The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-08
COllllILZNZSZIC SOCZEI y Nv
IOWA NAY BE DISSOLVED
Amana, Wo,1h S15, 900, 900, Is the Greatest Of It's
Kind IN the World-Illegality Charged Be-
cause of It's Dual Nature

Special to The Journal.
Des Moines, Iowa, July s.-The
threatened dissolution Of the Amana
Community, the greatest communistic
society in the world today, brings ex-
Congressman M. j. Wade, Of Iowa City,
forward as the champion Of the cause |
OF these strange religious people. He
will appear before the Iowa legislature
this winter to. ask special law per-
uniting the maintaining Of the organ
ization.
In a quo warranto proceeding against !
the Amana society in the Iowa county
district court, the society is threatened
with dissolution. County Attorney
Wallace, after a thoro study Of the
present, statutes, says he believes there
present corporation, because of its
dual nature.
These proceedings were commenced
by Mrs. d. 81. Wilson, member of the
community, who demands her share Of
the assets of. the society, which is said
to be worth at least $15,0O0,OOO.
Should an equal division be made
each comfortably wealthy. Should.
however, the community be defeated
and ordered disbanded in the courts,
Judge Wade will become father of a
Dill IN the legislature permitting this
most famous Of all communities to live.
Inc a-d Amana society was Incorporated
IN 1853, as soon as Iowa became
state: These articles show the society
was Incorporated as religious and
charitable society, claiming power to
take, own and hold and purchase. ac-
qulre and receive all real and personal
property, and all descriptions of prop
erty, and to use, control, possess and
manage the same and to sell, transfer
ana dispose Of all or any part Of the
same. There is no provision in any
OF the articles for a division Of any
assets or profits.
manufacturing and Cattle Raising.
Inc community has been engaged in
the manufacture of it's famous hlne
prints and the sale of such: the rails.
ing and selling of stock and also of
preadstutfs. It is charged in the pro
ccfeedlngs that this business is beyond
on scope OF the purview Of the pow
ers and rights of the Amana society
and usurpation of the rights, etc
oel9nggln.g to the people of the state
| OF Iowa in their sovereign canacitv
So far as is known, there Is NO ev;-
! uence showing that any person or class
LAS pronCed from the sales of the
anna Amana goods and products. The profits
nav nave neen added to the treasury Of the
| 1t is somewhat indefinite how the state
intends to prove it has been a sufferer
IN any respect. Yet a dissolution If
the franchise is asked. -
Curious Customs of Queer People.
y, This unexpected attempt to dissolve
remarkable history of these odd people
and the peculiarities and eccentricities
they have even today.
Ihese people, who came to America
IN 1872 from Germany to avoid religious
persecution, first settled near Buffalo
dams there that they sold their land
and moved to Iowa., From the prairie
:; they raised homes, built factories and
amassed great wealth. :
Yet, strange as it may seem, govern
ment currency is not used among the
need Of money since mccall all are Ieo1 members II
Of one family. Supplies are furnished
the inhabitants from. the stores on
credit, each person being allotted sc
much for clothes. The homes are OF
implanted wood, with foundations an6
freplaces built of field powders. Houses
are not painted for the same reason
maintain it is not economy. Believing
religion should be in the heart and not
on the surface, they continue to wea1
the simple German garb of the seven
teenth century. Their one object is tc
| prepare their souls for their future
world.
The houses Of worship are unpreten
tious and even the dead are laid al
rest without ceremony, and only {
wooden slab to mark their grave. Mo-
musical instrument is to be heard il
the villages unless it is played by some
stranger passing thru, for these are
forbidden the members, and all praise
of God is by voice.
Celibacy is the highest ideal Of theil
life, but realizing long ago that this
strictly adhered to, would arrest growth
Of their community, they have for years
endured rather than encouraged matri
in vogue in the community which nigh
be more generally patterned after a
a solution for the divorce evil. Ther'
are FIVE villages in the community, ant
when a young man announces his de
termination to make a young woman
his wife, he takes his few necessitie
: accoring to the law Of the community
he must remain for the period of on
year without sight of or communicated
with his chosen wife. If at the en-!
, Of this time both remain true to thel
affection and steadfast in their pun
pose, the bans are published in church
they are married with simple cere
mony and are assigned to home
their own, to take their meals, how
ever. at the common Kitchen
When one enters this community h
, surrenders all his worldly wealth
Should he ever desire to leave he i
] restored what he put in, but wlthou
, Picturesque t'Dorfts.'
There are possibly no more pictur
. esaue villages in America than thos
Of Amana. On the undulating pralri
t Of Iowa are found these five dorfts :
cozily snuggled down by the edge. o
!. a wide stream. They have winding
: street and implanted houses. But thi
!; barren effect so easily imagined ha
! been largely overcome by love OF ma
' ture imbued within the spirit of tn
}. residents, and over the implanted wall
U creep beautiful vines and an abund
e ance of roses In June the green vine
T and red petals Of the flowers suppl
t with beautiful effect the want of art!
. fetal decoration.
Q In tho management of Amana affair
Q there is equal suffrage, the women hay
ing an equal voice with the men. Con
pulsory education has long been prat
. ticed and among those grown the priI
IS ciple of HHe who does not work sha
ID not eat y is strongly maintained.
l. All titles and modes Of address ar
q viewed with disapprobation, and the
n oraat each other as GbrOtherJ an