Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-06-23
THE DUNKERS.

This peculiar sect Of rcligionsts
though probably more numerous in
our State than elsewhere are but little
understood. The recent convocation
which came Off on tho premises Of
johnson Miller, on the line OF the Read
ing and Columbia railroad near the
village Litiz, Lancaster county, Is thus
detailed by a reporter of the Lancaster
htelligenccr The meeting on the 10th
was Of great religious and social i'm
portance TO this sect, whose tenets Of
faith and practice have recently been
the theme of several writers in leading
literary publications.
The Dunkers or Tunkers are a relig-
ious denomination founded at Schwar-
zenau, Germany, by Alexander Mack
and seven others in 1908, who, it is
said without any knowledge of the
existence Of other Baptists were led to
the rejection of pWdobaptism by read
ing the bible. Their name (from the
German tuaken, to Dip like that adopt
ed by many other religious denomina-
tions was originally given to them from
the Mennonites These are also called
Tumblers, from their practice in bap
tizing Of the first putting the head o.
the person baptized under the water
and by some they are known as Ger
man Baptists though they generally
style themselves simply Brethren OIL
River Brethren.
Fleeing from religious persecution
they all emigrated TO America abou
1925 and settled mostly in Pennsyl
vania, whence they have spread main
ly to Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and In
diana They at present number abou
60 churches and 10000 members, Oh,
large proportion of the latter being du,
to the fact that TO a great extent they
eschew regular meeting-housos and as
semblc for worship at private residen
ccs or in groves and barns,
According to their church govern
ment every member is allowed TO ex
hort, and when they find one of thei
number apt to teach and preach they
ordain him to the ministry, the highos
order of which arc the bishops. The,
also have deacons and deaconesses an,
the clergy are of three degrees.
Their peculiar style of dress is well
known to our citizens who are accus
toned TO see their yellow covered wag
ons on our streets and the men witt
their long boards, great broad -brimme'
hats, and plain coats fastened witt
hooks and eyes. They use great sim
plicity in speech and, like the Friends
are opposed to bearing arms and en-
gaging in litigation, Except to assum
a deiensive) and until. their more re
cent free association with the QUITE
world were not accustomed TO tax
interest on loans. But they hav
got over that. In their celebration Q
the Lords Supper they observe tn
ancient customs of washing the feet
exchanging the kisses of charity an
extending the right hand of fellowship
They anoint the sick with oil and 70
the most part they believe in genera
redemption, though their religious fait
is not, strictly speaking, that of I'm
versalism.
From the Dunkers have sprung tn
Seventh Day Baptists, which sect wa
founded on Mill creek, this county, b,
Conrad Beisel in 1925, and of who's
monastic society the cloister still rt
mains at Ephrata, while branch e'
tablished at Bedford still hourishes an
numbers ofmembers are found in Franb
lin county, Pa.
IN THIS COUNTY
the Dunkers proper are still numel
ous, and in Leacock, Salisbury and til
northeastern districts of the Conestog
valley large settlements OF them are t
be found, and it is of those belongin
to tothenorthernpart ofLancaster count
that the convention, known as the lov'
feast, is held to-day and to-moro'
near Litiz. One OF these meetings hel
near Mount Joy in September, 1877
afforded the subject for an article il
cluded in Mrs. Phoebe II. Gibbon
pennsylvania Dutch and other essays,
published n few years ago.
The train which left for Litiz at 81
this morning bore quite number {
passengers for the love-feast, anon
them some who could at once be r.
cognized by their garb as members (
the brethren, others mere sight-seer
while mingled in the number were
, few OF the irreprossiblc office seeker
with pockets full of their insinuatin
pasteboards and adopting the ollie
expression when they approached the
fellow passengers.
AT the various stations ON the roa
0 large numbers of Dunkers, male an
female, joined the train, and upon i
arrival at n road crossing about OF
mile this side of Litiz over one hundrC
, disembarkcd and walking northwai
for about half mile, reached the plat
of meeting, the large barn Of Johnsc
Miller, in Warwick township, aboi
one mile northeast of Litiz. The bar
is very large building, painted pin
. with two spacious floors and doub
mows (boarded over all of which we
provided with benches, affording a sea
$ ing capacity for at least 500 or ,0t
persons.
Upon our arrival on the grounds
Q o'clock a large number Of vehicle
mostly semi-market wagons, were {
ready drawn up in front Of the hou
Z and the horses had been stabbed by
half dozen boys who were in attcn
ancc to promptly receive all fresh 9
:, rivals and TO direct the brethren al
st sisters to the religious meeting whi
had already begun. Many of the
T. brought with them baskets of prov
ions TO add to the general store fro
b. which the feast was TO be provide
and these were taken charge of
those appointed for the purpose.
The northern part of the barn "
= assigned TO the women and childr
who had alrcay gathered there to {
number Of about 300, the former we
81 ing plain caps presenting higl
improved appearance after rcmov,
nd the stiff black bonncts which of
.eI hide pretty features or completely ov
~ '.s shadow attractive faces. On the sou
4. aldo entirelv scnaratcd from their ,viv