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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1899)
VANISHED AS OTHERS XR. KEIL'S DREAM OF JUSTICE AMONG MEN. HU Oltl MlMourl Colony I Only n ."Memory I'rojpered for n While but Was Finally Killed by Accumulation of Vut Wraith. (Special Letter.) Few of those who read the book3 of Bellamy and who dream of nn Ideal commonwealth, where each citizen Is equal to every other citizen and all are alike rich with a common' fund, are" aware that thcae Ideas embraced in the maxim "equal rights to all and special privileges to none" were once actually applied In the establishment and subsequent existence of what Is historically known as tho Bethel Col ony, founded and operated on the wind ing shores of North river, In Shelby THE COLONY (Photo From county, Mo. Several years ago Dr. D. R. McAnally (now deceased), the eru dite editor of the St. Louis Christian Advocate, in an editorial on tho sub ject of communism, asserted that the Oneida community In Now York, the Bethel Colony and its off-shoot, the Aurora (Ore.) Colony, were tho notable instances of tho application of the theory of communism upon American soil. Aside from this slight mention the fame of this singular experiment has been confined to fireside narra tives, as tho historian of ,lts .achieve ments seems to have been omitted from ito caravan, or left behind In the long Journey. Like nearly all modern co-operative schemes of similar character this was conceived and planned In the brain of a religious enthusiast, who doubtless dreamed that ho was a chosen power to usher In a brighter day for human kind. Dr. William Kell, the founder, prophet, priest and king of thla west ern Utopia, was a Methodist preacher of German descent, who labored among Ills raco and kindred In portions of Pennsylvania and Ohio; how long ho continued In tho ministry or how suc cessful were his labors can not bo as certained, but for eome reason, pre sumably that of preaching strange doc trine, he was "hauled upon tho ear pet" by his ecclesiastical superiors, by whom ho was deprived of his minis terial authority. He then formulated this communistic scheme, organized thla society, and with his followers em igrated westward and founded thla col ony, which survives its wreck so far as appearances are concerned, in the pres ent town of Bethel, where tho quaint "buildings of the early colonists are still pointed out to the inquisitive traveler. These colonists secured by entry or purchase n large tract of valuable land, 1,100 acres of which was Inclosed as the common field whore the Individuals labored under tho direction of over seers appointed by Dr. Kell. A com mon boarding house was erccted.whero the unmarried male members of the community resided, and a common storehouse was kept where tho fami lies were supplied with their allotted portions of provisions, tho storekeeper managing the accounts and supplying tho necessaries according to tho com munal regulations. Tho attention of those frugal peoplo was dlrocted to--ward manufacturing, and In tho palmy and prosperous days of tho enterprise Bethel was a miniature Lowell; cloth -was spun from the wool of the colony sheep, which roamed In vast herds over tho virgin' prairies, attended by the designated shepherds, and the skin of wild deer, which had not then disap peared from our horizon, wore made into hats and gloves. Distilleries and breweries wero In operation, where the bloom of the fields of rye and corn was preserved In the translucent glow of red liquor and lager beer, the Influence of which can yet be traced upon some of the de scendants of the temperato dreamers of former days. Perhaps the crowning work of these industrious people, from an architec tural standpoint, was tho erection of the colony church, which until recently stood In simple grandeur as a memory of better days. This edifice was con structed of brick and stone, after tho typo of churches In tho fatherland. It was paved with tiling, provided with an organ loft. It was crowded each Sunday with the colonists, who, In the 7.enlth of their power, numbered per haps a thousand souls, Tho type of religion can not bo well defined or classified, as Dr. Kell was the leader In things spiritual as well as tempo ral. From the Information that Is at tainable he seems to have preached a sort of polyglot utilitarian doctrine difficult to describe, but If all accounts aic true there were many pious souls among them, even though their leader held and preached tenets of faith that must have boon a cross between the apostles' creed and the teachings of the Koran. Dr. Kell claimed to be in spired, like the Apostle Paul, and the older colonists acquiesced in this as sumption, and rendered him the hom age due to a superior creature. Tho obsorvonce of religious coremonleathe rigidly enforced. Each Sabbath. morn ing tho Inhabitants were zealously rounded up by the primitive policeman or burgomasters, and this may in part account for the Immenso attendance of the famous old church. East of Bethel and down the pictur esque North river was erected the man- CHURCH. a Sketch.) slon house of Dr. Kell, where ho lived and dispensed the hospitality of a feu dal monarch. Tho house, with Its numerous appurtenances, was called "Elim," was built by the common la bor, and was a part of the possessions of the colony, but it was doslgned and used as tho rcsldenco of the leader or governor. A commodious banquet hall served Its purpoao, and there is a tra dition thnt Dr. Kell lived nnd regnod hero in this western wilderness after tho fashion of the great King Solo mon, with perhaps the major portion of Solomon's wives nnd concubines left out. Tho colony was founded In the year 1845 and prospered until the departure of Its leader in 1858, though to ' the student of social problems the result would seem a leveling of human hopes and aspirations rather than that tri umphant achievement which adorns so grandly tho successful struggle of in dividual life. Around tho departure of tho founder there Is a atory that almost baflles human credence, though It Is a well-attested fact. Dr. Kell, like Joshua of old, had sent out spies to view tho realms of the distant west, whither ho hoped to ox tend the Influence of his communistic project; aome had returned; others remained enchanted with the marvel ous scenery nnd enraptured with the promise of the morning dawn of that wondrous empire: "Where rolls tho Oregon, nnd hears no sound, Save his own dashlngs." Tales of tho natural beauty and fer tility of UiIb region wero borno to the ears of tho leader of the colonists nnd around his fireside wero discussed the plans and hopes of future domain be yond the Rockies. Under the direc THE RESIDENCE tlon of Dr. Kell an Infant colony hair been formed by tho prospectors, to which had been given the Inspiring name of "Aurora," and though tho dreams of Its originators have faded like the gleam of tho borealis the town still flourishes in the state of Oregon. Tho vision of tho Bothel colonists was broadened by this enterprise, and their gaze turned toward tho sunset. In their rude plastered houses thoy thought much about tho distant valley of the Willamette whence came the good tidings from tholr brethren. It was the day of tho ox team, and the Journey would consume months of tlmo, yet many wished to undertake It. Among others who caught the west ern fever was a favorite son of Dr. Kell, who dreamed fond dreams of the land of promise. After much sollclta- tion his father consented that he might go, and ho began preparing for his de parture from the mansion house upon a Journey that would span half the continent, but which seemed to him as tho coming of a holiday. The newly awakened flame of ambition burned with Increasing fervor in his youth ful blood, but there came n fateful hour In which he was seized with an other fever, deadlier and more ardent than the first, which added Its fire to the flame of the other, Increasing rath er than diminishing tho glow. In hli delirium the long-Cherished Aurora was more real than ever to his disor dered fancy; ho "babbled o' the green fields," he saw tho somber beauty ol tho cascades, and could hear the surl beat on the distant sea; there may have been a fair-haired German girl whose beckoning hand allured him; al least he exacted a promise from hli father that in tho event of his ex pected death ho should be burled among tho sccnos where his mind and heart had already lingered. He died; and amid tho gloom which pervaded the mansion houso at Ellui his father mado haste to fulfill the vow to his lamented son. An emigrant train was organized among the colon lets who wished to depart, tho body was encased in an iron coftln contain ing alcohol, placed In tho front wagon of the train drawn by six mules, nnd nmld the lamentations of the remain ing members of tho colony thcro was begun what Is perhaps tho strangest and moat stupendous funeral march In the history of our land. After months of weary travel ovor plain and moun tain the tired but faithful mourners arrived at Aurora, and tho father re ligiously fulfilled the plcdgo to his dy ing son. Tho Bethel brethren saw their patriarch no more; tho colony dwindled away, and tho snows ol many winters have lain upon the gravf of tho leader, who sleeps beside his eo' under the Oregon pines. JOURNEY OF SACRED CARPET. l'ar-Fnmcd Article Described by a Wltnem of It Start. "It Is an odd thing to call the Bacred carpet of tho Mohammedans a carpet, tor It not only Is not a carpet In It self, but It Is not tho shape of a carpet, it Is not used for a carpet, and doca not look Hko a carpet. Wo were among the fortunate ones who were Invited to the prlvato view of it the night before, when the faithful were dedicating it," says a writer In the Woman's Home Companion. "They sat on tho floor, these Mohnmmedans, rocking them selves back and forth, and chanting tho koran. Tho 'carpet' Is n black vel vet embroidered solidly In sliver and gold. It Is shaped like an old-fashioned Methodist church, only there are mlnnrcts at tho four corners. It looks like a pall. Every year they send a new one to Mecca, and then the old one Is cut Into tiny" bits and distributed among the faithful, who wear It next their hearts. Thin carpet was about 6lx feet long, and was railed in so that no one could touch It. A man otood near by nnd sprayed attar of roses on you as you passed,, but I do not know what ho did It for, unless It, waB to turn scnsltlvo women faint with tho heavy perfume. But tho next morning the procession formed and nmld tho wild est enthusiasm, tho bowing nnd sa laaming of the men and tho shouting and running of tho children nnd the singing of tho Arabs who boro the car pet. It was placed upon tho most mag nificent camel I ever saw, which was covered from head to foot with cloth of gold, and whoso very gait seemed more majestic because of his sacred burden, and thus, led by scores of enthusiastic Arabs, he moved slowly down the street, following tho covering for tho tomb, nnd In turn being followed by ono scarcely less magnificent, destined Lto cover tho sacred carpet In its camel Journey to Mecca. Thnt wns absolutely nil there was to It, yet tho khodlve was there with a fine military escort, and nil Cairo turned out nt tho unearthly hour of 8 o'clock In the morning tr see It." OF DR. KEIL. To Itepulr Chalra. When your cane-seat chairs begin to wear out mend tho break the best you can by weaving n cords, or, If very bad, replace with a piece of canvas se curely tacked on; put on a generoua layer of cotton batting or curled hair, and covor with a piece of any kind of upholstery goods, an embroidered pat tern, crazy patchwork or a large "Jog cabin" block. Finish tho edgo with fur niture gimp, and fringe If desired. Tha back may bo finished with a Blmlhv panel. Muiln Hole for liloyrie. Music boxes for bicycles are now manufactured by a firm In Hamburg, Germany. Only women ovor 40 like to tako a trip without a trunk. FT ISA "WICKED PLAY. MESCALINE IS SENSATION OF LONDON. IVIlt Hardly u Acceptable to American Vatron of the Hientri Had In Vlot tint 8ald to lie Vulgar It All Itljht Artistically. (London Letter.) Juft after tho drca rchcaraal of lezsnlluo, Isidore do Lara, tho com foser, asked me If I thought tho opera would go In the United Stntos, and 1 aakod him what.ma.de him think that it might not. He said, oh, perhaps, the plot would bo considered too or too high-colored. All I could say was that after our acceptance of Olga Ncthcr lolc's Carmen, of Tristan and Isolde, and of the Old Testament, It did not seem to mo that wo had ono right, log ically, to object to anything. But thnt, of courso, wo wero nothing It not Illog ical, especially as regards religious lit erature, drama and tho opera. Do Lara's question, and his underlying reason for asking It, Is a good Index to tho sort of opera that Messallne is both ns to plot and presentation, both an to story and tho musical interpreta tion of that story. The libretto is one which calls for tho literary equivalent of tho soft pedal, if you are reading it you will do well to put cotton in your ears; if It Is being rend to you you will find it ndvlsablo to hold your nose, and either shut your eyes or tako off your glasses. Mentnl near-sightedness becomes n distinct advantage, nnd n deafness of tho Intelligence nn unmit igated blessing when ono has to en counter such a story ns Armand Syl vester and Eugeue Morand have chosen to set forth In words, nnd Do Lara has ilected to copiously lllustrnto in music. George Mooro, tho novelist nnd :ritic. wrote n sentence onco about 3'Annunzlo, which, nt tho time I read It, sounded rather mennlnglcss. Ho inid: "The habitual color of d'An nunzlo's mind Is a delicate mnuvo. It has all tho Iridescent glories of a ruined suneet." Paraphrasing Mr. Mooro, I may say that the habitual color of Messallne Is a hot purplo, and that it emits tho phosphorescent glories of a decadent inventiveness. Tho only way to get through tho opera without blushing until you nro sunburned Jnd frccklod is to take the scoro nnd attend strictly to the musfc, and oven thnt Is not an entire relief, for, as I said, Do Lara's music exactly Illustrates the libretto. And you cannot help getting a notion of immorality from his use of tho chromatic scale, and of licentious ness In the chord of the diminished seventh. I know quite well that what I have lust written will amount, ns far ns some people aro concerned, to a very good advertisement of tho now opera. Thero arc some birds and animals who Lhavo.an Inborn tnsto for whatever Is specially nnu unmmtnKauiy decayed, and tho worse It is the better thoy Hko It. That sort of tasto will, I think, II ml ample gratification In Mcssallno, and I enn say that I truly bellevo that tho kind of peoplo who possess that sort of taste will not, of courso, bo made any the worse for seeing even such nn opera ns Mcssallno. So much for the work from tho out-of-dato standpoint of the decencies. From the purely no, I should sny the merely artistic standpoint, tho work Is fiomowhnt beautiful and entirely re markable. I do not know of nny other opera that Is so complete nnd success ful' n diameter study as is this ono, both from n dramatic nnd u psycholog ical point of view. Thnnks to Do Uxra and tho librettists, Messallne is not merely a musical opus with an alleged plot nttnehed. but not Joined to It; It Is a .consistent dramatic conception, carried out with an amount of care nnd elaboration which results In nn Im pression of reality equally convincing, brilliant and detestable. Thnnks to Hcglon, who created the title rolo, nnd to Itonaud nnd Alvarez, who inter preted tho two male parts, tho three main characters are not merely thrco modern singers In nntlquo costumes, who sometimes sing nnd somotlmos net, but who never do both nt tho snme mo ment. They are threo peoplo of tho MME. HEGLON. (As Messallne, Empress of Rome.) days when Rome wns rotting. Es pecially Is this true of Heglon; in Mes sallne; sho Is tho wickedest woman of a wicked era. A character who has stepped across the centuries and brought with her her whole surround ings of pomp and wantonness, of lux-, ury and cruelty, of beuuty and evil. Both with her nnd with Alvarez Micro li us much dramatic action nnd eluborutlon ns if the oporn wore not an opern, but a play. Imagine tho direct opposlto of the Wagnerian school of acting, a school which makes a kiss last for thirty-two bars of music, and requires an attitude, or a gesture to last out fifteen minutes, nnd you will un derstand whnt I mean when I say thnt in stngo naturalness Messallne, ns In terpreted by Heglon nnd Alvarez, Is a distinct dopnrturo nnd likewise a re lief. And now for tho story. I wish '.o say that I am partly cribbing from the prccU of a London contemporary, It saves time nnd nausea. FLORENCE HAYWARD. BLAND'S OLD KENTUCKY HOME (Bardstown, Ky., Letter.) It was not generally known until re ccntly that Hon. RIclTnrd Bland, the free silver champion, who died a short time ago In Lebanon, Mo., resided In Nelson county for several years prior tO tlln rrillnvnl nf Hi A fnlnllu In Mia. sour! I. X ilV 1 UUUl case nudp BlniJ). .. . road mile Is n' brlcl. ... . In recent 15c 35c .$1.55 ()5c lfc Kcarncy Home Muuli Good Apron (iinglia.ti Canton Flannels Inning Cambric per Fine White Gcoila years. The orlgfnnr- nouse has the distinction of being tho oldest stono residence In tho stnto. It was erected in 1783, ns nn Inscription on a large Btone In the chimney, Just nbovo tho old-fashioned spacious fire place In tho front room-records. Tho houso was built by Joseph Fenwlck, a Philadelphia speculator, who bought tho trnrt of land upon which tho build- B LAND'S BOYHOOD HOME. Ing is located from Benjamin Cox, a saddler of Lexington. Tho original tract contained 1,000 acres, nnd lay along tho waters of MUlcreok. Fen wlck erected mills nlong tho Btrcnm, nnd mndo n fortuno from tho sale of lumber. Up nnd down Mlllcroek he erected mnny mills, tho ruins of several of them being vlslblo to this dny. Iu Bardstown there are n number of old citizens who hnvo a very clear recollection of tho elder Bland, who, It Is said, would innko weekly visits hero for tho purpose of purchasing house hold supplies. Tho location of tho old stono houso Is exceedingly plcturesquo. It occu pies a high olovntlon, nnd Is surround ed by some of the most beautiful scen ery to bo found In the stnto. Tho old building Is n very handsomo ono, nnd contulns several commodious apart ments, nil finished In hardwood. It gives ample ovldcnco of the skill of tha mechnnlcs of tho enrly days of tho cen tury In the substantial character of tin walls, In tho firmness of tho Joists, in tho door frnmcs nnd the Interior work. Tho land surrounding tho rcsldenco Is vory rich. Ono of tho largest distiller los In this section of the stnto Is lo cated on Mlllcreck, n short dlstanco from tho historic old stono inntiBlon. Thero nro many Interesting Bpots on tho place, chief nthong which Is tho old stono spring houso, from which "Sil ver Dick," In his youthful dnys, car ried many n bucketful of Ice-cold water. A moss-covered stono nt tho entrnnco of tho spring house bears tho Initial letters, "R. P. B." Theso letters are largo, crudely formed, nnd nro snld to have- been enrved by tho champion of freo silver when ho wns a barefooted boy. Tho old "Bland placo" Is widely known, and slnco tho death of Mr. Bland many visitors hnvo been nt traded to It. CIGARETTE BEETLE Ii it Tiny Ilrotlo That Intuitu nnd Hutu Tobuccn. Washington Star: "Oh, no," said tho tobacconist to n customer, who had Just handed back a package of cigar ettes across tho counter, "those cigar ettes nro perfectly fresh. I rccolvcd them from tho factory less than a fort night bp, but I am not surprised to henr you sny they aro old stock." Each ono of tho cigarettes was perforated from ono end to tho other with small holes and tho pnper had n yellow np penrnnce. "Thoso holes," continued tho merchant, "nro the work of tho most troublcsomo Insect known to our trade. Tho entomologists nt tho agri cultural department have n long scien tific nnmo for him, but to us ho Is known ns tho 'clgnrotto hectic' Ho Infests all sorts of tobacco, but nppeara to bo especially fond of cigarettes. Thousands of cigarettes nro ruined by tho little peat and ho gots In his work on nil kinds of dried tobacco. Nor Is his peculiar nppetlto nppensed by to bacco alone, for ho feeds with equal relish on rhubarb, ginger, cayenno pep per, orgot, tumeric and all sorts of stuff ilko that. Tho beotlo damages cigars nnd cigarettes principally by boring them out and making round holes In tho wrappers bo they will not draw. I.f tobacco Is rendered useless for vipplng purposes by being punc tured with holes mndo by both tho lur vao and tho beetles. Fillers" nnd flno cut tobacco suffer from tho nctual nmount consumed by tho larvao. There Is ono caso on record where tho beetle was accidentally Introduced into a Etoro in a shipment of plug tobacco. In n very short tlmo about threo weeks, I Ihlnk tho Insect increased and almost took possession of tho place. It entered tho clgnr cases and completely ruined a high-priced stock of goods. Wo nro beginning to know how to deal with tho pest now and don't Buffer from It as much as for merly, but still I'm truly sorry to boo them appear In my stock ngal'n. This Is tho first packngo of clgarottes l'vo noticed tho beetles In this season, nnd l'vo got to go right to work to put them out of business." Winiiuii TlilovcU. According to tho Paris police there has been n marked lncroaao of Into In tho number of women thieves In that city. It scorns thoy ennnot resist tho temptation offered by tho dlBp'uy3 In tho largo shops. MAYING FOB, RAIN. POPULACE PROSTRATES ITSELF UPON THE PLAINS. Queer Ctiitnm In Southern rerilit The High I'rlrtt lloMe the Job, and I tfaually a Wenlher l'ronhet of Ifti Mean Ability. (Special Letter.) n i aim ess season In Southern Persia iscs groat privation and loss to tho :lvcs moro especially tho poorer ss, as they depend on tho rain to ten tho bnked-up soli, so that they per Plow It with their rude lmplcmonta pcf Bw tholr corn, etc. And not only I -"o nrougni a terror o mo nauve. ropenns, who aro scattered about In tho different provinces in twos and threes. For, In rainless tlmca, pillag ing becomes rlfo In tho towns, and highway robbery nn overy-day occur rence. Tho drought la Invariably put down to tho least likely circumstance, nnd at such times a moro evil cyo than over is cast upon tho unfortunate stranger. Tho populace must have Borne outlet or other for their feel ings, and consequently something Is singled out ns being tho causo of tho drought moro especially so If that something has any connection with a Europenn. In such cases a howling mob speedily congregates, and the of PRAYINO FOR RAIN. fending person Is given an exceedingly uncomfortable qunrter of an hour, If Indeed his houso bo not forthwith de molished. In times of drought tho clerics hold constant prayer meetings at tho mosquos, and tho various sig nals aro generally glvon by tho high priest, who, watching n favorable op portunity (probably when n fow black clouds nro about), ordcia an en masse prayer meeting, sending crlors around tho town for tho purposo. Tho wholo populnco promptly troops out. onto tho plnlns beyond tho town nnd then, fac ing tho southwest In tho direction of Mecca, and led by tho clerics, thoy en gago In prayer now standing, now squatting, or olso bending tholr bodies till tholr foreheads touch tho ground, ns Been In tho remarkable photograph reproduced. Or thoy touch with tholr foreheads tho Httlo plcco of stono (from Moccn) that most of them carry with them. All tho earnest devotees keep tlmo moro or loss with tho high priest. Tho prayera sometimes last n wholo day, great reverenco being con stantly shown to tho high priest. Hun dreds of tho faithful kiss his hands or garments, whenever nn opportunity of fers. And should rain happen to fall within n week, his fa mo spreada far and wide. Needless to say tho high priest Is n wenthor prophet,, and ho Is careful to solcct n tlmo when ho has good reason to suppose that a heavy shower la not far off. MANILA AT NIGHT. City hcrujmloinly l'ollcuil unit Nocturnal Tritvulnr Cloanly Wutchrd. Carriages are hut llttlo seen at night. The nntlvo driver of a public vehlclo Is not allowed out any moro than a pe destrian would bo. Hcnco thero Is no carriage to bo had, unless you nro tho owner or lossea of n prlvnto rig, and oven then you must be cither official or sufficiently nenr so to be privileged to pass your driver by tho sontry. Moreover, every tlmo you are halted In n carrlago you must leave tho enr rlago and ndvnnco on foot for Inspec tion nnd question. Over In tho San Nlcholaa district, around the port, the sentries arc so thick that proceeding In n carrlago Is moro tlresomo by far than walking. Every llttlo Interval covorcd necessitates anothor halt, explanations, advance, nnd tho samo thing over again, about as fa3t as you can enter tho carrlago and alight. Thero is no pleasure In a night rldo through tho crowded parts of Manila. But tho end Justifies tho moans. Thero are no na tlvo uprlslngB, and no possibility of ono. No city in tho world is as aafo by night as Manila. Dcsertod and nearly as still as tho gravo it remains, under martial law, until broad day light comes around again, when win dows open, Bhutters come down, tha populaco swarms out, and tho busy Ufa of a city begins Ilko magic with tha firing of tho sunrise gun. Manila Cor respondenco Leslie's Weekly. Hnrlndled Forty Lawyer. Evorybody is laughing in New. York nt tiie success of a rogue in swlndllng forty lawy9rs. His modo of oporating was to retain lnwyors to prosecute rail road companies for fictitious personal Injuries, agreeing to divide tho pro ceeds, and on tho strength of such re tainer to borrow small sums of money. Cheating n Inwyer la regarded as a. rcmurknblo font of Ingenuity, much aa the Yorkshire wngoner regarded tha font of Nicholas Nlckloby, when a scholar, In thrushlng a schoolmaster who wns fumous for flogging his pu pils. Tho honest wngoner save Nich olas a guinea In token of admiration, for his exploit. Albany Argua