The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-04
QUEER ROADS BACK TONAHURE
THE SIMPLE LIFE AS PRACTISE
IN A SWISS VILLAGE.
vegetartaus. F~ruitaFtsns and Raw FO-sicrs
Amsng Ihem-some AbhOr Soap AMI
Beds-One the Prisoner Of n GsOat- Our
Radiates I1fc. bot wont Pay Boar.

Vegetarian, Frrutartnnh ana nav tuNNierS
Amsng Ihem-some Abhor Soap AMI
Beds-Spe the Prisoner Of n Goat
Radlates IArc. bot Wont Pay Boar
. BERHR, July 2A.-On the western banH
of Lake Ma&yiore in the Swiss Canton a.
Ticino, where the River Maggia flows in..
the lake. lies the picturesque village %
Asoona, which has of late become know
as the abode Of a number Of well Meaning
| persons who are united in their desire a.
get Jack to nature and whose attempt,
30 reach that desirable, state are as variei
as they are peculiar.
Certain il is hat they have selected for
practising their doctrines "a spot Of natural
beauty. The lake side here is famous for
It's magnifioently wOoded high road, he-
tween Losone and Romeo. close 10 which
Asoona is situated. Here a wonderful
panorama of mountains and lake reveals
itself.
The sun shines on an average $40 DAYS
in the year and winter is almost unknown.
Ground il cheap. FOR owing 10 the phylloxera
scourge, the majority Of the native inhahI
tants have abandoned their improbable
pursuit OF vine growing and have emigrated.
To-day Asoona is populated chiefly by long
haired and bearded strangers, each Of whom
has a different notion of living the simple
life and advocates his system as the only
panacea for physical. psychical and social
ills.
The extreme vegetarians form the most
numerous body of this community In
addition to vegetable diet they also con
sumo certain animal products. such A.
milk, butter and eggs; a heresy strongly
condemned by the ~fruitarians. who subsis'
exclusively on products OF the SOL.
The former frankly admit that they have
adopted their diet mainly for reasons Of
health; but the latter bring ethical and
religious motives to Rear on their abNinence
from all flesh food, Their prophet il
Tolstoi, az far ~ he is able 10 agree witt
them.
A third group consists OF the ~so-called
raw fooders. The use Of beds and soap
these abhor as conventional lies. II was
one Of these extremists. a former Officer
in the Austrian army, who persuaded thu
wife Of the ex-Archduke Leopold Of Austria
to embrace his creed, thus bringing about
an rangeme between her and her hus-
band eliminating in n legal separation.
Another member Of thise extremist section
is a man VIC says that he ~radiates life"
IIc N ohS bceo p'abV' "it'h
sandals and no hat, and has never BEEN
known to haveh his hair or beard cut. He goes
about with his features wreathed in q per
petual smile and invariably carries a flower
in his hand. =.
For a time he lived at the cottage OF a
humble artisan. but never paid anything
for board or lodging. When demonstrate
with he smiled disdainfully and admitted
IL ~r.a tr,,o that he had aatap thu pn,r mana
bread, but said he had all along radiated life
upon him. which ought to be more than
sufficient reward.
Another type is the orchard man. In
the fall he rents from a farmer a fruit tree,
under which he sleeps and on the fruits
Of which he subsists. When the tree Is
eaten bare he rents the next tree.
The most peculiar of them all Is a gentle
man known as the Mexican because he
once spent two months in Mexico. His
view is that il is a sin to torment an animal
n that to keep an animal in a stable or
ever to tie it up Is a form OF torment and
a sin.
In his hut he keeps a goat, which provides
him with sustenance. His conscience for
bids him to tie the goat up, but at the same
time he wants to prevent the animal from
StTaylUk. AuCIcAOTO ITO 10 Ob1hkCh - w
in constant attendance on the goat and
never leaves her. As a matter OF fact he
is the goats prisoner. and az such he is
known throughout the district.
II 10 a remarkable fact that the women
Of this community appear on the whole TO
be physically and mentally the more no
bust sex. While true and loyal to their
convictions they do not 60 TO the unpracti-
cal extremes the men advocate.
One Of them is nicknamed Soapsuds.
She has made the discovery that the Bible
is not essentially q religious work. buts
boob replete with secret medicinal pre-
scriptions. According to her the sub
stances named most frequently. in thu
Scriptures nave mysterious curative prop
critics.
As salt, sand and wine are among these
substances she makes a mixture Of them
and offers it with incredible perseverance
to any sick person in the village. II the
patient recovers she triumphs; II not. her
explanation il hat the patient is possessed
Of evil spirits.
Two events have lately disturbed the
community. One woman, the wife Of a
strict simple ffer, showed signs OF acute
mental arrangement and had TO be re-
moved to q sanitarium, where she has since
recovered under proper treatment. An
other. whose aim was to kill matter and live
in the spirit. voluntarily abstained for q
long period from taking nourishment. -
finally took poison and died.
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