Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-09-25
PIOUS SHERMANITES.
A Peculiar Glass Of People Living
in Alabama.
They Are Honest, Temperate, Wash One
AnOther's Feet, But Never Cut Their
Hair = Religious Enthusiasts
Full of Quaint Conceits.

Hair = Religious Enthusiasts
Full of Quaint Conceits.
The other day rough-looking country
man walked into a general supply store in
this city and stated to the proprietor that he
] wanted to purchase 800 worth of goods on
credit, writes Birmingham (Ala) cor
respondent of the Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette. The man wore his hair long
/ like woman, and his beard reached al
most to his waist. His clothes were all
made at home; they were ill-dtting and of
/ the cheapest material, and altogether he
was strange specimen of humanity.
"What is your name!" asked the mer-
chant, when the man stated his business.
John Smith, answered the countryman.
"When can you pay for the goods"
| "Pn pay you in November, when I sell
my cotton crop"
'All right, Mr.. Smith; you can have the
! goods"
| The goods were soon loaded on Smiths
! wagon, and he drove away without giving
the merchant a note or any kind of security.
'Do you know the man" asked of the
merchant
''Never saw him before"
"Will he pay you for those goodsl'
Certainly"
"How do you knowl"
because he is Shermanite. He is q
member of a remarkable religious society,
and II he failed to pay debt he would be
| expelled from his church, and driven from
the community in which he lives, in dis
grace. Imay not see or hear Of him again
until next November, but if he is living he
will come and pay me every cent he owes
me. The Shermanites all wear their hair
long like this one, and they are easily REQ
ognized any where.''
In Leeds Valley, in the northwestern
part Of this county, there is a colony Of
Shermanites. There are about one hun
dred families, and happier, more content
ed people can not be found in the world.
Their religious rites and ceremonies are
peculiar. Who founded the society none of
them seem to know, but it Is very old, as
the fathers and grandfathers Of the present
! generation were Shermanites They claim
to follow the teachings of the New Tesla
ment In spirit and letter, and they believe
that only Shermanites will inherit the
Kingdom of Heaven. They have churches
and preachers and worship in manner
similar to many o$her religious scots One
OF their peculiar rites is the washing of
feet. A foot washing service is held once
every month, at which the preacher washes
the feet Of every member of the church.
The members then in turn wash the feet of
the preacher and Of each other. This service
usually lasts all day, being interpreted
with singing and praying.
Members of all other religious denomina-
tions they regard as heather, and send
missionaries among them instead Of send
ing them to foreign lands. ShermaEites
never cut their hair or beard, claiming that
Christ never patronized barber-shops. In
every home may be found ancient wood.
cuts representing Christ and His Apostles
as wearing long hair and beard A Sher-
mantle who falls from grace is lost forever,
and he must always live up to certain moral
and business rules which are very rigid.
To pay all debts is part of their religion
No man can be saved, they say, who does
not pay his neighbor what he owes him.
They never charge one another interest on
a loan, and no written acknowledgment Of a
debt is ever gwen. The word of Sher-
mantle is his bond, and it becomes his
sacred duty for him to fulfill every promise
made. They are an industrious people be-
cause industry is part of their creed.
The Shermanites are all small farmers,
| but most Of them own their farms and
some stock. Many of them are compelled
to purchase few supplies ia this city every
summer, for which they are unable to pay
cash. Where their peculiar religion is
known they have no trouble in obtaining all
the credit they want. They give no notes
or security of any kind, but merchants who
have done business with them for years
have never lost dollar due from Sher-
mantle customer. Their preachers accept
no pay for preaching the Gospel, working
on their farms during the week as hard as
any member of the Church. Divorce
is something unknown among these
people, and the women are all
! virtuous. Drunkenness is another vice un-
known among these people, as they follow
to the letter the advice of the Apostle, who
said: "Be temperate in all things" Their
homes are models Of neatness and comfort
and the stranger is always welcome within
their gates. 1t would be almost an insult tc
tender them payment for food, lodging OF
any other favor shown a stranger. The
Shermanites make few converts to theil
peculiar religion, but they lose no members
and seem happy and contented in simply
holding their own.
une ramsrkable thing about them is thai
they will have nothing to do with court.
and lawyers. a law suit in which a Sher
mantle was plaintiff can not be found on the
court records of this country. They never
seek legal advice unless it IS actually nee
essary. All their differences are settled b.
arbitration, mutual friends being the arbi
traitors, and the civil courts are never
under any circumstances resorted to. They
seek in every way possible to avoid jur,
duty or being summoned as witnesses il
any cases. They take no part in politics
aud Shermapite was never known to holC
an Office Of any kind: Some Of them vote a
every election, but they have no campaign
clubs in their community, and every man il
allowed to vote as he >pleases. Many o
them never vote at all.
The first settlers of this Shermanite col
ony came to Alabama from South Carolin,
and Georgia about forty-five years ago. Tit
Oldest of them say their ancestors CAM
originally from New England, but they arr
IL. IL