The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-10-05
Community Of Women Who Have
Found Marriage q Failure.
sfembers Have DifIereat Trades and
Professions and Provide ter
Each Othera' Needs yVitAout
Male AssistaRcs.

share to the general purse, and does
nothing to disturb the harmony OF the
family. They do not live lives Of idle.
ness, but each performs . certain
amount Of labor under the direction Of
Mrs. McWhirter, who seems TO be
woman of remarkable personality and
executive ability. says the Chicago
Record Herald II. 81. + 3 +
Some years ago, In . letter from
Texas, told an interesting story of
four women At Belton, 8 little Texas
town, who, having been deserted by
their husbands and thrown upon their
own resources, established board
ing house which soon grew into q 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 proprietors started
several others like il 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
enterprises which brought large
profits, and within few years enabled
Mrs. McWhirter to retire from active.
labor with money enough laid by to
support herself Md her companions in
comfort during the rest OF their lives.
In looking. about the country for q
location which suited her health and
taste, Mrs. :McWhirter found the cli-
mate and conditions at Washington
agreeable. She bought two large
houses in Mount Pleasant, remodeled
them into single mansion Of 40
rooms and invited to1this shelter q
limited number OF distressed sisters
who had found the matrimonial yoke.
wearisome and sought peace.
The community has gradually
grown and now consists Of Is women
Of 80 years old and upward. who are
living what they consider an ideal
life. Each one who enters the COM
munity surrenders to it all the prop
erty she possesses, and it goes into
the common fund, which is quite
large. les The amount is unknown, and
It is estimated all the way from $780,
600 to 100000. They agree also to
obey the orders Of their superior and
submit to the rules Of the organiza.
tion, which are few and simple, and
are chiefly for the regulation Of la
Dor. Mrs. McWhirter assigns the du-
ties Of her subordinates. 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. TEX, 20 years ago.
He does the heavy outdoor work, and
the women are assigned to whatever
they can do best inside. One Of them
is q physician, who not only looks
after the health Of the community.
but answers calls from the neighbor-
hood. Another Is a dentist, who has
chair and case of instruments In
the reception-room OF the house,
which makes unpro tected male visit
sors apprehensive. Others are seam
stresses and milliners, although ex-
travagance in dress Ii prohibited, 7 and
one is a shoemaker, who not only
mends. but makes the footwear Of
the household Mrs. McWhirter Sc
lects the cooks and the housemaids
according to their tastes and quail
fications. and thus Tar, she tells me.
there have been no '''ldckers."
Every woman HI The community has
cheerfully accepted the situation and
performed the dutiss 10 which she
has been assigned. The labor 10 light,
being distributed among 80 many.
and 90 the underlying principle 81
the community 10 70 promote the
peace, comfort and happiness OF its
inmates, the effort Of living has been
reduced to Q minimum.
The women have mo- politics and do
not pretend 20 be rs3ormers. Nor
do they interfere An any manner with
the outside world. They enter the
community 20 obtain relief from care
and anxiety and 20 avoid all responsi.
bility and everything thae will inter.
fere with their tranquillit %. IL they
become 1red o1 their rostful sur.
roundings and degiYe % return "a
scenes of activity. they are allowed
to leave, but they 1oTfeis whatever
they have contributed 10 the common
fund. Two or three nervous crea-
lures who sought the shelter OF the
community found that they could not
endure its peaceful atmosphsre and
returned 30 their husbands. One Of
them soon regretted her vacillation.
but they would not allow her 90
come back again. Each woman 10 a.
lowed her own religion. No attempt
is made TO influence the eonscience.
No religious or political discus sions
are permitted. Mrs. McWhirter be-
lieves in Q strict Interpretation of
the Bible, and 8 literal obedience 10
the teachings Of Christ. She declares
that the thee logians are 20 blame for
much of the evil and unhappiness
from which people suffer IN this
world; that controversy il destructive
Of happiness, but the teachings o1
Christ bring peace. 9.sssss3..
Louis KS ssvorfte diversion was
watching trained pigs, &c, fantastical-
liay dressed. they danced 70 music.