Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-03
A BUNKER LovE-FEAs1.
L Strange Ceremony That Took Place NoH
Far from Ephrata, Pa.

| A BUNKER LovE-FEAsT.
L Strange Ceremony That Took Place Noe
Far from Ephrata, Pa.
About one mile northeast of the little
town of Ephrata, where the lane from
Fahnestock's mill crosses the old Read
ing Road. stands the new bunker
Meeting House. The old bunker set
Element, around which to-day cluster
80 many memories of the revolutionary
epoch of our Nations history. is some
distance away. The people of the town
like to tell you about the latter place
they call it the cloister here-speak of
il with the greatest veneration and will
take YOU few steps out of the way TO
show you a picture of the Saal. the
brothers house or the monastery. Way.
way back. when the infant United
States was laying uneasily in the cradle,
imbibing the nourishing milk of pa
! triotir ENTHUSIASM. the Dunkers had
erected their buildings for religious
worship here.
| To the everyday religionist they seem
like peculiar people, with their broad
brimmed black hats, odd cut of coats
and with hair long and parted in the
| middle.
| bunker or TINKER comes from Ger
man TINKER, which means to dip. 1t is
that part of their ritual which has given
them the name of the German Bap-
! fists
| There was a time when the bunker
Church was small and had but one
Bishop in this section, but the church
at Ephrata was set off from the main
congregation, or the ConestOga Church,
as it was called in 1864. 1t had then
only two hundred members, and Israel
Myers, who was the resident minister
at that time, but has gone to his long
rest. Rev. Samuel Harley, soon after
the establishment of the church, was
chosen Bishop and still presides. The
church has membership to-day of over
three hundred and fifty, perhaps over
four hundred.
At noon last Thursday Dunkers from
every near section put on their newest
beavers and their wives and daughters
their caps of snowy wilderness and
rolled over the dusty highways to the
mother meeting-house-the new Dunk
er Westinghouse one mile from Ephra-
ia. The annual love-feast was to take
place All afternoon the preacher eX
horted and the people prayed and sang
and when evening came and those who
lived far away had partaken of the
pious evening meal in the Basement of
the church, people began to flock into
the roomy editice and crowded it to
overlooking.
The Westinghouse is the largest one
in the county and is one story high.
but under its entire length there is
roOmy basement divided into several
rooms. Enter at the main door and at
the other end is the platform. Along
either side are at least ten long benches,
each one being a foot higher than the
other or one in front and running from
two feet above the lower floor up to
twelve feet. They remind one of par
quet circles and the lower floor the
''pit. On the inclined seats the I'M
mense crowd of worldly people sat and
watched the exercises.
In the center are two rows of benches
of at least twenty feet in length. They
have high backs and on the usual meet
ing days are used as SUCH To-day
every fourth one was turned around
and on the backs of these a wide board
was placed and that made first-rate
table. and so it was all over the church.
At $50 o'clock Ministers Ensminger,
of Annville; Zook, George and Christ
Butcher, of Lebanon. Keller, Myers,
Nawoo,,or Of Witt O,l- onJ otb o,,
arose in the audience and soon the SER
vice began with eXhortations and sing
ing. The four hundred Dunkers took
an active interest in the services. On
the one side were seated the men, on
the opposite side the women, and in
comparison they were as five is to three
in the latter's favor. Then there was
lull in the services and the little tubs
were brought out and the feet-washing
began. This occupied at most an hour,
and after it had been finished the tables
were surrounded and soup was handed
around. 1t was served in little bowls,
and one feature was seeing four eat out
of the same bowl. 1t reminded one of
the. story of the boy who had only a
dime and wanted to treat his girl to ice
cream and ordered ''One cream with
two spoons" but this had four spoons.
The soup is made of lamb fiesh-typ-
ical of the Passover. Then the sacra-
ment of the Lords supper, admins
tered similar to that of other churches,
and after it the kiss of charity was
given. A minister came to a bench
where sat twenty men and he kissed
the one nearest him. He in turn kissed
the next, and SO it twas given one to the
other until all had given each other
that benediction. On the other side of
the house the wives of the ministers
deaconesses as they are called-were
doing the same for the women.
1t was midnight and the interesting
services had not ended, and it was at
least two o'clock when it was finally
finished and the people dispersed
Lancaster (Pa.) IntelIigencer.