The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-06-19
THE ouNkARos IN COUNCIL
German Baptists Gather in Conference in
An old Virginia Town.

1AkklSONbJR5, a., June IL CptCldis
The German baptists or dunkards of the
United States are holding their annual
conference here. The town is located
twenty-six miles northeast of Staunton
and 100miles southwest of Harper's Ferry,
in the famous Shenandoah valley OF Nir-
ginia. 1t was the scene of many conflicts
during the war The battle of Port Re-
public and Cross Keyes, fought between
the forces of "StonewalI' Jackson and
those of Gems. Banks, Fremont and
Shields, in 1862, took place within twelve
and nine miles, respectively, OF this place.
The surrounding country for many miles
is exceedingly fertile and handsomely i'm
proved. Three weekly newspapers are
published here.
The dunkards form large per cent. OF
the population of this section of the val
ley, and here, as elsewhere, they are a
plain, pleasant, honest and industrious
agricultural people. They possess fine
farms, cattle and horses, and have neat
homes. As q church sect they had their
origin near Wertemberg Germany, 1888.
As is generally well known, they do many
things quite differently from other Chris
tian churches. Their dress and habits in
this section are characterized by the early
patterns OF the German fathers. This
is very plain, the men wearing their coats
all of one shape and without
buttons, except couple near the collar;
their hats are low crown and broad
brimmed; their hair is worn long, while
their boards rarely ever embrace a mus
tache, but only the growth on the face and
chin. The women wear small white caps
beneath large bonnets, a small cape upon
their shoulders, straight, plain dresses,
and no flounces nor frills. These people
are opposed to going to war, do not gen
orally sue each other for the collection of
debts, but adjust all such difficulties in
church meetings They do not allow
members to solicit any public Office, but
holding such Office is allowed, if it come
unsolicited. The brethren salute one an
other with kiss when they meet, and the
sisters salute one another likewise. The
church observes certain ordinances OF the
Old Jewish dispensation, not generally
he'd to in the tenets of other churches,
namely that OF feet washing and eating
Lamb soup" at stated times, within their
churches, where it is prepared. They
bring their children up in the paths OF
sobriety, industry and pietv.
OF the annual conference it should be
said that fully six weeks had been spent
by the committees in arranging for the
meeting, which is composed of state dis
trict representatives and a delegate from
each congregation. having a regularly or
dained elder, in the following states,
which are now represented here, as fol-
lows: Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas,
Nebraska, Oregon, California and also
Denmark, Europe. The organization con-
sists of Elder S. S. Mohler of Missouri,
moderator; j. G.. Roger of Mt. Morris,
ILL.,, writing clerk; John Wise of Kansas,
reading clerk, and Enoch Ebv of Missouri.
door-keeper.
The standing committee, which is COM
posed of the state district representatives,
has thirty-three members present. The
delegates present number nearly three
hundred. The state district delegates
from Indiana are Amos B. Peters of the
North district, ]. II. Wright of the Middle
district and Lewis w. Teeters OF the South
district. The following ministers are in
Jacob Smell, Daniel Shivelv Daniel Wv
song. w. r. Deeter, Samuel Leckrone, J.
G. Murray, S. S. Ulery, Davis Y once,
Daniel Smell, r. H. Miller, Noah Fisher,
Robert Metzgar, Joseph Sheplar and many
others. From the executive committee,
composed of Messrs. +. X. Cline, president;
B. A. Myers, treasurer, and p. s. Thomas,
secretary, the accompanying figures give
some idea of the vast arrangements here
made, vet wholly insufficient to meet the
wants of the many thousand who are
gathered to this Mecca.
There are seven large buildings tenn
porarily set up, in which 100000 feet of
Virginia pine lumber has been used.
The tabernacle is 100x150 feet, and has
seating capacity of nearly five thousand
persons. The dining hall is 50x50 feet.
The cooking hall is 4Sx50 feet, the res
taurant is 50x72 feet and the lunch-room
20xl40 feet. Within the cooking-hall are
three large boilers, in one of which
over two thousand two hundred pounds
of beef is boiled at one time. The coffee
boiler has capacity OF about three hun
dred gallons, and this is kept busy, whilst
the other boiler heats about the same
number of gallons of water. There has
been supplied for this occasion eighteen
DeeVeS, averaging over one tnousanu seven
hundred pounds, over seven thousand
pounds of bread, 900 pounds country ham,
1000 pounds butter, 100 gallons apple
butter, 600 dozen eggs, and large quanti-
ties of lard, potatoes, prunes, oranges,
lemons, peanuts, bananas, sugar, salt, milk,
sausage, etc, 200 sets knives and forks, 200
sets plates, 200 sets cups and saucers, and
500 dishes, of from five to nine inches.
The grounds are densely dotted with tents,
and visitors bunk within these at night,
whilst the citizens of the town and SUR
rounding country for miles have every
room hacked with nennle