The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-05-01
The AmiSh Community.

rious and unnoticed people. They form
more than half the population of tn,
broad and fertile valley in which they
live. They are all farmers, and gooc
farmers, too, even if their methods are
old fashioned. Not one of them i.
known to be in want, for when one O.
their number meets with reverses in hi.
business affairs the others promptly sup
ply him with the necessary money OF
lands. They seem to believe in social.
istic principles, for they maintain an
equality of wealth among themselves.
Yet each one is decidedly economical
and strives to save every cent possible.
The children are not sent away to school,
as education is looked upon as one oi
the devices of the evil one, but instead
their children are 'thired out' to earn
few dollars.
| The hnnsee in which they live are
usually large wooden structures. The
doors are in halves, so that in the sum.
mer the upper half may be left open.
Carpets are unknown, and the floors are
bare except where kind of rug is spread
before the fire. The furniture is scant
and cheap. No ornaments of any kind
adorn the walls. There is no painting
or papering, but only heavy coating
of solution of lime and water on the
sides and ceilings of the rooms. The
barns are built not only to afford a
storehouse for the products of the sur
rounding farm, but apparently to con
tain the products of farms which may
be purchased in the future All of these
barns are painted either red or brown,
or, as some seem to prefer dark yell
low. All the fences and surrounding
buildings are whitewashed every year,
and sometimes twice year.
These people came from Germany
and settled here in the early part of the
present century. In religion as well as
customs they resemble the Dunkards
and the Quakers. Those who are Or
thodox Amish worship in each others
houses changing from house to house.
They elect one of their number to preach
for them, and he has no previous pre-
paration except becoming able to read
the German Bible. He is not paid for
his services, although he is expected to
give an hours harangue each Sunday.
At these meetings, which are always
long, they have kind of feast after the
services are over. A long table is set
with several large bowls of bean soup
and large supply of "half-moon" pies.
With this unvaried diet they literally
gorge themselves. They are opposed
to war and to law. Many time have
they suffered themselves to be robbed of
hundreds of dollars rather than take a
legal oath. They firmly believe that
the Scriptural injunction, "swear not at
al" has referenceto legal swearing, and
consequently they will not hold offices
of trust. They also have a peculiar
aversion to war, and it is said that dur
ing the civil war only one Amishman
took I'D arms. and he did so against the
bounty, not from cowardice, but be-
cause they regard all war as sinful.
These people are among the least pre-
tentious under the sun. The men are
clad in heavy homespun cloth suits,
often of a kind Of yellowish color.
These are cut roomy in every part. The
coats of the old men are very long and
of the young men very short. They
discard buttons and use metal "hooks
and eyes," Even on the coolest days
they are seen without overcoats They
all wear wide brimmed hats and heavy
cowhide boots. They never shave, and
their hair is allowed to hang down upon
the shoulders in thick heavy locks. The
hair of the boys and young. men is never
touched by barber. 1t is occasionally
trimmed by their fathers, however. 1t
is banged by combing forward and cut
ting off just above the eyebrows.
The women, among whom are many
rustic beauties, do much of the outdoor
work, such as digging garden and feed
ing pigs. They wear Mother Hubbard
dresses cut from plain CLOTH, either
brown, black or blue. Other colors are
combined so as to give them kind OF
foreign flag appearance. A snowy-whlte
cap is worn on the head, and sun-bon-
net, either yellow. red or blue. About
the waist is wrapped or pinned an affair
resembling a small-cover. The women
also wear large wide -brimmed straw hats,
having the sides tied down, forming
what are called "scoops." " These are
worn winter and summer.
But of late years the Amish people
have been dividing into factions. Young
members are breaking off and others
have been disregarding the rules SO as
to cause their accommodation. As
no new supplies are coming in to re,
cruit the diminishing ranks it is evident
that sooner or later this people will be-
come blended with the other Caucaslans
of their vicinity.