Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-23
IN GERMANY.


LWEIBRUCKEN, Germany, }
Sept. 4, 1881. )
have just visited an Amish family who
live few miles from this town and am
now waiting to take the railroad back to
Speier. The family is named Stalter, and
consists of the parents, six children. and
two aunts Of the latter. 1t must be con-
sidered rich farming family, as one of
the sons just brought me to the station in
a two horse carriage. Yet the house was
furnished with a simplicity equal to il not
greater than similar ones ut home.
was very Hospitality entertained by the
Stalter family and was able to gather con-
siderable information. l heard of none of
our Lancaster county names here, but
Guth now Good y. Jacob Stalter no
longer dresses like our Amish people in
Lancaster county. His wife did, however,
show me waistcoat which her husband
once wore, which had hooks and eyes in
stead of buttons, but rs it was made of
black satin, told him that our Amish
people would think he was proud. Iun-
derstand that the Amish people here very
much resemble the other Mcnnonites cx-
cept that they still hold to fect-washing.
They hold their meetings in a house or
hall, and not around in private houses as
with us. The community or meeting to
which Mr.. Stalter belongs still have min
listers among themselves, but they know
of another where the minister is paid.
As my host, Jacob Stalter, has travelled
in Switzerland, it may be interesting to
mention something that he said. All the
Mennonites in the country where now
am (thc Palatinatc) came from Switzer-
land, he says. lie added that when they
came from Switzerland (whence they were
banished by some of the Reformed church)
many of them were weavers, but now they
have earned money, and are all, or almost
all, farmers.
While Mr.. Staltcr was in Switzerland he
met family OF Amish there named Stauf-
fer, who still Wore hooks and eyes. They
lived near the town of Basic and sold milk
there (Basle having about $4,000 iuhabi-
tints). There are also Stauffers in AL
SAGE, near Basle, who are Amish. All of
the Mennonites that Mr.. Stalter saw in
Switzerland were farmers, and they were
mostly Amish. He gave me the names of
several families, but the only ones that
recognized as being found in Lancaster
county We're Wenger and Schwartz. AS
to the manner in which tho StaIter family
are likely to escape part of the heavy
military service required in this country,
l will make a few remarks. Since the
year 1871 (or abou the close of the great
war between France and Germany every
young man in Germany must perform mill
itary service ut the age Of twenty. II
they prefer they may begin aJ sixteen.
They go usually into great stone barracks
to remain for three years. But the three
years service can be turned into
one years and otherwise lightcncd,
thus: First, the young man must
have been three years in common public
school, or FOLKS .schule. Then he must 20
six years in 4 school of higher grade, cr
a German gymnasium, a Real schale, where
he studies Onc foreign language, either
French or English, chemistry, physics,
mathematics, history, natural history. AT
the end of these six years if he cannot
pass his examination he may go back and
stay another year. Then he will be ready
to enter upon the mitigated military ser.
vice for one year only. If he stays in the
barracks he will receive coffee and brown
bread for breakfast, soup, meat and pOta
toes for dinner with some variation,
believe, such rs the remarkably good
liver dumplinss). He will buy his own
supper out Of his liberal daily allowance
of five aud half cents. But if he does
not wish to live in garrison he can take a
room elsewhere, and so through all tho
military exercises with the other soldiers
and board himself, or pay for his board
happy man! But besides this, if he goes
in for one year only he must furnish his
own warlike trappings.
Dunkers.
Another family lived close by Jacob
Stalter's who were Amisn until about
1871. They are named Oesch. think the
same name is i'll Lancaster county rs ESch.
They have, however, joined the Tunkers,
or those who immersc. 1t seems that they
call themselves Believers, and are by some
called Frolichaner, from Swiss preacher
named FrOlich. CThe same name, or
FrOhlich, is found in Lancaster cOunty.)
That this family of Oesch are of the
old Amish stock seems to be further in
dicated by their having in the house the
old Amish hymn book, Of which l spoke
in my volume, "Pennsylvania Dutch
and Other Essays" The volume here is
called "Onsr Bundt" (and, to translate
the rest of the title, "some beautiful
Christian songs which were written by the
Swiss Brethren when imprisoned in the
castle at Passau, and by other orthodox
Christians here and there. Basle, 1909. y
The Oesch family have also the great
Martyr book, we'll known in Lancasser
county. This one bore on it's title page
something which may also interest our
fellow citizens abbreviated and trans
lated thus Tile Bloody Spectacle or
Martyrs MIrror, by T. J. V. Braght,
afterwards turned into German by the
brotherhood at Ephrata, Pa, and by them
printed in the year174S. now revised and
printed anew by the united brotherhood
s,,E hr, l,