Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-14
THEY LIVE APART.
The Amish and Other Queer People in
Lancaster County, Pa.

Auc huhsu anu Otner queer feOpic In
Lancaster County, Pa.
Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR.
LANCASTER, Pa, June 8.
recent issue Of The STAR contained an in
teresting sketch Of an address which was de-
hyered by George E. Curtis before the Anthro-
biological Society of Washington, ID. c., on the
Amish. The following additional information
respecting this peculiar religious sect may not
be void of interest:
The Mennonites are followers of Memo
Simon, a reformer of the sixteenth century
who was born at Friesland in 1895 and died at
Fresenburg, Oldeslohe, in 1861. Their
history can be traced back to the Anabaptists,
from whom they are descended Religious
persecution compelled them to fee from one
country to another in Europe, and in 1858
William Penn induced few of the Swiss Men,
nonltes to emigrate to America. they settling
in the neighborhood now called Germantown,
Pa. From 1893 to 1855 they came to Pennsyl-
vania in great numbers. They we're the first
white settlers in Lancaster county, Pa, locat-
ing here in 1909. Since settling in Lancaster
county they have split into the following sects:
Mennonites, Reformed Mennonites. Amish,
River Brethren and New Brethren in Christ.
The Mennonites are commonly known in
Pennsylvania as Mennis, and the Amish as
Omish, which are the Pennsylvania German
names for Mennonite and Amish. The Amish
Is one of the smallest divisions, it having only
about 600 communicates in Lancaster county,
where they are more numerous than in any
other. The Mennonites, including the differ
ent branches, are more numerous in the
United States than in all the rest of the world,
and vet they have only about 100. 900 commune
Giants In this country. They have about $50
in many of the western states. The Mennonites
are Baptists, but they have no connection with
the regular Baptists.
DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE.
The Amish are agriculturists, their members
rarely learning any other trade. They have
three ordinances-baptism, the holy supper.
or Lords supper, and the washing the saints
feet. They frequently baptize converts in
creek or river even in mid-winter, the preacher
pouring water on the individual. They will
not receive adherents of other faiths into their
church and their members are not allowed TO
marry outside of their sect As they speak the
Pennsylvania German dialect and associate
only with their own people, they have practi-
cally isolated themselves from their American
neighbors.
They have but two meeting houses in Lam
caster county, one in Caernarvon and the other
In Salisbury township. They are opposed TO
building churches worshiping in private dwell
ling houses. In dress they greatly resemble the
members of the Society of Friends. While as a
CLASS tney are Qult6 wealthy. the average cost
per annum for clothing for the adult does not
exceed ten dollars. They will not hold politi-
cal office, but they vote the republican ticket
to man and are great protectionists The
Mennonites and Dunkers hold the balance of
political power in this county, which explains
why Lancaster gives such large republican ma
jorities.
THEY ABHoR POOR SOIL
A peculiarly of the Menuonites is that
they will not settle where there is poor soil
and that they as an almost invariable rule own
the land which they till. The farm work is
always done by the members of the family.
Their farms in Lancaster county were pur-
chased from William Penn at a uniform price
Of ten cents an acre. If they desired to dis
pose of their estate now they could obtain from
Sl25 to $3.50 per acre. In 1880 Lancaster con-
tanned 500 farms of average size of 81
acres and valued at 9,004, 9l9, the average
value being S7,608. These Christians always fol-
any one particular crop. During 1889 agricul-
ture was much depressed in this county owing
to western competition, unjust railroad discrim-
ination and the lack of demand for tobacco ow-
ing to foreign competition-from tobacco
grown on the island of Sumatra.
We have also in Lancaster county the Ger
man Baptists or Brethren, commonly called
Dunkers, who settled here in 1719-emigr ating
from Serntervein in Friesland. These Chris
tians are almost as numerous at the present
day in the United States as the Mennonites and
are found not only in Pennsylvania, but
throughout the west and in Maryland, Virginia,
West Virginia, Texas and Arkansas The Dun
kers practice feet washing, hold love feasts
baptize In creeks and rivers and the men sa-
Lutte each other with the ''holy kiss" The
German Religious Society of Seventh Day
Baptists Of Ephrsta Lancaster county, are an
offshoot from the Dunkers, with whom they
are generally confounded
OTHER PECULIAR sEcrs.
Lancaster county also contains representa-
tives of numerous other religious persuasions
which are not known in many portions Of the
United States, of which will name she Church
of God, Evangelical Association, Friends or
Quakers, Moravian, Reformed, Swedenborgian
and United Brethren
1t il dificult to give . history of even the
religious belief the Amish in . newspaper COM
munication, a. it would require a dictionary to
trace the etymology Of their names and the Pc
culiarities of their doctrines. The religious
belief of the Anabaptists was fanatical and
mystical Schwenkfsld, when he lived in su-
alba counted no less than forty-four different
scots, and BuIlingsr knew Of thirteen sects Of
Anabaptists, and found il difficult TO say what
doctrines they held in common.
have made the Mennonites and Dunkers q
study for o number of years. and have written
on this theme for such periodicals as the New
York Tribune. American Garden, &c. II any of
the members of the Anthropological Society
desires any information concerning them will
chesrfully furnish it DIN.