The log cabin Democrat., 1916-03-11
TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE THE CIVIL
 AND RELIGIOUS LAWS IF COMMUNITY
Quaint Amana Colony Iowa Bars Hair Ribbons to Women and Mustaches to Men and Furnishes Boys Who Play Baseball on Sunday by Barring Them From Church for Two Sun
 days-Socety Is Worth SeOOOOOO

| It was in 1854 that the first Amana village was founded by members of the Church of the True Inspiration, or
 Separatists,' as they had been called ln Germany since the beginning of the eighteenth century. The men who founded the first village named it Amana, name taken from the Bible and meaning remain true" These men had come to America in the forties with their families seeking religious freedom. They had settled in New
 York, but the community had grown faster than land could be acquired and they moved West. The first purchase of land in Iowa was $500 acres. Grad ually more land was acquired and the other six villages established-We Amana, South Amana, High Ainsna, | East Amana, Middle Amana and Homestead
 In 1863 there were about 1,600 mem- bers of the Amana society. The num- Der IS about the same today. It was in 1859 that the society was incorporated under the laws of the state of Iowa. The men who had come from Germany to the new country had determined on community life as the best method of holding true to the ideals of their religion. The society was incorporated as a religious and benevolent society under the name Amana society.
 The constitution of the society de- clares that the foundation of the civil organization shall remain forever Cod The purpose of our organiza- tion," reads the constitution, ''is there fore no worldly or selfish one." Article II of the constitution states: Tt is our unanimous will and resolu- tion that the land purchased here and that may hereafter be purchased shall be and remain a common estate and property, with all improvements there upon and all appurtenances thereto as also with all the labor, cares, trou- ble and burdens, of which each mem Der shall bear his allotted share with a willing heart"
 And here is the provision in the con- stitution which shows how the Amana society makes the money to care for it's people: Agriculture, manufactures | and trades shall form the means of sustenance, and out of the income of these the expenses of the society shall be defrayed. If any surplus remains 1t shall be applied to improvements, to the erection of school and meeting houses, care of the old and sick, the foundation of a business and safety fund and to benevolent purposes in general"
 The Aged Cared For. The control and management of the society is vested in thirteen trustees elected annually from among the eld- CTS. Death is about the only thing that changes the makeup of the bord of trustees. There are no bickerings in Amana and a public examiner has never been called in to audit the so- ciety's books. The people of Amana place explicit trust in the trustees and the officers.
 Every member of the Amana society at the time of joining is in duty bound to give his or her personal property and real property to the trustees for the common fund. The member is entitled to credit for this property on the society books and is given a re- cept signed by the president and sec cretary This property is secured by the pledge of the common property of the society. If member either volun-