The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-11-21

= at HCTSS IN warren county are FUR
chased BY the United Brethren
Church Of Dayton, But Aged Re-
iisionists viii Occupy Their Old
Homes Until Death Claims Their
Last Member.
Lebanon, O.-Recently the valuable
tract of land of the Union village of
Shakers, in Warren county, became
the property of the United Brethren
church of Dayton, o., for the sum of
$325,00O and other valuable consider
ations.
Recently a member OF The Com
mercial Tribune stan visited the little
village of Shakers referred to, with
the result that there Is revealed to the
world most fascinating story of cur
rent religious and sociological interest.
A parallel of the interesting nara
tive Is to be found in this county.
Twcnty-odd milen northwest of Cincin-
natl, where the historic Whitewater
village Of Shakers is slowly but surely
dying out under conditions which spell
the early extinction of the fellow
community in Warren county. An
honored visitor to The Commercial
Tribune Office is Elderess Mary Gass,
who has been a vital and executive
factor in the affairs Of Whitewater
village for years.
Remain q Shakeress.
Within the past few months a yela-
tive of Elderess Mary made the long
journey from England to induce this
splendid woman to leave the scenes
and conditions of Shakerdom forever
and to return to England, but the ell
deress refused and said she intends
to pass her remaining days as she has,
the entire time from her early child
hood, in her dearly beloved Shaker
community.
These Whitewater village acres of
land are away the best in Ohio, being
at present held under lease by Judge
Peter F. Swing of the circuit court,
the proceeds going to support the few
survivors of the onetime prosperous
Shaker community. But to the story
of the Warren county Shakers.
The Union Shakers.
Enriched by the recent sale Of their
valuable lands, there now lives at
Union village, in Warren county, o.,
a little band Of aged followers of a
once bright light which failed. Years
ago they suffered pain. humiliation,
persecution, and many Of their fellow
members suffered death, that they might
continue to follow this light, only to
learn that after many years the blaze
of the fame gradually dimmed and has
finally been eternally snuffed out. No
adherents of any ancient religion
ever suffered more; no sect
known to history ever rendered less.
Rich in earthly goods, this little band
of seventeen members is now gathered
together on portion Of the immense
estates until recently theirs, to await
the call of the Maker. They have
given up all hope, have discarded all
of their religious services and have
resigned themselves to their fate.
A more pathetic page than the story
of the life and works of the Society of
Believers, known as Shakers, has new
er gone down in history. Where thou
sands once resisted the mobs and rela-
tives of recently converted Shakers,
who resorted to violence against this
band of Believers, seventeen now live
hopelessly and silently in anticipation
of the end. Eight of the seventeen
members are over 80 years of age.
Only three are under rs. The young
est is 81. A year ago the silent band
numbered twenty-seven. Ten of their
number have passed to the great be-
yond in almost as many months Sew
eral are confined to their rooms and
all realize that the end is near and
they await it patiently.
Were Prosecuted.
When the Shakers first came to War.
rem county, almost 100 years ago, they
were laughed at and jeered by the set
tiers. Later when they located at
Union Village and began to preach
their gospel they became the object
of hatred, as many new members who
were converted decided their property
to the society. Mobs from Lebanon
and even from the smaller towns made
raids upon the settlement and officers
of the law were often called upon to
save the peculiar people from the
hands of the infuriated populace. Grad
ually their settlement increased until
it became large organized religious
colony. But the doctrine of the Sha-
kers did not embrace marriage, and
the population of the settlement has
gradually decreased until now but sew
enteen members remain. The great
light which the early believers saw in
the distance gradually dimmed and con-
versions became less frequent AS the
population decreased the value of the
land owned by the society became
greater until five years ago Archibald
S. White, of Cincinnati, offered to pur-
chase the 1000 acres for $5O0,OOO.
Other wealthy men, realizing that this
estate consisted of some of the best
SCHOOL CHILDREN SAVE MONEY.