Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-10

COLONIES IN PENNSYLVANIA AND WEST vIR-
GINA WHO FOLLOW PRIMITIVE CUSTOMS.
the meeting of the Anthropological Society
Friday night Mr. George Z. Curtis OF the geo.
logical survey gave an interesting talk on the
Amish. In Lancaster, Somerset and Green
counties, Pennsylvania, in Preston county,
VIVA, he said, and in some other localities
there are to be found colonies Of religious
sect called the Amish Cor sometimes Omish. }
The Amish are branch Of the Mennunites.
Wherever found they are characterized pre-
eminently by honesty, integrity. and morality
Unlike the great churches of the Reformation.
the corner stone of their religion is not faith.
but works, Is not creed and belief, but con-
slstent living and unimpeachable conduct. In
order to maintain the purity Of their principles
they have largely isolated themselves from the
social, commercial and political lie OF the peo-
pie around them. Thus they have preserved I'M
changed Tor $50 Years the habits. manners Gus
toms, and even the dress Of their ancestors
and undoubtedly remain the most primitive
community OF ali who sought the shores of the
new world IN the last century. They desire to
De let alone, and are suspicious of strangers.
Inc Mennonite believes that the first great duty
OF lie Is Tor each man to mind his own bust
ness, and he both practices this himself and
expects the same courtesy from his neighbOrs.
The modern reporter who spreads before the
gaping world the sacred details of family life
would md no occupation and no encourage
ment III all Amlsh community
IN PRIMITIVE PLENTY.
With spinning wheels for fax and wool and a
hand loom for weaving cloth, they manufacture
a large part OF their clothing and other fabrics
needed IN the household. Plainness and sim
pIIclty OF dress Is a matter OF principle that was
emphasized by the leader of their sect The
varied products of their farm likewise supply
nearly all the necesSaries of life and only a few
Injuries, like tea and coffee, are purchased
Thus they are Independent of the outside
world, and were it entirely blotted out they
would pursue the peaceful tenor of their lives
WITH but the smallest amount of disarrange-
ment or inconvenience. Theories of political
economy, the contentious of labor and capital
Or the inlquity OF trusts nave for them no sig
nlhcance. As their religion is practical, and
not theoretical &c cOnlICt between science
and rellglo" aid the hyDo,heses of the new
theologT give them no concern. When in
trouble they pay one anothCr's debts; they sup
port and care for their own poor. and they
nave no criminals; they cake no part in politics;
they avoid courts of law and do not take an
oatn, but simply affirm; they erect no costly
church edlhces, but meet oG Sundays for Wor-
Shlp III their own houses. Ministers are chosen
oy lot from their own number L &c COM
munlon service Is celebrated twice a GEAR the
elements consisting of lambs broth and il is
generally preceded by feet washi @ Family
worship Is maintained and baptist is admins
tered only to those OF an adult age and then by
pouring.
THEIR IDEAS OF T. .DE.
SO far as possible their ade ls by barter
They never sell land exceI. in rare cases and
only with the consent of all the members of
the family. 1t is not permitted to marry out
side OF their own people. All strife and war
fare OF every KIND Is considered unchristian
and they will have nothing to do with war.
In this country their principles have been re-
spected and their military duties have been
mltlgated In all the wars in which we have
oeen engaged. All forms OF display are re-
garded with dlsapprOval and the preservation
| OF their own history Is included in the cata-
| logue OF practices that SAVIOR OF woridliness
ana even the simplest church records are fire.
quently neg lected Their humility is thorough
| gong and consistent. jacob Amen was the
| leader IN the separation of the AmIsh from the
Older Mennontes. Amen lived i'll Alsace and
| held very stringent views in regard to the
purity OF the church. He observed very
strictly tho ban and maintained that when a
transgressor was eXpe led from the church no
member III good standing should eat a COM
mon meal with HIM, even though he be of the
same family. In holding and practicing this
view lie was the cause OF division IN the
church. which took place III 1893 and exists to
| this day. but Is gradually fading out MANY
Amlsh ministers today do not even know the
points OF difference or the causes of the sepa-
ration. They have no distinctive Literature
aud no formulated statements OF TheIr belief
and creed. Amen was also very strict in OH
serving feet washing and IN the wearing of
PLAIN apparel. He held that wearing buttons
was worldly custom, hence all the Amish 10
| this day simply hooks and ewes. and were
consequently named haftler (hoohers). He
held 1t wrong to shave the beard. and hence all
| the male members of the Amish church wear
a beard on the face, but shave the upper lip
from thls circumstance they were called bartleI
| (beard mem.
| FACE To FACE WITH THE REFORMATION,
| The MenOnltes suffered for centuries the
| most intense prosecutions. and with the incom
| ing OF the Reformation the stake and the faggo
were for them only changed into new hands.
| Al the hands OF the CaIvlulsts in Switzerland
| In the early part OF the eighteenth century the
| fires OF persecution ragged 1ercer than ever and
sent chill OF horror through all Germany and
| called forth a memorable protest from the
| burgomasters of Rotterdam. Driven from
| their homes and aided by their wealthy breth.
| rem IN Holland the McnonItes and the Amjsb
| sought an asylum i'll the new world. Before
their descendants of today We stand face TO face
| with the Reformation. Their whole literature
| smacks of the fire, and beside record like
| theirs the sUffcrlngs OF the Pilgrims and Puri.
tans sink into lnslgniticance. The HYMN book
still! used by the AmIsh was written in the six
| teenth century and from 1t they sing OF Fell,
| Mantz. who was drowned In Zurich in 1926, anC
| of Sattler, who was burned to death III 1921
| But in the loud clamOr for worldly recognition
| the Mennonite has had no voice and has pur
| sued his silent and accomplishing way through
the centuries, believing that the glory of this
world ID but the mammon of unrighteousness
|
Transfers of Real Estate.
Deeds in fee have been filed as follows: r. W,
Walker to G. Il. Wilson, sub 80, SO. ~; S625
| W. McNer to r. J. Mclean, subs 3 and 4, So
260; 8. L. B. Dennis to A. b. Dennis, lot 9
SO. s77; 8. Jesse Shreeve to +. d. Gregory
subs "a and q, SO. 834; 6. Josephine c.
Mobley to G. Haas, part sub IL, 80. 755; 50, 800
n. Wilson ct al. to ]. Ledyard Hodge, lot 2
| block II, Trinidad; 50 6j6 20. G, Robinson tC
| d. Tenney, half acre near Hamilton road: 500
| Elizabeth Sheckell to J. I. Lpscomb. part la
B. 4 II. al. to w. W.; $500. A. C. Bradley et
| a. to h +. Droop, sub H. SO. go and part 49,
so. SOP; 60. Woodford G. Mcdowell 10
Margaret White, part 2, So 2l1; s.. o. NJ,
| Mcpherson to Caroline V. Brown sub 3d. so,
| 1853; $500 W. f. H. Merrett TO Z. +. Davis
sub 49, So 618; q, 400. Virginia Innis to John
! Ii. Buscher, sub ~, so. $50; 9. John Jaw
Knox TO Jane Winston, part 7, SO. 642; $500. j.
W. Green to Martha j. d. Saunders part %
so. 1875; S2,S50. j. w. Butcher to VI. Bailey. n
| II "a, SO. All; .. u. O'Callaghan ct al. to ].
Il - n NJ.