Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-03-13
QUEER COLONY HAS
Existed FOR MORE
THAN 50 YEARS
Town in Iowa is Modern Uto-
pia; Woman Suffrage in
Force Mothers Exempt
From Work at Certain
Times.

eight years. and 81 p interesting - 4
observe that here mag be founds
No divorces.
No social evil.
No jails.
No hospitals for the insane.
No juvenile courts.
No commodity trusts.
No hired girl problem.
Nc w0men's clubs.
This IL In the Amana Communislic
Society iOoated In johnson county.
Iowa, with a memOership OF seven
teen nundred and nifty, where women
are accorded:
Equal suffrage with men.
Eligibility 60 all eilices
Equal participation la the wealth
Of the community.
Exemption Of mothers from nh
work IN the first two years Of child's
life.
Relief from kitchen duties one out
OF every three weeks.
Free nursery and playground for
their children.
Lifelong care after becoming aged.
Medical attendance when ~.
Respectable and Christian burial.
support and education Of their
children.
Che question Of equal responsible
ity in war is quickly solved In this
community, founded on religious ten
cts. for the men do not believe IN
war. liz 1861, when a draft Of aoi-
diera was made by the government
for the civil war. tho members %
this community paid bounty for MI
those drafted from their number, for
they believe war TO be inconsistent
with Christianity.
The management OF the property OF
this community. which IL held In
lcommon and Is valued at hmillion
dollars, Is left In tho hands OF thir-
teen trustees. elected by the meme
bers. These trustees in turn elect
their president, secretary and treas
urer.
Women, despite their equal rights
Of suffrage have developed more to-
ward the spiritual than the political
side OF the community. The Amana
society was founded IN 1864. when
eight hundred Germans came mere
from their native land, where they
had been prosecuted, TO seek freedom
OF religious worship. They are oe-
Ille1ers La divine inspiration to-day. o.
well as in tho times OF old, ana whlle
Il the economic management OF the
community has been voted 20 the
mcE. a remained for a woman 20 be
their last and greatest prophet--Bar-
lbarV Helnman. Since her death there
mas been no prophet ana her reve-
ltations are read regularly IN the
Amana churches as o part OF the re-
ligious services II Is this strong re-
biaious splrlt 81 woman that binds so
sondly together this community OF
interests which has flourished ana
grown wealthy.
From the mere handful OF Germans
who obtained three thousand acres OF
land IN Johnson county IN 1854, the
community has grown 70 its present.
, membership. II cultivates now 26'-
22s acres OF land and operates two
wooden mills. one cotton factory a
. flour mill. seven saw mills. elevators
land other Industries
I The development OF the AmanRttes
, wealth has been rather In spite OF
Themselves, for they are living not
for worldly gain. but for the prepar-
. Iatlon OF their souls for the future iife;
+. for with nll their wealth, each mems
. her can have hut the ordinary neceH-
D sittes OF life and freedom from
drudrery. IL may be that the en-
forcement OF their religious rules u
= responsible for their financial de-
T velopmant. for they enforce a great
e saving by forbidding the ordinary IN
. diligence OF American women, and
p There n a question whether tho wo'
man Of today would gain equal pollt-
heal rights al the sacrifice demanded
in the Amana community
A uniformity Of dress OF the siia'
plest nature. II required. No dances
are permitted, no theaters sre al
: mitted. and no music II allowed Other
than that produced oy the human
voice. Houses are ugpainled. person
olai photographs are forbidden "a
, craven images, iewelrS branded a.
/, isinfui and all frivolous decorations ol
4 persons or home aFe forbidden. Ever
. Inc eravos OF the dead are marked
A only by a simple wooden cross, bear
ing the name, date OF birth and 81
death These are GOd-foaring, self
denying people.
D Tho woman's lot IN this remarkaol'
a community Is not hard one. iher'
K lare seven villages--Amana, Yves
r Amana, south Amana, Hlgh AmRna
= East Amana, Middle Amana ans
. Homestead. THESE are aubdiylaed IN
4 10 lcommuniUig4 where a common
i kitchen H. maintained 20 feed IRON
4 thirty 10 hfty, the members 81 on'
4 commune. A woman supervisor
lappointod hy the trustees for eacl
y Kitchen" and every woman IN IN
a community h subject 10 kitchen duty
L The rule. however, Is Two weeks
) work and one weeks vacation
= In connection with each kitchen
r. an allotment Of three acres for tn
production OF vegetables. The har'
Il work here ~ done by the men, Pa
n the maintenance, such as weedine
= aprinkllng. etc, ~ part OF the wo
n mems work. Women also work u
q the factories and some even IN 90
. field.
= Each family h allotted horn
4 whore there ls absolute privacy.
.aaI