The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-05-09
Hmana: Fl Successful Society.

IN THE state of Iowa, situated on
the Chicago Milwaukee & St.
/ Paul Ry., about thirty miles south
of the city of Cedar Rapids, lies
the town of Amana. 1t contains about
fifteen hundred inhabitants, all OF
whom adhere to one individual reli-
glous creed-a creed brought with
them from the Fatherland-the tenets
OF which are somewhat similar to those
held by the German Lutheran Church.
These people belong to very ancient
order, founded in Germany-a German
religious cooperative company, offici-
ally known as The Amana Society.
More than two hundred years ago a
shipload of these people left their ma
tive land and came to this country set
tling, first, in the state of New York,
where they remained for a period of
nearly century and half, thence, re-
moving to their present location. They
now own a tract of land, dfsunited by
no other interest, upwards of sixty
thousand acres in the most productive
section of the state. Within the con-
fines of this territory, and in addition
to the previously mentioned town, there
are four villages of respectable size,
viz: North Amana, South Amana, Mid
die Amana and Homestead; all, except
the last named, on the Milwaukee Ry.
The largest portion of this COM
munity is devoted to agricultural
pursuits, and it is easily discernible
they are no novice at the business, as
all their machinery and implements
are of the latest improved designs and
their method of tillage, undisputably
conducted on scientific basis, secnr-
ing magnificent results as testified by
the receipts of the enormous shipments
of their products.
A little more than year ago-dur-
ing my last vacatlon-on raw and al
together disagreeable night, l arrived
at the principal town of this colony,
Amana. Was met at the depot by one
of the Brothers-this being the appel
lation used by the society for each
male member-and conducted to the
one hotel of the place set aside for the
accommodation of transient guests.
The night being dark my observations
were necessarily confined to q very
narrow limit, hence, the peculiar fea-
lures of my surroundings were eclipsed
by the Opaque blackness that complete
ly shrouded every outlying object. Ar
irving at the hotel was greatly i'm
pressed with the quaint and altogether
foreign looking aspect of the furniture
and belongings of this really comforta-
BILE inn. On being escorted to my room
two beds were pointed out and was
told to make my own selection. Right
there and then a short but fervent
prayer was offered up in behalf of Ger
many and her blessed custom of pro-
viding two large ticks of feathers to
each bed. Imagine the thrills of pleas
ure that are to be experienced by the
grateful warmth of such a couch and
the joyful anticipations of night of
perfect sleep with nothing to suggest a
rude awakening by harsh dangerous
gong. After the completion of my
toilet on the following morning and,
upon entering large dining room l
was seated at one of a number of small
breakfast tables occupying the space
between two extremely long ones, which
[ learned later were set aside, one for
regular boarders and the other for the
use of the Brothers. A very substan-
tial and appetizing breakfast was
served, albeit, it was brought in wrong
end to-breakfast food and fruits, to
use horsy expression, arriving in the
ruck. Now in this town, in fact in all
of the towns belonging to this associa-
tion, individual families do not serve
meals at their private homes; public
kitchens are made to serve this pur-
pose; therefore to every fifteen to twen-
ty families there is such kitchen pro-
vided and designated for their use.
By this mode of living they claim a
very material reduction in their ex-
pense account, and / dare say this is
true.
The architectural features of the
houses are decidedly "Dutchy"; large,