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74 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
of the good time coming, when Free Love should Joe the universal inheritance
of the children of the earth, he Avas assail*© by a score of men
and Avomen with straAv shavings and matches at hand who made short
Avork of subduing the apostle of the NeAV Faith. The Free Love question
AA'as made an issue at the" next tovA'iiship election. The opponents controlled
the regular caucus, and nominated for office men in favor of
expelling the Free Lovers^. The friends of toleration bolted the regular
ticket and nominated a new one pledged to protect the Free Lovers so
long as they could not be proved guilty of violating any laAV. The Free
Love ticket as it Avas called was elected by a considerable majority.
"It is to be understood that the Berlin socialists are of the independent
sort never having patterned after any of the great lights such
as Fourier, OAven, Noyes, or Ann Lee, and live not on the communistic
plan but each on his OAvn book. They are scattered over a territory a mile
or so in extent, including one side of the village of Berlin Heights and
thence extending out on small fruit farms. At the period referred to—
the summer of 1858—a small group of the faithful occupied a place
nearly a mile aAvay from most of their brethren. Whether they AA'ere
to conceal their real mode of life or Avere really more gross or sensual
the Avriter cannot determine from the data furnished him, but it is certainly
true that they had a secluded and lovely bathing place on their
small domain Avhere members of the group of opposite sex and compensative
temperaments Avere accustomed to retire in the heat of the day
to give practical demonstration that Eden innocence had come to earth
again. All that sort of thing might have continued at least through the
summer months up to this date, had not one of the neighbors chanced to
go that way one day looking for his lost COAV. This disturber,of Eden
No. 2 instead of folloAving in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor
and trying his arts upon the Eves of the locality, whispered abroad an
account of Avhat he had seen. So AA'ild and secluded was the spot that
those Avho in bliss and beauty disported in the water AA'ere all unconscious
df the approach of any serpents to mar their peace. It Avas generally
thought that those took especial pains to see Avhat they regarded as impure
were more reprehensible than the actors themselves; still the performance
of the bathers Avas regarded Avith unmitigated disgust. Many
of the Free Lovers themselves Avere indignant on account of the disgraceful
proceedings. Since that time they have encountered very little
opposition. They are remarkably frugal and industrious, having developed
the fruit groAving qualities of the ground occupied by them to a
marvellous extent. A disposition to deal fairly in matters of business
in one of their principle characteristics. Their characters are unimpeachable
except in so far as they are given to Free Love and they don't force
that on anybody. Those of them AVIIO yet remain in Berlin (about 50
men and as many AA'omen) seem more devoted to secular pursuits than to
a dissemination of their peculiar doctrine."
Artemas Ward thus described his visit to the community:
"Some years ago I pitched my tent and enfurled my banner to the
breeze, in Berlin Hites, Ohio. I had beam that Berlin Hites was