Part 8 (1/2)

At this time they had no intention of forming a communistic society.

They held their interests separately; and it was expected that each member should pay for his own share of the land, which had been purchased in order to be thus subdivided. Their purpose was to wors.h.i.+p G.o.d according to their faith, in freedom, and to live, for that end, in a neighborhood.

But, having among them a certain number of old and feeble people, and many poor who found it difficult to save money to pay for their land, the leading men presently saw that the enterprise would fail unless it was established upon a different foundation; and that necessity would compel the people to scatter. Early in 1819 the leaders after consultation determined that, to succeed, they must establish a community of goods and efforts, and draw in to themselves all whom poverty had compelled to take service at a distance. This resolution was laid before the whole society, and, after some weeks of discussion, was agreed to; and on the 15th of April articles of agreement for a community of goods were signed. There were then about two hundred and twenty-five persons--men, women, and children. The men were farm-laborers, weavers, carpenters, bakers, but at first they had not a blacksmith among them.

From this time they began to prosper. ”We could never have paid for our land, if we had not formed a community,” the older people told me; and, from all I could learn, I believe this to be true.

At first they prohibited marriage, and it was not until 1828 or 1830 that they broke down this rule.

On forming a community, Joseph Baumeler, who had been a leading man among them, was chosen to be their spiritual as well as temporal head.

His name probably proved a stumbling-block to his American neighbors, for he presently began to spell it Bimeler--a phonetic rendering. Thus it appears in deeds and other public doc.u.ments; and the people came to be commonly spoken of as ”Bimmelers.” Baumeler was originally a weaver, and later a teacher. He was doubtless a man of considerable ability, but not comparable, I imagine, with Rapp. He appears to have been a fluent speaker; and on Sundays he delivered to the society a long series of discourses, which were after his death gathered together and printed in German in three ponderous octavo volumes. They concern themselves not only with religious and communistic thoughts, but largely with the minor morals, manners, good order in housekeeping, cleanliness, health observances, and often with physiological details.

In March, 1824, an amended const.i.tution was adopted. Between 1828 and 1830 they began to permit marriage, Baumeler himself taking a wife. In 1832 the Legislature formally incorporated the ”Separatist Society of Zoar,” and a new const.i.tution, still in force, was signed in the same year.

”As soon as we adopted community of goods we began to prosper,” said one of the older members to me. Having abundance of hands, they set up shops; and, being poor and in debt, they determined to live rigidly within their means and from their own products. They crowded at first into a few small log-cabins; some of which are still standing, and are occupied to this day. They kept cattle; were careful and laborious farmers; and setting up blacksmith's, carpenter's, and joiner's shops, they began to earn a little money from work done for the neighboring farmers. Nevertheless their progress was slow, and they accounted it a great piece of good fortune when in 1827 a ca.n.a.l was built through their neighborhood. What with putting their own young men upon this work, and selling supplies to the contractors, they made enough money from this enterprise to pay for their land; and thenceforth, with free hands, they began to acc.u.mulate wealth.

They now own in one body over seven thousand acres of very fertile land, including extensive and valuable water-power, and have besides some land in Iowa. They have established a woolen factory, where they make cloth and yarn for their own use and for sale. Also two large flour-mills, a saw-mill, planing-mill, machine shop, tannery, and dye-house. They have also a country store for the accommodation of the neighborhood, a large hotel which receives summer visitors; and for their own use they maintain a wagon shop, blacksmith's and carpenter's shops, tailors, dressmakers, shoemakers, a cider-mill, a small brewery, and a few looms for weaving linen. They employ constantly about fifty persons not members of the community, besides ”renters;” who manage some of their farms on shares.

They have now (in the spring of 1874) about three hundred members, and their property is worth more than a million dollars.

II.--RELIGIOUS FAITH AND PRACTICAL LIFE.

The ”Principles of the Separatists,” which are printed in the first volume of Joseph Baumeler's discourses, were evidently framed in Germany. They consist of twelve articles:

”I. We believe and confess the Trinity of G.o.d: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

”II. The fall of Adam, and of all mankind, with the loss thereby of the likeness of G.o.d in them.

”III. The return through Christ to G.o.d, our proper Father.

”IV. The Holy Scriptures as the measure and guide of our lives, and the touchstone of truth and falsehood.

”All our other principles arise out of these, and rule our conduct in the religious, spiritual, and natural life.

”V. All ceremonies are banished from among us, and we declare them useless and injurious; and this is the chief cause of our Separation.

”VI. We render to no mortal honors due only to G.o.d, as to uncover the head, or to bend the knee. Also we address every one as 'thou'-- _du_.

”VII. We separate ourselves from all ecclesiastical connections and const.i.tutions, because true Christian life requires no sectarianism, while set forms and ceremonies cause sectarian divisions.

”VIII. Our marriages are contracted by mutual consent, and before witnesses. They are then notified to the political authority; and we reject all intervention of priests or preachers.

”IX. All intercourse of the s.e.xes, except what is necessary to the perpetuation of the species, we hold to be sinful and contrary to the order and command of G.o.d. Complete virginity or entire cessation of s.e.xual commerce is more commendable than marriage.

”X. We cannot send our children into the schools of Babylon [meaning the clerical schools of Germany], where other principles contrary to these are taught.

”XI. We cannot serve the state as soldiers, because a Christian cannot murder his enemy, much less his friend.

”XII. We regard the political government as absolutely necessary to maintain order, and to protect the good and honest and punish the wrong-doers; and no one can prove us to be untrue to the const.i.tuted authorities.”