Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-11-22
THE DCNKERS


The Deterioration of n Peculiar People
While Wa were passing out 10 Wavnes !
boro, saws Gath, We could see the Dunk |
ers going to church in every direction.
OFF to the left, a, the edge OF q woods.
was a small church with many grave
stones around il. There" said the
driver, ''is Prices bunker meeting,
where they hold their biggest love-feasts.
You probably cannot see bigger love
feasts in all Pennsylvania, or Maryland
or Virginia"
The railroad underneath us running
through the Antietam valley was speed
ing toward Mount Alto. We came to
small schoolhouse, around which car
riages were hitched. generally smart
looking buggies with plenty of varnish,
and inside we could see the Dunkers
sitting, the women III their little caps,
the men in their long boards Urshaved
except upon the upper lip. Said l ''ls
it true that the Dunkers will not tolerate
musical instruments ?" y
'It was against their doctrine, but
their daughters are bringing in piancT
and organs now. There was tim,
when they would not have an accordion
in the house nor mouth-organ. But
their sons are getting to be pretty hard
cases. Sometimes at the bunker love
feasts you can see the worst fighters IN
the children of the Dunkers. who are
eating the Passover supper. They did
not used tp vote. Now they vote pretty
sharp, | tell you. There was time
when they never went to law with each
other, but now the lawyers say nobody
enjoys a suit more than a bunker.
Thus talking, we began to descend q
beautiful piece Of road, shaded bv great
oak trees and hickory trees, with hill
on the right, while directly underneath
Us could be seen another road coming
through valley, the two apparently to
meet close by. Looking to the right
and through grove of oaks and other
trees we observed a kind Of triangular
meadow in which WAS a white plastered
! church and a very long. red brick
| house. THAT Is Snow Hill. said nv
acquaintance, "where the Seventh Day
Baptists have g nunnery. The railroad
station here is called Nnnnerv' See
them now working in the fields and
mills on Sunday"
looked with interest and surprise on
this strange settlement. The house was
about l30 to 80 feet long. ani seemed
to have been extended from time to
time, and it had on the top sort Of
small cupola and bell, with wheel TO
ring the bell, while Ne nunnery
crouched under the hilA Close by
were the beautiful Blue R\lge Noun
tains, looking so inviting with their
green and blue sides, and little white
settlements ami patches Of mountain
pasture and fields l then recolected
that Snow Hill was an offshoot of Eph
rata.
"Ah,' said my friend, this old settle
ment is on its last legs. They haven't
got half dozen people there now, and
they don't agree with each other. The
monastic life does not suit this railroad
age. The Seventh Day Baptists. desr
ing not 70 be ou'done in the character
Of their love-feasts by the regular Dunk
ers, offered great entertainments fol
years, but the rowdies finally molestet
them. Some years ago their spring
Lonse was invaded, the milk drunk ant
all the crockery broken at love-feast
When the followers Of Conrad Bisse
lr llztt ~ INST them for breaking Sun
j = /. i ~al1 TIA. the court decide
a1s5a-t u SEr4'h Day Dunkers