Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-06-06

Local
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National Convention ef German Ba otists
or Thinkers
GREAT OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
NOTES ABOUT A SINGULAR PEOPLE
HOW THEIR CHURCH BUSINESS is
TRANSACTED,
&C., w., "e'
This RELIGIOUS body is now in session at
Linville Greek church on the Valley TALL
road. with r. I'll. Miller OF Indiana. as
Moderator. While the faith OF this excel
lent body of citizens is not peculiar, thelr
modes of worship and their social haolts
are, and have been made the subject Oh
numerous descriptions. They are singular
in the uniformity Of their appearance, even
to the wearing of the beard and parting
of the hair by the men, and the caps, sun
bonnets and close fitting unadorned dresses
of the women. They 10 not belleVe III
war nor in law, and Il e morality OF their
feet washing at the sacrament and many
other forms not practicad by other church
es and which are long since familiar to our
readers by repeated descriptions. The de-
nomination numbers some ninety thousand
in America and is chiefly found in Virgin
ia, Pennsylvania and tile West and North
west OF their mode OF living it has been
said by a distinguished Christian writer
that s.if all the world were Thinkers the
millennium would not b. far off,"
The excursion train hat left the Valley
depot here at sunrise Wednesday IL orning
carried ten coaches and large mum
Der of passengers. on their way to the Con
ference. Long before the train reached It's
destination every car vas packed-seats,
aisles and platforms, and the conductor
told our reporter he had 900 passengers
on board. A large crowd waiting at Linn
vile could not get on, and had to wait I'M
til the train could run down to the confer
ence grounds, unload, and return for
them.
At Kline's crossing 50 miles from Staun-
ton and Is from Harris ,nburg, the near-
est point to Linnville Greek church, where
this great national conference IS held,
a new sign board nailed to post at the
| crossing informs the stranger that it is
only quarter mile to the church. Long
| trains from other points on the B. u o.
| road put off their loads of people at this
point. The road from there to the grounds,
almost blocked up with hacks, carriages,
| wagons of every description, persons on
horseback, led horses, &C., looks like
| Broadway, New York rather than Broad
| way, Rockingham, while the smile Of
sidewalks is carried out by the constant
| stream of pedestrians coming and going
along the broad beaten track inside the
| fields, where they are directed over stout
| new stiles by another board, "Footmen,
cross here.'' Just before reaching the
church guide board directs ITO the
hitchlng yard" which is inclosed by .
stout wire, and where the numerous teams
| are secured.
The church is a very large, plainly built
frame edifice painted. brown, with lime
stone foundation. 1t has the addition,
usually found to churches of this denomi-
| nation, an ample chimney and fire
| place for cooking, as all their meetings are
protracted and the members from dis
| lance are always fed. Public services are
held in this building during the session Of
the conference, in order to entertain a
portion of the crowd which is so large
that not one-fourth can get within hearing
of the speakers at the Conference cham
| Der. This last is a large frame shed STIR &C.
| ture supported by strong posts and open
around the sides. 1t is situated in a sink
| which forms natural amphitheaf re. The
| sloping sides of the depression being COW
cred with seats, which are fillet. with peo-
pie who easily look down upon the dele
gates in conference beneath the shed. A
long table runs the whole length of the
structure on each side Of which sit the
venerable fathers, nearly all of them with
long flowing grey hair and beard. On one
side of these fathers Sit the male members
and on the other the # males, all the latte :.
wearing the neat little white muslin Tan
which to many is quite becoming.
LOOK IN THE DINING HALL
which is the most spacioms building nnon
the grounds, shows 500 persons atine at
five long tables. In front OF eac:, is a plate
knife and fork, spoon and tin cup. At
convenient distances are large ,rown bowls
of soup and plates of bread, u after and an.
pie butter. Beef and mutton i. tea and COT
fee are served by the 200 W, liters of both
sexes who have each a prir tied card upon
their breast showing winch table and
which side of it he or she is to attend to.
The Kitchen is attached in the shape of a
L to this building ard all the arrange
ments there are OH large scale. About
2,0oO persons took dinner there Tuesday
but on Wednesday the crowd was so great.
there being probably 10 900 persons on the
ground, that only the church members
were allowed to eat and even then $500.
persons dlned. There are 1000 pounds of
ham and 100 gallons OF coffee made at one.
cooking, and the bread is conveyed TO the.
Kitchen by cavalcade of wheeloarrows
guarded by stout young men with sticks
NO SMOKING.
Near this building and at several other
points are stuck up notices on boards "nm
SMOKING on the grounds" and the police
are dlligent in requiring the observance of
that regulation. Long rows of booths and
s'ahds are arranged around the grouDj H.
Where lunches, ice cream, lemonade. G 10
ana other mild refreshments are fur ;a,.as
r.T