The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-09-02
THE PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH,
QUAINT MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
AMONG EARLY SETTLERS.
They Were In Reality Germans From
Notwithstanding and Wedding
Customs-Curious Beliefs.

They Were In Reality Germans From
Notwithstanding and Wedding
Customs-Curious Beliefs.
Many interesting things respecting the
Pennsylvania Dutch have been raked up
and put together by the Bureau of Eth
nology. In reality they are not Dutch
at all, but Germans, who came over from
Rhenish Bavaria mostly, being invited by
Queen Anne for purposes of colonization.
They arrived by way of England and it
ohanced that large part of them settled
in the neighborhoods OF Philadelphia,
Chester, Allentown and other places
which are at present centers of popu-
lation supplied by their descendants.
During their early DAYS in America many
of them lived under very primitive con-
ditions, often lodging in the forests,
In caves, and even in hollow trees. Later
on small houses were erected upon clear
ings, usually with two rooms, the win
dows being merely square openings with
sliding boards on the inside for shutters.
Furniture of all kinds was homemade,
and every description of garment was
manufactured by the women. Squirrel
skin moccasins were considered luxury
and the young girls when they went to
church on Sunday in order to make them
last as long as possible walked barefoot
until within sight of the building before
putting them on. Nearly every farmer
raised fax and hemp for the consumption
OF his own family. Dyes were produced
from the bark of trees and from plants.
From the loose skin of old onions a light
yellow was obtained.
Among these primitive people many
very original and surprising customs ex.
isted, none of which were more curious
than those which related to the process
of courting. No young man was con-
sidered desirable beau unless he owned
horse and buggy, so as to be able to
take his sweetheart to church and to local
gatherings on holidays. Saturday even
ing was thought the proper time for
making love, though the delightful pas
time was apt to extend over the whole of
Sunday. Inasmuch as the distance trav-
eled by the lover was often too great for
him to return home the same night, the
matter was frequently compromised by
Lis lis remaining over until the next day, SO
as to be at the service Of off his his iaamorata
for the Sabbath.
The marriage ceremony was usually
performed at the clergyman's residence,
and it was he who furnished the refresh
ments. All household linen and bed
ding were supplied by the bride, the
husband providing the house. Care
was taken never to carry an old broom
into new house, lest bad luck follow;
the broom must be new, and it was nee
essarY that it should first be conveyed
across meadow. 1t was usual for the
wife to devote much attention from
spring until autumn to the gathering of
herbs, barks and roots supposed to pos
sess medicinal properties. Garden seeds
were also selected for the next years
planting, and the packages and bags of
these commodities, suspended from the
rafters, formed quite an interesting coll
lection. Whatever was purchased at the
stores was paid for with butter
and eggs. If the housewife found diff
Guilty in her butter. making the
''spell" was believed to be the
work of witch, every locality
boasting the possession of some such ne
cromancer in petticoats. The remedy
was to plunge a red.hot poker into the
contents of the churn. 1t was among
these peaceful and virtuous folk that
'husking parties" were first in vogue,
he custom being that the Under of a red !
'ar could kiss any girl present. If
girl found such ear and wished to |
void being kissed she would hide il
quickly, though, if discovered, the first
young man to reach her was entitled to
he osculatory privilege.
They believed that Nightmares might
'e caught if the person afflicted were
active and ingenious. A
ostler employed by DR.. Hofrman's
ather secured one in bottle and de-
troyed it by burning. He believed it to
ave been the spirit of black cat,
Which was under the control of Il hostile
'itch. Will-o'-the -wisps were ghostly
lemons which haunted marshy ground
+ damp woods, aud numerous narrow
scapes from them have been recorded.
- Washington Star.