The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-08-31
nrNKARD LOTE FEAsT.
,..,,t,,- Five Thousand People Eating Soup
nit of Eight Hundred BOtVLs-1be
L,suIaTGt's Church and HO-
tel Combined.
Reading (Pa.) Eagle.


tel Combined.
Reading Pa.) Eagle.
At the Dunkard's Glove FEAST" at
Rebrersburg, the large concOurse pro
coded to the Swatara creek, about half
y mile from the church, where seven per-
AIMS were ready to be baptized. Rev.
pioutz prepared the whole party on the
land then proceeded with each one into
+be water very near up to their necks,
the water being about four and halt
feet deep at that place. Then, after In
voking a blessing from above, he gave
oocb of them three dips into the water,
uniting the whole person under the sur
face.
The party consisted OF five men and
two women, all married except one man.
Over 800 persons were present when
the baptizing was done. In the evening
Il was estimated that at least $500 per-
sons we're present. A feast was given to
all who desired to partake. Meat soup
was the principle dish served. The
brotbers and sisters were seated three
and three together, eating out of one
howl, each having shining spoon. No
bncksters were allowed on the premises.
Ministers from Ohio, Maryland, and
Pennsylvania were present. AS a gen.
eral thing, the Dunkards are all well off
in worldly goods, and generally inter
marry with each other, and the denOmi-
nation IS very strong. Each brother is
privileged to get up and make some re-
marks. They all talk the Pennsylvania
German, plain, but very slow. At least
q dozen brothers addressed the large au"
dience in one forenoon.
Each one asked a blessing upon the
former brothers address before he spoke.
They wear the plainest kind of clothing.
Many young ladies still in their teens
we're noticed wearing the neat but plain
white null cap, covering the whole head,
even the ears. The women, young and
old. dress alike-no curls or fancy head
dress to be seen. The dresses of the
women are mostly of calico, in the plain
est possible manner, no tucks, no pull
backs, nor Grecian bend, no founces, no
rufles, no ribbons, nothing but plain,
neat, but clean.
They generally wear small cape of
the same material the dress is made Of,
with a pure white handkerchief tied
around the neck. The men generally
wear bome-spun clothing of the plainest
goods. with no buttons-they use hooks
and ewes. The men all wear long hair,
parted in the middle, and 'combed back
of the ears. The basement of the church
is fitted up for the congregation to take
their meals in.
Three large tables ninety feet long
were filled again and again. The second
story is fitted up as a sleeping apartment,
where a great Fmany slept during the
night. After. the services were all over
the brothers and sisters bade each other
an afectionate farewell, the brothers low
ing and kissing each other and the sis
ters doing likewise.
On Friday meeting of the same de,
nomination commenced near Bonneville,
where a great many of the same partici'
pated One of the ministers..warned the
congregation earnestly, hoping none Of
the members would pay visit to the
centennial, giving his reason that the
centennial was nothing but worldly, and
their duty ON earth was to prepare fol
spiritual and not for worldly things.