The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-19


 York Times. A chance visitor to the quaint old town sof Salem in North Carolina would be impressed immediately upon alishting at the small shanty that serves for sta tion with the fact that he was in a very unusual place. He could recognize some thing in the atmosphere and surround ings of the little Moravian settlement which would mark 1t apart from other Southern towns Of the conventional type Aside from an intense and almost sombrc stiffness which pervades the entire place. the appearance of the old dilapidated houses that crowd the main street of the town would seem to point to past of some antiquity. And well they might. For 142 long years have passed since a uttle band of worshippers came over the ocean from far-off Saxony and planted here on the hill of Bethabara the first q the three Moravian settlements in this country. There on the hill. harassed by Indians and beset by all the dangers of the wilderness. these simple people lived the same life and worshipped in the same church, which may be seen by any visitor to the old town at the present day.
 Of course the visitor who goes to Salem now would recognize some changes that have been wrought by time in the appearance of the place. Instead of the mere settlement of fifty people he would pee small town of some 5000 lnhabi- fants, representing in itself the slow growth of more than . century. And ln the historic Salem Square. where was once the little 'meting ehouse," he would pecognize a modern institution of learn ln9. But aside from these changes in khe surroundings he would find that the ualsm of today is much like the Salem pf . hundred years ago.
 While 1t is true that the influence of nhe intervening years can be traced here md there, it remains that the atmosphere pe the place Is essentially the same. There In the old graveyard-the "Hutberg, 1t was formerly cailed-can yet be seen Ehe last resting places of those sturdy 'pioneers who braved the terrors of the N1nderness and founded the town. The old Sisters House and the Widows Home nre still places of refuge for Moraviau women who are left alone In the world. And the visiisc to the ,.ld-fashioned bostelry cannot fail to recoJnize it in the 'Herrnl1ut Tavern" of 6 former cen- hary. No one can look upon these sur vivaie of an earlier oay without realiz- ing that Salem has history.
 But, noteworthy as these things IT ay be- perhaps the most interesting feature of the old Moravian town is to be found in the characteristfcs of the people them selves. The slow progress of hundred and forty years has wrought few changes n these characteristics, The inhabitants of Salem today are the same simple, in- dustrious and frugal people that their German ancestors were. And amid the aIlurements of modern life they have never lost that deep moral sense and the Iawabiding disposition that was charac- feristic of their fathers. even before they left their old Saxon homes. If one should seek to know how we'll these qualities have been preserved, the present i-habi- tants of the town would doub.l.ss point with pride to the fact that fhe use and aaie of intoxicants in any form has never been tolerated In the community. IT deed, 1t might be added, that until sne com- parativeiy recent introduction into the settlement of a non -Moravian element such e personage' as a policsma or a Maaistrate was looked upon as an in- cunibrance of modern civilization. He was not needed
 Deep Religious Life.
 when all this mas been said, however. 1t remains that the disting iisni lg character istic of the Salem people is to be sought in their deep religious life. It would be difficult to find a people with more gen. uine piety To them their religion is the best thing in life, and that quaint old church in Salem Square is regarded as the most sacred spot on earth. In the unidue and beautiful ceremonies of the 1foravian Church they find the essence of life itself Other things are little more than incidents It is in connection with this deep religious life that In Salem today some very quaint and interesting gurvivals of old Moravian customs are to be found. These survivals have been handed down through successive genera tions, and thus come to have a historic interest.
 The Moravians have always been in- tenseiy fond of music, and since the founding of Salem the church band has been one of the most interesting organi- zations of the little town. This band es invariably composed of the oldest cit- tzens of the place, and furnishes music for all the Moravian services. There Is also band composed of younger men. but 1t is never allowed to play on any