The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-24
KANSAS RIVER BRETHREN.
SUCCESS OF 4 SECT THAT VENT OUT
FROM PENNSYLTaNIA.


There Has Been No Pauper and Only
One Criminal In Twenty Years They
Avoid Politics and Make the Bible Their
Guide In All Their Transactions.
ABILENE. Kan Sept Fl. The twentieth an
niversary Of the settlement in Kansas Of the River
Brethren has just been celebrated. This settle
ment has left its impress upon the development Of
the central counties Of the State. and In many
ways done more than any other class OF people TO
make prosperity take the place Of haphaznrd farm
ing and doubtful speculntions in agriculture
These Quakers Of the West are a strange feature
OF the frontier civilization and their odd dress and
close adherence to Biblical ways have made them
a marked community. That they have KEEP, 10
their original simplicity amid the rush and worry
of Western life is remarkable. Their movement is
by tribes, and their money making ability one
OF the wonders OF the other settlers of the State
About onethird Of the Church's members in the
United States, or more than 1000. live in Kansas
most Of them in this county. They are by far
the wealthiest farmers of the State
OF German Swiss descent they sought America
as a refuge in the last century settling on the
banks of the Susquehanna Other members of
the church settled farther inland, so that these
became known as the River Brethren The name
they took as their own, though the proper title
of tho sect is Brethren in Christ 4 division
grew UP between tho two parties and now they
are far apart When the members by the river
became too many for their settlement there was
another exodus. and in 1879 under Bishops Jesse
Engle and Samuel Zook, still two of their trusted
leaders, they started for Kansas There were
800 families in the party, and they took with
them many Of their household goods and i'm
Elements that two full freight trains were re-
quired to carry them. They came into this city
one spring day and most sensational entrance
twas. Not hotel profted by it, however There
had been arranged large frame building and
in il they lived and prayed until the farms that
were desired had been bought and the families
had moved thereon. a prayer meeting was held
the first night and the foundation for Bethel church
was laid the first week. II was said that the men
of the party had $500 600 in cash in their pockets,
and il all spent for land and houses
For b time their Earb attracted much atten-
ton. but that has all passed away now They
dress in the plainest fashion, holding il a sin TO
wear an ornament. The men wcar a drab or
black suit with high ministerial collar, and wear
neither linen cuffs nor linen collar. Their hair
is worn long in ringlcts their shoulders
and full boards are seen on the faces Of the
male adults They brush their hair straight
back from their foreheads The sisters also
brush their hair back. but they knot il beneath
little white muslin bonncts that are worn in every
| waking hour Their fashions never change;
| ud1k urhD uIeSSeS without UOunCc OF rune, sun
bonnets made of the same material and with the
| muslin cap beneath. The skirts are plain and
not piece Of iewelry appears
Their farms arc models They pillow deep and
| harrow often, and when the hot winds come they
are the ones that have a harvest any way. The
| Populist orator never has them among his audi
TORS they are too busy hauling wheat to mar
ket The street corner never sees them and the dry
| goods box forum knows them not They have
little interest in the Government and, do not be
| licve in bearing arms As consequence they
seldom vote and do not read the political sides
| OF the newspapers
| Only one River brother has ever ran for office
/ He fought it off long time but at las, the Rcpub-
| licans of this county put him on the ticket. He
told his brethren that he did no, seek it, but
now that they have honored mo ! do not want
TO be beaten" So they turned out and helped
him, and when they had started on the ticket they
| voted IL all. When il came TO the election the
| Populists, in order 10 Brighten them, challenged
the River Brethren votes. knowing their aversion
TO taking an oath But il did not work as was
expected. The first man sworc in his vote and
80 did the next Then a Populist went to vote
Hold on" said one of the Quakerlike brothers,
Il challenge that vote"
| So the Populist who had lived in the town for
twenty years was compelled 10 swear in his vote
| and every one that followed did the same All
| day went on the ceremony Of uplifted hands, and
| every vote in the box was accompanied by an
| oath The church has a rule against office seek
ing, and the suspension of il once has changed
the views Of the members on the subject
| Very few are engaged in business in the town.
! The farm is the one thing that occupies their
attention next TO the church. From the big white
houses they drive out in odd squar topped wagons
drawn by sleek horses, The womens faces
1 rla nd and h.
tiers are many around every hearth. for they be-
lieve in the direction TO increase and multiply
| Brother greets brother with kiss The chill.
| drcn and young folks solemn and old" They
| Join the church when ten years old and Join in
| family worship at the same early age. Two
or three times day the family gathers around
the hearthstone and there is c reading of the Bi-
BILE and prayers while drills in the catechism and
other lessons of the church are frequent
The humble hen and the meek and lowly COW
are great friends of the River Brethren. and their
poultry and dairy products are the wonder of
even their most familiar acquaintancca They
never go TO town without big baskets of eggs
and butter, and the foremost promoters OF
the dairy industry that is making such adv ances
! on the plains, They have creamery company
in Dickinson county that pays to the farmers
quarter of million dollars every year in cash.
! This creamery took Worlds Fair medal; yet il is
run by plain farmers, who seldom go to the city.
| The barns are Of the old Pennsylvania style red
and long with sloping roofs. and are filled &c
the peaks with hay and grain. Occasionally
of course. brother is not good manager; he
| gets behind and his friends sec il. They take
action promptly There is a meeting Of the elders
and il he needs money il is given or lent To him
| \ short time ago one of the bishops invested toe
heavily in boom real estate, and when the boom
collapsed was compelled TO assign He found
when his estate settled up that he lacked
$1,000 of having enough TO pay his creditors
in full. He called before the council The
| elders asked:
do you think you can pay out?"
Perhaps some time; will give all my life to il :
was the reply.
II suited them and they told him they would
pay off the debt themselves, and they did, putting
up SIS, 900 out of their own pockets.
Their fire insurance is purely mutual and within
the church They do not encourage life insurance
lightning insurance or secret societies The
church forbds them to have photographs taken,
n.I ,t,In oh ptc aIahr