A SINGULAR RELIGIOUS SECT IN AMEEICA.

Southland Times, Issue 930, 8 April 1868, Page 3

A SINGULAR RELIGIOUS SECT IN AMEEICA.

I A correspondent of the TJnited States | sends the English "Independent" the | subjoined account of a singular religious I sect, which has its seat fifty miles east of lowa College, on tbe through line of railway from Chicago to the Pacific : — It is an offshoot of German Lutheranism, and has there planted a prosperous colony, governed by a society, or colony, of " Direct Inspirationists," — some 1300 persons, all told. They originated in Germany, I am told, about 1714, and came to the United States in 1842, planting themselves together, on a sort of communist plan, near Buffalo, N.Y. Being unable to obtain land enough for their purposes in that vicinity, they began to remove to lowa, a process which occupied ten years, and have now, in place of 6000 acres of poor New York land, 60,000 acres of rich lowa soil, black' vegetable loam, three and, four feet deep, to which they are constantly making additions by purchase. If I ever get time to visit these religious Eourierites, this little Germany in America, I will giv9 you their peculiarities more fully; but my information is that they are quiet, devout, methodical people, simple in their manner of life, and rigid in religious duties. All their affairs, secular and spiritual, are managed by thirteen elders, chosen annually, who Belect a president and secretary of their own number. Their cardinal tenet is " No man liveth to himself, but all are brethren in Jesus Christ." They interpret the scriptures literally, and believe in repentance and faith and the mediatorship of Christ. Baptism is never administered, and the Lord's Supper once in several years. Like the Plymouth brethren, they have no order of ministers, but the elders, who are distributed among their villages, read the Scriptures pray, and speak in turn if the spirit moves them Religious service is held every evening, and on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at ten a.m., as well as twice on the Sabbath. They observe the holidays— Christmas, Good Eriday, Eaßter Monday, Pentecost, Ascension Day. etc. They pray by book, and also extemporaneously ; one evening the women pray continuously, without intermissi on, till all in the room have done so ; another evening the men. No ene has a right to speak but an elder. These singular people adopted the cooperative community principles when they came to America. They have prospered remarkably under it. Their colony name is " Amana Society." They have seven villages, besides innumerable parcels of farming land, manufactories, mills, stores, printing-office and bindery, chapels, schoolhouses, and dwellings. The villages are — Amana, East Amana, West Amana, South Amana, Middle Amana, Amana-under-the-Hill, and Homestead. The latter is a railroad and post-office station. All their houses, shops, factories, mills, bridges, warehouses, brickyards, breweries, hotels, barns, farms, show thrift, choice materials, excellent judgment, economy, and care. They do not work hard; the drudgery they hire 140 men to do, and the skilled labor they do themselves, the " Society" hiring and paying. Their farming and gardening are performed with rare skill, raising a great store of the larger and smaller fruits, as well as every variety of vegetables. Eences are few among them, in the villages fifteen or more dwelling-houses, owned by the society (as all buildings are) will be seen on the outside of each large square of land, and in the centre a jointstock kitchen garden, divided off to each dwelling by paths and ornamental bushes. Women are the gardeners. They prefer . this light out-door work, in true German style, to weaving in the mills, which they leave to the men. The cows at each village, one or two hundred of them, are all milked at once, and the milk carried in waggons to each dwelling, the carrier having orders from the authorities how much to leave at each door. They use the best agricultural implements — improved ploughs, thrashers, reapers, &c, — and take exemplary care of their products in the large society barns, something which farmer folks in these fertile landß are slow to learn. They pearl their own barley, export flour and manufactured' wool ; and their fabrics of wood, iron, and wool, &c, are sought far and near for the excellence of their material and honesty of their make. They print all their blanks, receipts, and hymn books, ] but no newspapers, nor do they seem to wish any. Stone and brick are their building materials ; everything ample and substantial. Steam, wind, and waterpower run their mills. Two wooden mills ply 20 looms and 1600 spindles, and consume 170,0001bs of wool per annum. Their yarns, flannels, and cloths are admirable, as I know from household experience. White cotton cloth, brought thither from eastern factories, is printed iri patterus at one of their establishments. Plates for Agricultural reports issued by Congress have been colored here by hand. In the various settlements, nearly all the fabrics they use are produced and even the. firewood cut by steam. Their manner of life is said not to favor wedlock, and many of both sexes are unmarried. Both old and young are enthusiastic for the ; ."Society." If a man wanders off to find employment elsewhere he soon returns/ They are an industrious and virtuous 1

people. No bell summons them to worship. Each family is timed accurately by its own clock. They retire from chapel in single file, with solemn mein and hands clasped before them, the women leading.