The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-07-31
"AMANA, COMMUNITY
OF INSPIRATION"
History of a Religious Sect
Which Flourishes in
Iowa.

"Amana, the Community of True In-
spiration," is the title OF a splendid
historical volume just published by the
State Historical society of Iowa, at
Iowa City. The author is Bertha M. H
Shambaugh. 1t covers a history of the
society or community, the life and So
cial institutions and the religious be.
licfs and customs as they have existed
in Amana The real Amana is "Amana
the church, not Amana a social ven-
ture." The Community Of True In
spiration' traces its origin to the Ger
man mysticists and Pietists of the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries;
November l6, 1714, is regarded by thd
members as the date of the birth OF
the community. On the evening OF that
date Everhard Ludwig Gruber, Johann
! Adam Grubcr. Johann FREDERICK Cru
Der. johann Tobias Pott, Johann Mel-:
choir and Gotfried Neumann joined. to-
gcther for the organization of a lew.
sect based upon a belief in the spiri1
the society h a 1t still believes in
prophets and in the continuation OF
prophecies. The year 1714 was In the
very midst of the period of mysticism
and pietism among the Germantc peo-'
pies. For reasons similar to the great
Lutheran revolt, these people met to-
gether in protest against the dogma
tism and formalities that dawned al
ready in the Lutheran church. Johann
Gruber was q Lutheran clergyman who
incurred the displeasure of the church
by d%enouncing these formalities. Per-
secution ollowed the organization, and
after the death of tho able Gruber..
there was a great decline in the MEM
time of the doubtful ventures of
religious history. 1t was after this
period Of decline that "the Lord re-:
vcaled to his instrument, Christian:
RE-X. +l--A II .~,.1 .1~,1 AIo,1, ant ~
this land of adversely TO one where,
they II their children could live I'M
peace and liberty" So after a %seriesi
of inspirations" on August %, 1922
the faithful members of the commun-.!
ity gathered at Armenburg n the rel
moval to America was determined
upon. The Benjamins OF the society
first decided that it should be settledi
in New York, but the Seneca Indians.
of whom they bought their land.l
as much u burden to them as 1t lladl
been in the old country. and after|
more messages from the Lord. thel
present location of the community I'M
Iowa was determined upon and a CONF
mittec of -four members was sent to,
purchase land. The first purchase was
$4,000 acres.
From this time great prosperity has,
attended the society,". 1t has been hon.
orably managed; it's lands nave in
has lent so much of character to Its
manufactures that the products OF the
Amana mills command higher prices
in the markets Of the world than those
airy commercial factory. Mrs. Sham
baugh says: "a bit of Europe in
America, a voice out of the past on
the worlds western frontier, this
unique community, stands as the near
est production in our day of the ITO
plans dream of a country of men and
women living together in peace, plenty
' and happiness, away from the world
and its many distractions
"Commercialism is only incidental
to the life and thought of the COM
munity. Its chief concern is spiritual
There is much In the fife of the peo-
pie Of Amana that seems plain and
monotonous to the outside world, yet
1t is in many respects n moro Ideal
life than that which is found in our
average country village. 1t is more
genuine and uniform. There are no
company manners. fewer white lies.
There is less extravaganza and no
living beyond ones means; no keeping
up of appearances and fewer attempts
to pass for more than one is WORTH
This means hat the men and wom-
en-, at least, arc upon n solid founda-
ton. They produce all their w food
and their tables are bountifully laden.
They ave not decided ideas regard
ing the relative merits Of lard and
tallow and no rule against the eating
OF dead creatures. Tea and coffee are
abundantly used and large quantities
of home made wine. 1t does not veg
The members do not vote. Mrs. Sham
baugh's history OF this little, society
presents a sociological study that
might well attract the attention Of
philosophers and reformers.
i, Moose That Drink at a Pump.
From the kennebec Journal.
James Tibbetts, of the Neck road.
Benton, has been entertaining strange
week Mr.. 1ibbetts went to the barn
and turned out his stock. When hs
stepped into the barn var a few min
utes later to start the water at the
pump he was surprised to find a bull
and a COW moose apparently waiting
for water. MI. Tlbbetts went directly
to the pump and begain raising water
for the stock. As the water poured
from The spout into the big trough
among the first OF the animals to reach
drank its quantity, then slowly walked
past the farmer to a low place in the
fence where each vau1ted over and
struck off across the field in the direc-
since the creatures have appeared in
the barnyard When Mr.. Tibbetts has.
turned IN the water. The strange part
Of the affair is that the farm is well
Wa1efed ny three small brooks which
keep running all winter and the sebas-
ticook river is but a few hundred yards,
away. 1t is possible the creatures have
discovered something IN the brooks ana
in the river which sets their taste Ro.
ing In another direction, for they are
watering regularly at the Tibbetts
pump. The moose nave never bothered
the cows or the ken Of the Tibbetts
herd, and the latter have never ar.
parently paid any attention to the pres
ence of the strangers.
Poor Bill Higgins.
These working minorities!" saad
Senator Yillman. at a Washington hun-.