The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-09-25
THE AMlSlI SECT.
Overlooking Neighbors Of Gan.
didate Mckinley,
Where They Draw the Line Be-
tween Useful and Vain Things.

Wandering around among the
crowds Of bucolics that are drawn 10
Canton, Ohio, daily to see Major Nc
Kinley and the delegations that come
to pay thoir respects 10 him, listening
to the music Of the bands aud watch
ing tho fireworks are some odd.look-
ing people, with Qnakerish hats aud
clothes, square toed boots, long
boards aud hair cut In a peculiar
fashion. They never seem 10 display
any emotion, but take every occur
renee as matter Of course. They
move deliberately in groups Of three
or four, and seldom speak to one an
other. When they have had enough
Of it they climb into well-painted
wagons and drive away.
They belong to the Amish sect Of
Menuonites, and are tho followers OF
Jakopo ANA, a great preacher and
leader, who lived in western Pennsyl-
vania sixty or seventy years ago.
Their fathers came from eastern
Germany, on the Russian border, and
they are famous for their thrift their
tenacity Of purpose, and many peculi-
arities. There are a good many Of
them in Stark and Wayne counties,
and I'm told they make excellent
citizens, although they are not pro-
gressive and do not believe in educa-
ton. Their children are sent to
school until they can read, write aud
cipher, which they think is the extent
of useful knowledge. All else is
vanity aud vexation of spirit. They
have no newspapers and no books
but the Bible, which they interpret
literally, and follow the teachings Of
Christ, who is their example
They never shave their faces,
because He is supposed to
have worn a beard, but 1 notice
that the upper lip Of every man is
bare, which may have some peculiar
significance which was not able to
discover. The hair is cut at the nape
of the neck squarely and evenly, aud
people say that they put crock over
the head to get the proper length and
regularity. The women do not cut
their hair at all, but braid it both il
front and behind, and they never wear
colors. Their gowns are either white
or black, and entirely without trim
ming or other ornament Aud one of
the funniest things about their cloth
ing is that they never wear buttons.
l could not discover why. Their
clothing, of both men and women, is
fastened by tape or hooks and eyes.
They render unto Caesar what be-
longs to Caesar, and pay their taxes
promptly and without question; they
are opposed to lawsuits and settle all
differences by arbitration; they are
extremely hospitable unto strangers
that perchance they may entertain an
angel unawares, and never charge a
wayfarer for either bed or board.
Their houses are all built upon the
same plan; they do their cooking over
open fires in the old-fashioned way,
and have plenty of Wholesome food,
which they raise themselves, They
seldom buy anything at a grocery or
a market, and weave their own cloth.
They have high four-post bedsteads,
with a tick of feathers under and
another upon them when they sleep.
There are no carpets upon their floors,
and they seldom use stoves, but heat
their houses with open fires.
The Amish do not have churches Oh
paid preachers, but meet for devo
tional exercises and religious irstru,e
ton at the most convenient house il
the neighborhood, and the elders leac
the worship and teach the young
They wash each others feet and hay
religious dances, but no sports o
games, and take life very seriously.
The Amish are all rich. They hav
large, fertile farms and fat, red barns
and always seem to have fine crops
even when the harvests Of other PEG
} pie fail. Their economy and frugalit
and natural ability as traders are tn
| eouroas of THAR vvanlfh f0r fhav pava