The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-02
THE CHILDREN'S LAND.
1t Is Located In New Mexico AID
Certainly lis n Most Remarkable
Community.

On a tract of land nearly 1000 acres
in extent, and situated about six miles
north of Las Cruces and about so miles
north of FL Paso, in New Mexico, is the
most remarkable community in the
world. Here a fraternity, with new
civilization, new religion and Bible
of its own, is being reared, with the idea
of the perfectability of the human race,
which was the dream of its founder.
From the raw material of castaway in
fants and foundlings new Kind OF peo-
pie is intended to result.
The adults composing this commune
ty are spiritualists and vegetarians,
but the children reared under this
strange system are the chief hope OF
the believers. 1t is they, and not the
grown men and women who live IN the
Shalam who are to demonstrate to the
world the possibility of a new economic
and social fraternity. Through them
earth is to be regenerated and Eaan led
out of the darkness of the competitive
system into one where private prop
erty, if not wholly abolished, is made
subject to a sort of communism with
which writer's of the order of Mr.. Bel
lamy have made us familiar.
The founder of this community was
DR.. Newbrough, a New York dentist
and spiritualist, who died in 1890. He
wrote mammoth work, which is the
Bible of the sect, and is called "Oahspe,"
word meaning earth, air and sky in
language spoken before the flood. 1t
is said to have been written on the type
writer by DR.. Newbrough, his hands
being guided by supernatural beings,
and was printed without being read by
the doctor. y is certainly a work with
out counterpart, filed with eXtraordi-
nary phrases and with more peculiar
illustrations, but it is the sacred book
of unique community, which was
founded to establish the religion it
teaches, and out of the spiritual and
economic doctrines set forth therein
to found a new race. And the few who
constitute the fraternity not only fol-
low its economic doctrines and refrain
from considering anything as theirs
| they call themselves "Kosmons," which
is said to signify in the language of
| their sacred scriptures non-owners of
any and everything; but the children
are taught to revere the book as the
inspired dogma of their religion.
| The community of Shalam is called
"the childrens land" and number of
| buildings have been erected. The chill
dren's building, built of brick, is the
| largest; the fraternum of adobe is am
other. The walls of the latter are hung
with a number of the most eXtraordi-
nary pictures ever painted, the work
OF DR.. Newbrough.
The greatest care is exercised in
bringing up the children, who, under
special law of New Mexico, are adopted
by the 'faithists," as the rules of
Shalam call themselves, and become
thenceforth their children. The young
err children are taught by kindergarten
| methods, and the older ones are in
structed in such trades as they show a
| liking for. At Suitable age" they
are taught spirit communion. There
is so much, however, that is reasonable
| and practical in the tuition and regimen
prescribed that one is inclined to over
| look the eXtravagances.-Jose ID.
| Miller in Every Month