Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-08-26
COMMUNISM IN IOWA
Continued from first page)

feathered sparrows. The chatter OF
the wrens and the soft notes of the
blue birds are in keeping with the
gay gardens of old world flowers and
long rows of finely .fruited grape
vines and with the quaint little
porches up which climb roses,
clematis and honey suckle. Trellis
work covered with grape vines covers
the sides of many of the cottages and
one can imagine the richness of the
scene when the great clusters of
fruit are purpled by the autumn sun.
1t is the haying. but the work never
drives at Amana. There are enough
to keep ahead of the work at all
times. and always at leisure for a
visit with friends. You are led along
the narrow board sidewalk into one
Of the plainly, comfortable furnished
homes and the appearance of the wine
bottle is sign that you are welcome.
Afterwards you 60 into the wine cell
lar of the village. 1t is in the base
ment of the church and on the cool
fiagstones lie some $50 or 200 hogs.
heads, many Of them deliberately
carved and most of them filled with
fine catawba, /, 2, and years old.
This is the wine that maketh glad the
heart of man. Some of it has the
body of burgundy and bouquet de-
licate as the perfume of the purple
pasture thistle. which is now opening
its big blossoms in the fields.
"Yes, everyone has wine in the
colony" explains the elder, who is
also the wine keeper 1.-THE grapes
are all gathered together in the fall
and made into wine. Then
measure the wine and figure out just
how much each one gets for his share
1t will average about ~ gallons
year for man, 8 gallons for woman
and the boys over IA years of age also
get their allowance; it used to be
more than that before so many of our
vines were winter-killed. Also there
is an extra allowance for the men
who are doing hard work in the
haytields. They get from three
quarters of pint to pint every day
while the harvest season lasts.
Each man, or household, is given
wine ticket, which I punch and
compare it with my own records.
No one can draw his allowance for
longer period than two weeks in ad-
vance. There is little. if any desire
to abuse the privilege. Everyone has
his wine as regularly and naturally
as he has his meals and they don't
over-drink any more than they over
eat We raise our own tobacco and
make our own cigars in the same
way. 1t is the community way"
There is visit also to the apiray,
where long double rows of bee hives
are shaded by the broad -leaved grape
vines and the elder is taking off
great sections of honey some of it
goes to the honey extractor, modern
machine. which takes out all the
honey but leaves the comb to be re-
placed in the hive for the bees to
refill. The other is in the small
section is commonly purchased at the
stores. The village sawmill, where
the logs from the neighboring hills
are sawed, the drying room, where
they are seasoned and the carpenter
shop where the lumber is manu-
featured into the simple articles
needed by the community is visited !;
and by this time dinner is ready.
There is no hotel at East Amana.
but if you are persona grata the
modest, soft-voiced, wholly self-pos-
sessed women over at the community
kitchen will prepare meal for you
that you will remember long after
you have forgotten the bouquet of
that wine below the meeting house.
The members OF the community have
already dined: the men at one table,
the women at another. and the chill.
dren at a third but there is great
abundance left, Judging from the
short time il has taken TO prepare a
meal for this party of friends. The
meal is abundant and wholesome,
with plenty of fine fruit. vegetables
and salads. ana it Is served on one of
those long tables covered with white
oil cloth in the big kitchen. whose
floor is scrubbed to great cleanliness
and whose walls are painted light
blue. Long benches are used instead
OF chairs. In the colony the wife does
not cook for her husband and family.
The superintendent of the kitchen is
aided by several women in preparing
the meals for the entire village. All
the residents eat in this kitchen ex-
cept the sick and mothers with chit
dren less than two years old. Their
meals are sent to them from the
kitchen.
There is no hunger in any one of
nj ;oh ~.