Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-22

use hooks and eyes. Their clothing Is
homespun, and they wear black s'ouen
hats. Ali Amshmen let their na'f s,o"
long and fall over their shoulders. Ihey
never, shave. not even when young men
They invariably drive fine. big horses.
They prefer death rather than 10 s"e".
In court. They are an economical SCI
-of people. and are great traders lnvs
seldom pay cash for anything, bur always
insist on trading farm prodnc's anu
poultry for what they want.
Their settlement Is divided up INTO
farms of an equal number OF acres. lhey
adhere strictly 10 the code or laws nan"
ed down TO them by their ancestors. one
OF these laws Is to the effect mat no
Amishman in the settlement shaii DC
entitled TO more Of the words soous
than his neighbor. Consequently me
farms are about the same size. ano s'oCh-
90 equally. Another law says IL one mem
Der OF the settlement meets with inislor-
tune his neighbors must go GOWN III
their rockets. pay his Indebtedness, ana,
90 necessorv buy him new farm and
stock II.
The Amish originally came rom a
county I'm one Of the Eastern States
There are a few families still living IN
the East. Whenever a scion OF one OF the
eastern families emigrates TO the Indiana
settlement he is Immediately presented
with n farm. equal in size TO those OF MS
brethren. The Amish DO not believe IN
courts-that is, they never settle any IL
their difficulties I'm the courts. All as
pltes and disbursements OF every nature
are taken up for settlement by a iaa)o-l-
" OF the members Of. the settlem mt. X
Is. however, a rare occurrence that the
least trouble arises among them. Ihey
are law-abiding honest, and truthful.
Thev do not deposit their money IN banks,
but accumulate and hoard II in their
homes. They raise al the farming pro
ducts usually grown in this section OF
the country. and are said to be the most
successful poultry raisers in the United
states.
Their everyday life is their reigioa-
They speak the German language, ana no
other. They are negligent about cdu-
eating their children. and start them,
boys and girls alike, to work i'm the fields
when young The women and girls never
wear nashy cOlors, and long pants are
put on the boys at the age OF ana !
years
Several months ago a young Amishman /
conceived an idea 10 discard the hooks
and eyes on his clothing, TO shave ms
beard and to don a suit of store ciOthes'
ms ne OlN, anu lflhi iiGA " if'" 'N'-fN'
bors I'm the new garb. He was imme-
diately elected from the community. MS
farm was taken from him, as wei as MS
stock and farm machinery, and he was
given strict orders never again To put
his foot on property owned by any mem
Der Of the settlement. After several
weeks he allowed his beard to grow 10
its former length discarded his new
clothes for the old. and returned TO MS
people. They finally received him and
returned his properly to him.
Another Amishman. while doing MS
trading in Washington, became struck
with the idea Of wheeling He purchased
a bicycle and went gleefully home, 10
show the machine to the members OF his
family The old Amishmen Of the settle
ment looked wise and called a mass
meeting to decide whether or not 1t was
oropA for one of their number 70 ride
ipon such a contrivance as a bicycle Inc
,erdict Of the elder heads was against the
,oung Amishman, and he was compelled
o part with the wheel