Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-05-29
BETWEEN TWO RIVERS.
! The Brotherhood Of
Silence.
BY ALEX. MILLER.
Copyrighted. 1902, by Alex. Miller.

AAl A|upuluO SouAly3 dUOuG5 Twelve
miles from the city of Dubuque, is
one of the most peculiar and pictur-
esque communities in the State, and
there are but two in the United States.
1t is the Monastery of Trappist Monks,
who have lived there since 1S47.
y They live on big farm, 5000
acres, as far removed from the tur-
tit is possible to get in this busy,
hustling, workaday world. Here
where everybody is hustling and skir-
mishing around to make a dollar, these
simple minded men work every day
in the year without compensation in
any way. They get nothing in recon-
pense in the way of fine clothing and
sumptuous living, for in all things
their mode of life is the most simple
that can be imagined.
The institution was founded in 1S47,
and yet | doubt if one person in ten
in the State ever heard of it. The
Monastery was founded by an Abbot
from Mellary, Ireland, and he called
the place New Mellary, in honor of
the old home ON the Emerald Isle. But
the little town of New Mellary is three
miles away. The Monastery is town
Of itself, one might say. There are
twenty or more buildings besides
the original stone Monastery. 1t is
just a great, big, well kept farm.
There are immense barns and hog
houses and corn cribs and granaries as
there would be on farm Of that size
And if you have thought that farming
does not pay, visit the Trappist Monks
and you will get over that heresy.
They make skads of money, but what
they want with it is more than an out
slider can discover. They are worth
nearly two millions, yet they live
cheaper and spend less than a farm
hand at $15 month. Much of their
money, of course, goes into improve
tents, which are being made every
year.
The system of government is an alb
solute monarchy and the Abbot is SUI
preme in power What he says goes,
and no one can Interfere nor make a
change The highest Bishop or Arch
bishop in America has no more au-
shortly over them than the Sultan Of
tSulu. The Pope at Rome takes cog
lnizance Of them, and if he were to
suggest anything it would be law No
one else. has a word to say.
Che present Abbot, who has been at
the head for years, is Father Alberto
He is an ordained priest and has al1-
thority to conduct services in any
Catholic Church. He Is a heavy set,
broad-shouldered, kindly faced old
man sixty-nine years of age But he
believes that the physical as we'll as
he spiritual body should be built up,
o he takes little light exercise
daily. He pitches hay. No golf or
Ycroklnloe or croquet for the Monks
OF the Brotherhood of Silence.
The day I was there he came in
from the hay field at II O'clock, the
ime for the devotional services called
Sext. He wore the usual cossack,
which reached to his boot tops. Oc-
casionally one would catch glimpse
of his under garment, which was none
ther than pair of knit drawers. His
,Oots were Of the heaviest cCWhide
variety and seemed three times too
big. At the well he stopped and took
q drink of water and exchanged greet
ings with several visitors, and then he
went on to the church, where he at
tended the religious exercises pre-
scr.ibed for every day at the hour
of eleven.
There are eight of the ordained
priests, who are addressed as "Father."
There is Father Patrick and Father
| Bernard, and so on down the list. The
other members Of the community are
addressed as Brother"
y OF these the one with whom the
>ublic cOraes in contact the most is
other Timothy. He is good
hatured Irishman who has just enough
brogue to make the words, as he
speaks them, roll off his tongue like
the lifting, ripping notes of a big Or
gan played with the intermezzo key.
His name before becoming a Trappist
was James Ryan. He has been in
the Monastery twenty-five years, and
says he would enjoy no other mode of
life as well. Yet the community is
lot growing but is losing. Men come
1ere, but before becoming accustomed
the peculiar mode of life they tire
f lit and leave. If they stay long
,ough to form the habit they lnvaria-
y stay Which, to my mind, shows
hat terrible thing habit is. For I
imagine no more lonesome, joyless
..e than that Of the Trappist Monk.
It is Brother Iimothy's duty to re
Give and show visitors about the
rounds. Each department Is looked
yer or supervised by Brother. Out
the barn one Brother said to an
ther: Brother Ignatius, when will
Re be putting hay in the barn =
Which sounded to one unaccustomed
lit as if he had said: est. Paul, ]
tish you would go and feed the pigs"
+, EST. Peter why did you let the
-1r