The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1905-06-20
lsnecial Correspondence.)

At the present time there are pu'
few remaining communities OF the
sect known as Shakers. Three VI
these are in New England and the
most interesting of the trio is at Ell
field, in New Hampshire, hity-hlne
miles northwest of Concord ana lS@
miles by rail from Boston.
The Shakers may justly be desls.
mated as Gods peculiar people "
modern times. The ancient HeDIe"
race could not have been more selece
and secluded from the communicating
influences of the outside worlu tnan
are these men and women Oh such
personal appearance.
Their religion and creed constitute
the most successful exempllhcaIion
extant of the communistic ideal. Ihey
portray the beautiful theory OF the
common lot and possession; yet tney
are doomed to inevitable extinction
for the very reason that marriage 10
prohibited among them.
The Shakers came into the Iocalioy
of Enfield considerably more than !Vo
years ago. settled on the shores OF d
beautiful lake with ar Indian name
that of Mascoma-and with a rapldlty
astonishing to behold, gained acre
after acre, dollar after dollar, I'LL III
less than fifty years from the date Oh
advent their dictum was supreme
Twas not long before they owned
every inch of land surrounding tne
lake, a possession that proved It's own
immensely of value in later years
when, by the pushing of the Northern
railroad through from Concord to YER
mont, the price of land was
a hundred-fold all along its route.
A glance backward over the span Oh
a century and a half, since Ann Lee
first caused people to shake" in the
state of New York, will reveal the
fact that the Shakers have made a
wonderful history. 1t is principally
the history of industry, sobriety n
moral calm.
Like the ever broadening ringlets
emanating from a stone cast into a
poll, the efforts of Mother Ann Lee
spread outside of the Empire state,
and the coming of two Shaker mis-
sionaries into New Hampshire in the
year 1872 sowed the seed OF the
Shaker nucleus in New England. They
preached their first testimony in a
church at Loudon Center, which is in
Merrimack county. In October OF the
same year they came to the town of
Enfield, and were received with open
arms into the family of M James
Jewett. He is this day looked upon as
father of the community in Enfield.
First Church in 1898.
1.-THE Church of Christ's Second APP
pearing" was established and organ
lied at Enfield in 1893, and has expert
enced a steady growth from that date
till within recent years. Two hundred
men, women and children joined the
organization at it's inception.
The early forms of devotion adopted
by these people are worthy of atten-
ton. The very earliest was dancing,
each sex by itself on opposite sides
of the room. Later a regular form was
introduced as an act of worship and
known as the stepping manner" This
was a most exquisite and beautiful
figure, performed in a manner so
solemn and decorous that it would
commend itself to the most skeptical
observer. This continued until 1922,
when the circular march" took the
place of all previous indulgencies, and
was practiced for more than fifty
years.
To-day a church service very like
any orthodox gathering is the regular
thing at public worship. Unlike the
Quaker practice, music forms a large
part in their worship.
The three great essentials Of the
Shaker doctrine are the triadic princi.
pies of, first, Community of Interest;
second, Confession of Sin; third, Vir.
gin Life. These principles they have
adhere to with a devotion, tenacity
and loyalty that have brought to the
personal believer the spiritual Joy and
satisfaction which was the primal aim
of their pristine separation from the
outside world.