The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-10-11

COL LoNY oF. AMlsHMEN.
"a Queer Sect on Farms In Indiana
= with Homemade Laws.


A Queer Sect on Farms In Indiana
= with Homemade Laws.
few miles northeast Of Washing
ton, Ind, is a fertile section Of land
owned and cultivated by q peculiar
sect Of people known as the Amish.
Little is known Of them except by the
people living in the, immediate vicinity
Of their settlement.
The Amish came to that county at an
searly date and bought rich farms for
snominal price. They have added great
to their possessions until now this
settlement takes up thousands of acres.
Their peculiar manners and customs
are Interesting.
According to their religious beliefs,
sthe Amish are not allowed to use but
ions on their clothes Instead of but
faus. they use hooks and eyes. Their
clothing is homespun, and they wear
black slouch hats. All Amishmen let
Their hair grow long and fall over their
shoulders. They never shave, not eTcn
when young men. They Invariably
drive fine, big horses. They prefer
death rather than to swear in court
They are an economical sect of people
and are great traders. They seldom
pay cash for anything, but always In
ssst on trading farm products and poul-
fry for what they want
Their settlement is divided up into
farms Of an equal number Of acres.
They adhere strictly to the code of
laws handed down to them by their an
eestors. One of these laws is to the
effect: that no Amishman in the settle
mens shall be entitled to more Of the
worlds goods than his neighbor. Con-
seauently the farms are about the
same size and stocked equally. An
Other. law says if one member of the
settlement meets with misfortune his
neigllbors must go down in their pock-
-ets, pay his Indebtedness and, if neces-
sary, buy him new farm and stock it.
The Amish Originally came from q
county in one of the eastern states.
There are a few families stil living in
The east. Whenever a scion of one OF
The eastern families emigrates to the
Indiana settlement he is Immediately
spresented with q farm equal in size to
those of his brethren The Anlish do
not believe IN courts is, they ney-
s Settle any OF their difficulties n the
courts. All disputes and disagree
ments Of every nature are taken up for
settlement by a majority of the mem
bers of the settlement. 1t is, however,
q rare occurrence that the least trouble
arises among them. They are law
abiding, honest and truthful They do
not deposit their money in banks, but
accumulate and hoard it in their
homes. They raise all the farming
products usually grown in this section
OF the country and are said to be the
most successful poultry raisers in the
Enited States.
Their everyday life is their religion.
They speak the German language and
no other. They are negligent about
educating their children, and start
them, boys and girls alike, to work in
the fields when young. The women and
girls never wear fashy colors, and long
pants are put ON the boys at the age OF
2 and 8 years.
Several months ago young Amish-
man conceived an idea to discard the
hooks and eyes on his clothing, to
shave his beard and to don 4 suit OF
store clothes. This he did and returned
to his neighbors in the new garb. He
was Immediately elected frcm the com
munity. His farm was taken from him,
as well as his stock and farm ma
chinery, and he was given strict orders
never again to put his foot on proper
~ owned by any member Of the settle
ment. After several weeks he allowed
his beard to grow to its former length,
discarded his new clothes for the old
and returned to his people. They finally
received him and returned his property
to him.
Another Amishman, while doing his
trading il Washington. became struck
with the idea Of wheeling. He pur-
chased bicycle and went gleefully
home. to show the machine to the
members Of his family. The old
Amishmen of the, settlement looked
wise and called q mass meeting to de-
eide whether or not it was proper for
one of their number to ride upon such
o. ,op+r;v-an.o PC q hit.vcIo The Cpr-
diet of the elder heads was against
the yeung Amishmap, and he was com
PEELED to part with the wheel--Chicas
Tribune.
RoEfvar, the Man Killer.
Bolivar, the man killing circus ele-
phant, who since Dee. %, 1883, has
L