The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-11-27

= strange Cessmony that Tooh Place Ne
Far irom Ephrata. ~.
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
20 many memories Of the revolutionary
epoch Of our Nations history, Il some
distance away. The people Of the town
like 70 tell you about the latter place.
they call Il the cloister here -speak Of
II with the greatest veneration and will
take you few steps out Of the way ~
show you . 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-
triotif enthusiasm. the Dunkers had
erected their buildings for religious
worship here.
To the everyday religionist they seem
like peculiar people. with their brbad-
brimmcd black hats, odd cut az coats
and with hair long and parted in the
middle.
bunker or TINKER comes from Ger
man funker, which means 10 dip. II Il
that part Of their ritual which has given
them the name Of the German Bap-
lists
There was time when the bunker
Church was small and had but one
Bishop IN this section. but the church
at Ephrata was set of from the main
congregation, or the Conestoga Church.
as il was called in 1864. Ii 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 today OF over
three hundred and fifty. perhaps over
four hundred.
AT noon last Thursday Dunkers from
every near section put on their newest l
beavers and their wives and daughters /
tncir caps Of snowy whiteness and |
rolled over the dusty highways TO the
mother Westinghouse the new Dunk
er meeting-house one mile from Ephra-
a. The annual love-fcast was to take
place All afternoon the preacher cx-
horted and the people prayed and sang
ana when evening came and those who
lived Tar away had partakcn Of the
plous evening meal In the basement OF
me church. people began TO flock into
ne roomy edifice and crowded Il 70
The Westinghouse Is the largest one
n the county and Is one story high.
'ut under its entire length there IS a
oomy basement divided into several
ooms Enter at the main door and az
ne other end Is the platform. Along
ther side are At least ten long benches.
ach one being foot higher than the
ther or one in front and running from
wo feet above the lower floor IN 10
we've feet They remind one Of par
uet circles and the lower floor the
PIT. On the inclined seats the i'm
nense crowd Of worldly people sat and
'atched the exercises
IN the center are two rows Of benches
At least twenty feet in length. They
ave high backs and on the usual meet
ng days are used as such To-day
very fourth one was turned around
no on the backs Of these wide board
Fas placed and that made first-rate {
anie, and SO Il was all over the church.
AZ 800 o'clock Ministers Ensmin9er. i
! Annvillc; Took. George and Christ
,ucner, o. Lebanon; Keller. Myers.
newcomer, Of White Oak. and Others
rose m the audience and soon the ser .
zee began with exhortations and sing 8
w The four hundred Dunkers tool A
2 active interest in the scryices- Or J,
Ne one side were seated the men. ~
y opposite side the women, and IN
'mparison they we're as five Is 10 three
!ne iatter's favor. Then there wass n
Y ~ the services and the little tubs b
ere brought out and the feet-washinc a
gan. This occupied az most AZ horr a
y after It had been finished the tables Il
ere surrounded and soup was handod n
ound- II was served in little bowls ~
y =. o'e feature was seeing four eat out al
We same bowl. II reminded one OF in
story Of the boy who had only 4 m
~ anu wanted TO treat his girl 10 ice Dc
'a'h ana ordered Zone cream with su
2 spoons, but this had four spoons. in
Z soup is made Of lamb flesh-typ- Of
\ q the Passover. Then the sacra- ca
Y. q the Lords supper. adminis- gr
81 similar to that OF other Churches. ha
after i the kiss Of charity was mi
en-. "A minister came to 4 bench 10
cre sat twenty men and he kissed th'
one nearest him. He in turn kissed thu
next. and % twas given one to the inf
n. until all had given each other Of
y penediction. On the other side al bel
mousse the wives Of the minister's sal
conesses as they are callcd--were foo
~ the same for the women. or
was midnight and the interesting 10
''ccs mad not ended, and II was at fes
I, TWO o'clock when II was finally ind
sned and the people dispersed. teri
'casfev fRd.) hteiiigcncer. or,
ais,