The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-24
THE PENNSYLVAN VIA DUTCH.
Good Material that Has Not been Utilized
by the Story Writers.
From the Philadelphia Ereniny Telegraph.

From The Philadelphia Erening Telegraph
No man has yet told the heart Of the Pennsyl-
vanisch Deutsch. Almost alone among the nom
English speaking peoples long established In our
country, they await their revealer.
The lato DIR. Seidensticker wrote much in
German about their history, their religions.
their language; Judge Pennypacker has made q
study of their settlement of the State; DR.. Har-
bRugh speaks authoritatively. as one OF their
number. and Mrs. Gibbons has recorded some
OF their interesting customs. But there has yet
to be written q novel of Pcnnsylvanisch Deutsch
life. Moravian life In Bethlehem has figured in
one or two short stories. but these dwelt princi-
pally on the quaint customs of these modern
followers OF Huss and Iin7cndorf: they were
not revelations of their inner life.
ae Mff of ' si r. kre soil p pRpt W,II Sri i"r z f5 n9Gei nsuna
dant fruit. But the man who tells the heart Of
the PennsylvanischDeutsch must be one ofthen.
he mus: have lived among them and known them
and loved them ana hated them. IL they are to
be given a place, in literature 1t must be done
quickly. for with the constant extension OF rail-
roads and compulsory education they are be-
coming rapidly Apglicized, and in another gem
GRAFTON much OF their picturn,Gucness their
land-w!lh have disappeared. These manners and
customs would be surnrisinGly strange and re;
the greatest value TO the student, of folk
lore. The Halloween ptanks. the Eas-
sediment in the cider ba~rrels-how these and a
thousand other practices unknown to the ma
lbIlly VI lHtl I'M u DTlllSn HttSlT
could be introduced into stories Of their lives.
They nre generally considered a stolid. unimag-
lower classes away back 10 the little mountain
valleys of the tier of " Dutch" counties from
Northainpton on the east to ADAMS on the vest
tense interest. And life with. them, in all its
great features OF the struggle for existence and
the struggle for advancement. OF love and, OF
hate. OF JOY and of sorrow, OF excitement and OF
monotony, is the same as with all mankind;
And then what a back ground Is II played out
against. What pictures Of natural beauty. OF
rugged grandeur, of pastoral serenity, Of monot-
9n9ps farm!ns lands: Of dense. gloomy. forests
BeTki, BnGks, AMop,E9mery' L aH he "a;
syissn's so1 TDTs.led r in one lo% or 1 1hs S,her .9 of
Them! What contrasting ccharacteTs their
EnTi""i f TeltEEt e Gsys,"R k flGina" M len.
MONTE, Dunkard and M"rayian: and how d.
Pcnnsylvnnisoh Deutsch, are a people distrnst-
full of strangers. and this has proven a barrier
To any other than one OF themselyes giving tho
PENNSYLVANIA German has risen TO spenk for his
race. ,Bayard Taylor was Pennsylvanisch
matters German found it's outlet in tho father
land; and ". d. Howells, another litteratcpr
M mist sm9 same to "fSs be born n"'" and bred 'fi IN
Ohio. The Pennsylyanisch Deutsch are ac-
knowlehgcd to lie the best farmers in America,
the traditions and customs of many OF their
farm laborers are OF an Old World order found
nowhere else in America, the Pcquca Valley Is
an ideal scene for n farm idyl, yet none of tho
Pennsylvanisch Deutsch has written II. The
Pcnnsylvanisch peutsch were the first weavers
and vintagers and printers OF Pennsylvania, yet
none OF them has written IA story of the old
German town where they first established these
industries.
We are not advocating q literature in Penn
syIyanisch Deutsch. but we do want to see the
English literature. Is there no man OF thu cir
race to do this for them? His would be a life
nobly spent.