The St. Mary banner., 1901-09-21
UNIQUE HOME FOR WOMEN.
MODEL RETREAT FOR THOSE WHO
DESIRE REST.
Located in Pretty Washington Suburb
Successful Sisterhood Money Put in
Common Fund-ReIigion or Politics Not
Discussed,


Successful Sisterhood Money Put in
Common Fund Religion or Pollties Not
Discussed.
Out in Mount Pleasant, one Of the
prettiest suburbs of Washington, there is
large brick house which shelters
uHique community consisting of twenty
five women under the government OF
Mrs Martha McWhirter, writes w. +.
Curtis in the Chicago Rccord-Herdld.
Most of them have found marriage a
failure and have left worthless or in
compatible husbands to enjoy lite IN
sisterhood where each can do exactly as
she plcases, provided she contributes her
share to the general purse and does moth
ing to disturb the harmony of the family.
They do not live lives of absolute idle
ness but each performs certain amount
of labor under the direction of Mrs.
McWhirter, who seems to ME a woman
of remarkable personality and executive
ability.
Some years ago in letter from Texas
l told an interesting story OF tour wo-
men at Bolton, little Texas town. who,
having been deserted by their husbands
and thrown upon their own resources,
established clearinghouse which soon
grew into hotel and had the reputation
of being the best in the State. Nobody
but women were employed, except one
negro man who did the heavy lifting
and took care of the horses. This hotel
became so popular that the propretors
started several others like it at Waco
and in different parts of Texas and they
were all successful under the capable
management of Martha McWhirter.
They started laundries also and other en-
terprises which brought large profits,
and within few years enabled Mrs. Nc
Whirter to retire from active labor will,
money enough laid by to support herself
and her companions in comfort during
the rest of their lives. In looking about
the country for location which suited
her health and taste, Mrs. McWhirter
found the climate and conditions at
Washington agreeable. She bought two
large houses in Mount Pleasant remod-
eled them into single mansion of forty
rooms, and invited to this shelter linn
tied number of distressed sisters who
had found the matrimonial yoke weari-
some and sought peace.
The community has gradually grown
and now consists of twenty-five women
of 80 years old and upward who are
living what they consider an ideal life.
Each one who enters the community
surrenders to it all the property she pos
sesses and it goes into the common fund,
whicl, is quite large. The amount is un-
known, and is estimated all the way from
100000 to $4,000. They agree also to
obey the orders of their superior and
submit to the rules of the organization,
which are few and simple and are chiefly
for the regulation of labor. Mrs. Nc
Whirter assigns the duties of her sub
ordinates. There is only one man about
the place and he is an aged negro, the
same who was employed by them at their
original venture at Bolton, Texas, twen-
ty years ago. He does the heavy out
door work, and the women are assigned
to whatever they can do best inside. One
of them is a physician, who not only
looks after the health of the community,
but answers calls from the neighborhood.
Another is dentist, who has a chair
and a case of instruments in the recep-
tion-room of the house which makes TN
protected male visitors apprehensive.
Others are scamstresses and mlllners,
although extravaganza in dress Is pro-
hibited, and one is shoemaker, who
not only mends but makes the footwear
of the household. Mrs. McWhirter Sc
lects the cooks and the housemaids ac-
cording to their tastes and qualifications,
and thus far, she tells me, there have
been no "kickers." Every woman in the
community has cheerfully accepted the
situation and performed the duties to
which she has been assigned. The labor
is light, being distributed among so
many, and as the underlying principle
of the community is to promote peace,
comfort and happiness of its inmates, the
effort of living has been reduced to
| minimum.
The women have no politics and do
not pretend to be reformers. Nor do
they interfere in any manner with the
outside world. They enter the commun-
| ity to obtain relief from care and anxiety
| and to avoid all responsibility and every
thing that will interfere with their tran
guilty. If they become tired of their
| restful surroundings and desire to re-
turn to scenes of activity they are al
lowed to leave, but they forfeit what
ever they have contributed to the COM
| mon fund. Two or three nervous crea-
lures who sought the shelter of the COM
munity found that they could not endure
| its peaceful atmosphere and returned to
! their husbands: One of them soon re-
gretted her vacilation, but they would
not allow her to come back again. Each
woman is allowed her own religion. No
attempt is made to influence the con-
science. No religious or political dis
cussions are permitted. Mrs. McWhfr-
ter believes in a strict Interpretation OF
the Bible, and literal obedience to the
teachings of Christ She declares that
theologists are to blame for much of the
evil and unhappiness from which people
suffer in this world that controversy
is destructive of happiness, but the teach