn and yard is s~crupuous-
~ clean and neat, the whole scheme seems
to lack order.
From the moment that the common plan
was adopted Zoar prospered. Its FOUNDERS
were wise enough to diversity the labor of
the members, and a linseed-oil mill, a saw
mill, two fouring mills, two furnaces, ana
q WOODEN mill were early started. TO these
were added a shoe factory and a brewery.
GOOD water power Is found near the Town,
and all the factories, with the exception OF
Lne furnaces, nave been successes. Like al
Germans, the society's trustees have built
for all time. and the barns of the commu-
nifty have been erected with as much care
as the houses. Even while the people still
lived in log huts great barns were built, and
their brown sides and red-tiled roofs were
conspicuous objects to the early travellers.
acres were under cultivation. and the farm
Ing groups, each under the care of a super
one was Industrious also, but the hours
were not long in any department Of labor
because OF the immense saving OF time eff
fected. Each man had his work allotted to
him by the trustees, and storekeepers,
shoemakers, farmers, stable men and doc
tors were equal in dignity in the eyes OF
the community. The women were in no wise
neglected. They struggled with heavy Ger
man scythes, pulverized the ground with I'M
Wleldy noes, and reaped the grain with old
fashioned sickles until within recent years.
American harvesting machines were not
used until after all the surrounding farms
mad proved for years the efficiency OF such
Qnnl19nnPS In addition x10papp worried nhnnt
the stables with heavy wheelbarrows, and
in lieu of using carts toted stable loads
upon their ~blue-capped neads. The truth is.
the Zoarite woman Of the society's first fifty
years was neither a butterfly of fashion
nor a giddy dispenser of gossip. She had
more the appearance of being built for
heavy draught purposes. 1t is not strange,
therefore, that the community was more
noted for its excellent sheep, splendid cattle
play of human physical development and
grace. Bimeler had not turned his atten-
ton to that department of the society's we'll
being and his writings are silent on it.
BEGINNING OF THE END
This seems to have been about the only
thing that the king omitted to regulate.
While he lived he held forth at every serv-
Ice in the little brick church, and after his
death his teachings were collected in three
ponderous octave volumes, which have been
the society's principal rules of conduct ever
49, ASo0 ~ IAC 4 Ill " LILLE
day, but the Zoarites are careful to term
them discourses and not sermons. They
teach and treat of the minor as well as the
major morals, the niceties of good house
keeping, rules Of health, fine points in
cleanliness, and even many details of phys
1oiogy. You can't go wrong If you follow
Blneler, from setting a leg to setting a hen.
to bread, and the weekly allowance of gro
ceres and the daily need of liquid refresh
ment were practically ordained by him.
But some twenty years ago one who knew
Zoar could begin to foresee the beginning
of the end. Novices were not attracted by
the resttul though clam-like life that Zoar
the community more as a strange show
place than, a haven where he might lay
down his burden of troubles The young
folk dreamed more of the outside world
than the pension of everything found which
Supervened after a good Zoarite had worked
himself into the ~superannuated CLASS. Some
OF the maidens smiled on SWANS of the
outer world, and affected to despise the
Warm-hearted though old-fashioned holders
pahd pailed upon young fellows who had
heard of hot times in bigger towns, and
many or them went away. And even the big
motel, which was an early source of wealth
through spoliation of the summer stranger,
brought into the community an unrighteous
ieaven OF unrest bred of up-to-date gar
mentS and bicycles. And so it came about
that several of the. Zoarites besought the
trustees to give them their portfolios, that
tney might 60 forth into the world and
pc as other citizens of the country at large.
But to this the trustees demurred, and
pointed out the fact that the community
was nnder charter from the State of Ohio
by The terms of the law and charter, each
members rights were based upon his re-
naming IN and of the original covenant.
Then came the first lawsuit, by which sew
eral of those who wished to secede, but did
not wish to go forth penniless, sought to
break the covenant. In this they were dis
appointed. for the case was carried to the
supreme Court and the trustees were sus-
But the seeds of dissension had been
soWn, and the exodus of the youth con-
tinued. Things came to such a pass that
there were fewer and fewer maidens, until
az last 1T was necessary to hire girls from
the surrounding towns to do the Homework
and to milk the 15 splendid cows that
marched with military precision to the
great barn to be MIXED each day. And it
was h1reling hands that later poured into
each or the cans set upon the big fence, in
a shining row, the proper quantity of milk
allotted TO each household. The farm hands
were also of foreign birth, and worked for
stipends agreed upon by the trustees, while
the constantly aging faithful gravitated
into the ~superannuated class, or filed the
vocations that required the least possible
amount Of physical exertion.
The end came this month, as the trustees
deemed It unwise to fight against fate any
longer. For several years the expense Of
maintaining the society had been some
what greater than its income, and it was
decided to call in commissioners who should
make an equitable division of the common
land and its improvements. This was done
with much care, and everything but the
church, the Town Hall, the hotel and the
largest Touring mill went into the common
pot; The last-named property is to be sold,
and a sizabie plot of land goes with it as a
bonus. The hotel will be handled in a joint
stock way, for it is crowded every year
with guests from the East. The balance of
the property has been divided among the
1876 who have kept the faith, and each man,
woman and child comes in for a reward to
the extent Of $12. coo.
Apple Blooms.