Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-08-29
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 1856 members in good
standing have received their share,
amounting in cash or property to
about $4,000 each. Only 20 of the 1856
have gone to Minnesota, where the
| leaders have purchased 5000 acres
of land; the new movement includes
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 its OPP
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. il
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 a hand press. 1t was the
only publication ever attempted at
Zoar 1t accomplished its purpose; it
disrupted the society. Never, per-
haps, has communism had longer trial
under more favorable conditions than
at Zoar. Yet a decline in membership
from 500 vigorous young persons to
70 middle-aged, and In property from
$1,000, 5000 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 f. o. Randall editor of the
transactions of the Ohio historical
society; it is indorsed by the secre-
tary of the Zoar society," and is an i'm
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,
WurtembuTg, 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 a 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 a 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 oiety. They appointed eacn
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 BimeIer,
founder Of the Zoarites and born
leader of men. until his death in 1853,
after which II 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 each 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 a year. Each selected his or
her material. There were the village
tailor, dressmaker. and shoemaker,