Amador ledger., 1906-01-12

naked ne SnOulQ aDlQ6 IN IL, accord
ing to the high priest of the survivor
shippers. He insisted that his followers
should never, under any circum-
stance, wear vestige of clothing. He
held that clothes poisoned the system,
and that by intercepting the rays of
the sun "the source of all life, of all
mind and all strength, they pre-
vented the attainment of a perfect
humanity. Marriage he also regard
ed as an abomination and strict cell
bacy was enjoined. Fruit which
ripened in the sun was alone to te
eaten. Houses were forbidden. He
would tolerate nothing that interfer-
ed with living close to nature all the
time. BY going around stark naked,
bathing constantly in the sun and
eating nothing but fruit, he declared
his followers would eventually be able
to subsist without food or drink of
any sort and gain the power of trans
porting themselves at will to any part
of the world without having to
patronize railways or steamships.
On taking possession of his island,
EnglehardG stripped himself to the
buff, and, armed with a palm leaf to
keep off flies. fieas and mosquitoes,
confidently awaited host of regener-
ating recruits. A lot of folk IN Ger
many had signitied their intention of
joining him when he got his paradise
started, but when it came to the
scratch all but two backed 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 they would not
tackle the paradise job unless per-
mitted to bring their best girls with
them. But Englehardt was adamant
to all these appeals. He would admit
no one to membership in the sun
order who was not willing to adhere
to all the rules and regulations
which he had laid down for its guild
ance, and which he faithfully observed
himself. The two men who Joined
him on these terms were Max Lutzow,
a musician, who conducted an
orchestra in Berlin that bore his
name, and Heinrich Eukens, a native
of Heligoland, who had settled in the
same city. They consigned their
clothing to the sea on landing on
Kabakon, and settled down to a
course of sunworshlp and fruit diet.
But the sudden change to an
equatorial climate, exposed to the
fierce heat of the sun all day, ana
sleeping on the sand at night, with
no bodily nourishment but cocoanut,
soon reduced Eukens to condition
of extreme physical weakness. In
that state he was smitten with malaria.
In accordance with the rules of the
order he took no remedies, but lay
in the direct rays of the sun and
tasted for three days. On the fourth
cure" But his fate did not weaken
the faith of the other two men. Skep-
tics might sneer, but they telt certain
that they were on the right track, and
that through them the human race
would ultimately be regenerated.
Stark naked and with their skins
tanned to the color of leather, they
wandered about the island and seemed |
quite happy and contented with their
primitive life and frugal fare. The
natives regarded them with super
stitious reverence and settlers who |
visited them occasionally looked |
upon them as harmless lunatics.
At the hegining of this year Latzow
was carried out to sea in the Metho-
dist mission cutter, which had drifted |
away. Owing to adverse currents,
and when the boat was recovered |
some considerable time afterward it |
contained the corpse of the deluded |
musician. His loss was a sad blow
to Englehardt but he still refused to |
leave his beloved sun grove and still
continued to conform strictly to the
rules which he had drawn up for the |
sect. He subsisted entirely on cocoa
nuts. At last he was stricken with
severe illness. Learning of his con-
dition, the German authorities sent
their medical launch to the island
aud, despite his protests, insisted on
conveying him to the hospital. At
Englehardt's request, he was placed |
in such position on the little craft
that he could gaze upon the island as
it receded in the distance. He spoke |
no word to any one, and, by signs,
rejected the nourishment that was
offered him. When at length the |
island vanished from his sight he
closed his eyes in death. h.-Sydney
News.