The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-12-03

SYDNEY Australia, Sept p, 1903
BY the death of August Englehardt,
news of which has just been received
here. the world has lost its queerest
crank He was the last survivor of the
little sect of naked, fruit-eating sun
worshipers which he established on a
tropical island. He sought to regen-
crate mankind by starting an Eveless
Eden. He and his two followers pos
sessed the courage of their convictions
and persisted rather than abandon their
experiment.
Englehardt was no ordinary man. He
was a native of Bavaria, a university
graduate and an author of considerable
merit. He might have made something
of a mark in the world if he had not
sickened of civilization and its ways
1t is said that the failure of a woman
to reciprocate his affection was the
cause of it, but this is mere conjecture
and due to the fact that the fair sex
was excluded from his scheme for re-
storing mankind to an earthly paradise.
He believed that where woman came
the devil was sure to follow and he
didn't intend to run any risk of get
ting into the same sort of trouble that
Adam did.
1t was his opinion that the human
race originated in the 'sun-blessed
tropics" and only there could it obtain
fresh start on the right track. In
1901 he came to New Britain in search
of a suitable place for the establish
ment of a community which he fondly
hoped would form the first link in
chain of similar settlements that would
eventually grid the earth. He pur-
chased the little island Of Kabatllon.
situated in the Duke of York group and
about fifteen miles from Herbertshoe,
the seat of the German administration
in New Guinea 1t is 165 acres in ex-
tent and cocoanut trees flourish there
in abundance. He believed that living
in the primitive fashion required of
those who Joined the order it would
suffice to maintain $50 men.
81 have proclaimed Kabakon an open
fruit garden and sun grove" he said
in letter setting forth his ideas, for
the purpose of retaining degenerate |
mankind to their true state Of exist
ence. will settle it with fruit-eating |
sun worshipers to rear great, pure, |
true sane men by giving its members |
natural conditions of life. I will send |
out as missionaries members of the I
Sun Order who have been tried and |
found to be true, natural-1iving men. |
In this way I shall establish similar
colonies round the whole equator. The
more people who join me and the great /
er the means placed at my disposal the /
quicker will these colonies be formed"
Expecting a rush of applicants he !
laid down very stringent rules as to ,
the conditions on which candidates for I
earthly perfection and human regener- |
alton should be taken into his island /
paradise. Among them were the fol- |
lowing:
ed Only men of noble and excellent
character will be admitted.
"(2) Each applicant must be recon-
mended by two respectable credible
persons, approved by the leader of the
Sun Order.
"(3) A payment of $3.50 for such as
can afford that amount; for less veal
thy persons a sum corresponding to
their means; and for the poor sun
worshipers nothing at ALL"
He insisted that his followers should
never under any circumstances wear
vestige Of clothing. He held that cloth
es poisoned the system and that by in
tercepting the rays of the sun 1.-The
source of all life, of all mind and all
strength" they prevented the attain
ment of perfect humanity. Marriage
he also regarded as an abomination
and strict celibacy was enjoined. Fruit
which ripened in the sun was alone to
be eaten. Houses were forbidden. He
would tolerate nothing that interfered
with living close to nature all the
time. By going without clothes, bath
ing constantly in the sun and eating
nothing but fruit he declared his fol-
lowers would eventually be able to
suksist without food or drink of any
sort and gain the power of transport
ing themselves at will to any part of
the world without having to patronize
railways or steamships.
On taking possession of his island, !
,Englehardt discarded his clothing, and
armed with a palm leaf to keep off
flies, feas and mosquitoes, confidently
awaited host of regenerating recruits.
A lot of folk in Germany had signified
their intention of joining him when he
got his paradise started, but when it
came to the scratch all but two back |
ed out. Some pleaded for the privilege |
of at least being allowed to wear
shirts; others clamored for concessions
In the shape of beefsteak. and some |!
base backsliders declared that they |
would not tackle the paradise job I'M
less permitted to bring their wives with /
them.
But Englehardt was adamant to all
oeoeoooooaososooo.o
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