Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-08-29
EXODUS OF THE zoARlTEs.

EXODUS OF THE ZoARlTES.
The ZOarites, the Oldest and most
successful communistic body in the
United States, have abandoned their
Ohio settlement. 1t is two years
since the formal dissolution of the
organization; during this interval the
division of property has been slowly
going on. The 1876 members in good
standing have received their share,
amounting in cash or property to
about $4,000 each. Only 70 of the 1876
have gone to Minnesota, where the
leaders have purchased 5000 acres
only those who are past middle age,
the younger men and women having
refused to take the oath of COM
munism. Ida Rose McCabe, writing
for the New York Evening Post,
assigns the following reasons for the
failure of the community
Zoar received its death blow in 1884,
when it was made a station on the
Wheeling and Lake Erie railroad.
This first encounter with the modern
world forced it to assume municipal
form. Then came the public schools
and the summer boarder. Women be-
gan to ape the fashions of the visitors
Families fell to doing chores, sewing,
laundering for the stranger, receiving
pay which they gradually forgot to
turn into the common treasury. Boys
built boats and rented them, putting
the money in their pockets. Young
Zoar tasted the world and it's op-
portunities. Restlessness and discon-
tent set in. 1t was stimulated by Levi
Bimler, the village schoolmaster. He
is the one Zoarite educated outside
the community. He openly advocated
the right of members to withdraw, if
they desired, and to receive their dis
tributive share. To promulgate his
views he published in 1895 four-page
sheet, of which he was the editor,
publisher and pressman, doing the
printing on hand press. 1t was the
only publication ever attempted at
Zoar. 1t accomplished it's purpose; it
disrupted the society. Never, per-
haps, has communism had longer trial
under more favorable conditions than
at Zoar Yet decline in membership
from 500 vigorous young persons to
20 middle-aged, and in property from
81 100000 to 5000 acres of unim-
proved land, is their numerical and
financial story, while as a spiritual
force they are practically dead.
Before the passing Of this unique
community, its history was written in
detail by e. o. Randall, editor of the
transactions of the Ohio historical
society; it is Endorsed by the secre-
tary of the Zoar society, and is an inn
portant contribution to sociology.
From it Miss McCabe has abridged
the following account of the society's
history and mode of living: The
Zoarites came to Philadelphia from
that hotbed of religious discomfort,
Wurtemburg, Ger, in 1917, finding
welcome among the Quakers, who
furnished them funds to migrate the
following spring to Ohio, where they
purchased 5000 acres of land-a
military grant in the wilderness of
Tuscarawas county. At first there
was no intention of communistic
settlement. Time revealed. however,
that they were unequal in age,
strength, experience and enterprise.
The leaders saw that the undertaking
would fail unless it was established
upon different basis. A community
of goods and efforts was in con-
sequence effected.
The community was governed solely
by three trustees. who had unlimited
power. They provided board, cloth
ing and dwelling for each member,
irrespective of person. They man.
aged all the industries and affairs Of
the society. They appointed each
member, irrespective of person. They
managed all the industries and affairs
of the society. They appointed each
member to his special work, but never
without consulting his personal in
clination and peculiar ability. Aside
from the trustees. there was an agent
general, who controlled the society's
dealings with the outside world. This
office was held by Joseph Bimeler,
founder of the ZOarites and born
leader OF men. until his death in 1858.
after which it remained vacant.
Bimeler was practically king, and his
house is known to this day as the
kings palace"
For some years the Kings palace"
has been the repository for goods to
be distributed among the community.
Thither came ecch family twice a
week to receive food, clothing and
housekeeping goods. No account of
the distribution was kept. Each
person was permitted two suits of
clothes year. Each selected his or
her material. There were the village
tailor drQSSmalxar and Shopnn olor