The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-14
REAL yEGETARIANs uP ~ MAINE.
Usc Barbcrry candles and Won't Keep Cows
or liens Men strong and Girls Pretty.

uopOpoN, Me, oct II School District
No in this town Is known all over eastern
Maine "a the Burberry district, so called be
cause b. contains TWENTY-FIVE families VINO
are rir.d vagetarians The sect owes its origin
10 a corner in Chicago dressed beef twelve
years ago when beef4teak went mp to so cents
a pound in tho district and plain soup bones
retailed for the price commonly paid for sugar
cured hams As the rates were maintained
month after month without relief, the beef
eaters ire arose till they finally met in con-
vention and every person present made a
pledge TO eSchew all animal foods. They
also agreed to conhne themselves to the use
NJ vegetables as far as possible. not only IN
their foods. but in every branch Of thor labors
where the products Of plants could be made
10 take the place Of animal or mineral sub
stances.
The farmers now keen horses or oxen To
per'orm labor that Ia too heavy To do by hand.
but they have no cows, They Use M milk
or butter. They have no hens 20 lay eggs
or provide broiled spring chicken, and the
erunt Of the porker is unheard and the odor
~ fried bacon unsmelled in all the region
Not only are sheep barred from the community.
but none Of the residents will wear voollen gar
ments. clothing themselves and covering their
beds with linen or cotton cloths Instead
Of butter they use cottonseed oil, which they
saw is not only more palatable. but cheaper
and more conducive TO health and longevity.
The members even carr their hobby go
far as 70 deny themselves the use OF kerosene
oil. nv all odds the cheapest art icle for hlu-
minating purposes that there Is on the market
A tallow taken from sheep or cattle II pro-
hiblted they have surrounded their home"
with barberry hedges. which yield n nun con-
cca,ed in a Rreenish-gray Fat, popuIarly known
a barhrrrv tallow Tho berries ar" picked
from tho hedge as soon az they are rlpe ana
boiled until the grease rises 10 the top OF mo
water. when IL l. skimmed oN and mao" mo
dipnod candles. which furnish oil the lights
uzen about the houses. \ hushel ~ herrles
will Weld about six pounds NJ tallow, which
will mako candles enough N Inst a famNv a
month in tho winter or two months I'm the sum
NOR. The lisht Is MT verv clear, but the burn
ING fat gives OF an agreeable smell. which
/ re-vadcs tho whole ncichhorhood and hns
given the district q name which has found a
Mace on the mans. The shrubs, when sot
ont close together I'm VOWS, make hedges which
will turn any domestic animal. md forming
durable fences which are Inexpensive md beau
tful
Tho only tc that binds tho community to
ge,hcr + an agreement - lead a vegetarian
life Some Of tho families are orthodox, others
arc Unitartans and a large proportion free
thinkers. There arc democrats, Republicans
and Populists in the community. all of whom
argue that 'hoy are right and their opponents
wrong There arc two families who hRto each
other so heartily that one would not go n aid
the other when his house was burning down
and tho lives Of two children were in peril These
families are too angry To quarrel They never
sneak "a they pass, nevertheless. Zach ROM
mnnds tho other for its vegetarian rigor and
will suffer no one to speak i'll NJ the practice.
Tho community is remarkably healthy, tho men
and women retaining their full vigor up Ia an
advanced age Consumption. the fatal malady
In the county. has never visited the district
since IL changed It's mode of living The young
men arc big. red-Chcoked and vigorous, and
the girls are famous for their beauty Good
Judges sav. that the diet has improved thor
looks 50 that no part NJ the county can show
80 many pretty girls as tho BaybeTy district.