The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-11-10
.,uss CUSTOMS LIVE.
u.bits that are Observed In q
fl''' uJisoonsin Colony.

Tbe ne L,S,n has been preserved by
thesl ll hers Of the Swiss settlement
nlelI nIorns, Wis, by keeping fresh
New , or% customs Of Switzerland
ancl ging them down to their chill
laAI In This mother colony of the
n en- S;wTiss-descended citizens OF
e'o uni. o" it is even claimed that
cen Cen customs are more in vogue
'%ls manv parts of Switzerland.
p II o .rl the playground of
~, la' Of tourists, has in late years
lds ss,c T1 Of its national identity.
r. oompIete isolation of New Glar-
lnv oV us folnuing down until with
HUI ~ Years ca has kept it almost as
lsl GIarus of the Alps itself. I'm
~ 3, hi ten years the nearest rail
Hl 1.ns twentvsix miles away. A
p =. W." of Norwegians on the north,
I ILS n the west and French to the
EN- s,,tber protected the community
i intact with Americans. Only
- 1.-The the south could the Swiss
NaiI !, contact with Americans, and
nr If these Americans were from
" . 10 assimilated stock, the
D,.rivania Dutch. So the old Swiss
ln,a the old Swiss church, are
n cherished by the people. The
STiss dialect of German, which
historian OF the place, the Hon.
= Incbsinger, predicted fourteen
u, sgo would last for 200 years,
uo az the iron horse finds his way
! I these hills bids fair not to out
another generation. Although in
German towns of the lakeshore
s,ties one hears more English than
Tew Glarus the children are begin
% IN use the national tongue. A
tooIbouse crowns the highest hill
ne village and there the medium
insrruction is English. Not many
,rs ago the German parochial
mi was tie only one. The Eng
nspers are a principal factor in
rpsding the use of English.
Ancient Church Customs.
Brt if the old language is going out
ne not so the old national Gus
ID One Of the most striking of the
I-oDal customs, one that has been
I'M ND for sol years, is to be OBJ
Ered on Sunday. In the centre of
village. on a little grassy hill, is
oueer old ZNinglian church of
tewashed stone. massive walled
charming medieval in appear
"a The bells hang in the belfry
kg. At 9 one OF these bells is rung
II the congregation assemblies, men
|tpg on one side, women on the
her. At 1O both bells are rung to-
ber as a signal that the minister
left his house and is approach
The congregation rises and
Enls until he has entered the pulpit
II the services have begun. After
services the men rise and remain
hiding in their places until the last
tman had left the house.
oOn a summer Sunday of 1888, over
hundred years before the discovery
America, a woman happening to
Eye the church before service was
N discovered a body of Austrians
wOachng and so prevented the sur
he Of the Swiss. In the battle that
Iaei the battle of Nafels, the wom-
fought with the men and largely by
Er aid was the day won and the in
Eendence of the canton assured.
fmince that day in every church of
canton the memory of those brave
Enen has been honored by this gal
custom
carriage among the Glarners is at
ped by several rites and hedged by
#eral restrictions. No Glarner will
'ry on any day except Tuesday and
Erslay preferably the latter. In the
pond place no Glarner will marry
fyboiy except a Glarrer. The ortho-
Jews can scarcely look with great
horror upon marriage with a gen
Il than the Glarners upon marriage
70 others than their own people.
Fore the wedding the engaged couple
pther visit all whom they wish to
lie to the ceremony. Just before
ceremony and Just after it there
mighty discharge of firearms.
Ihe great holiday of the year, the
lIiar Swiss holiday, is Kilbi. Then
Pc is feasting, family reunions,
n the people Of other nationalities
Pc to New Glarus to help the Swift
celebrate. The feast resembles
/ thanksgiving in many ways. Like
lAsgiving, it is a movable yet
% feast. 1t comes on the last Sun.
and Monday OF September. A
Of the residents OF New Glarus
tell you that Kil5i is a corruption
ilrchweihe, church hallowing, or
fch dedication. On the morning
AllOl Sunday the pastor rededicates
church and that is the end of all
leSlasIical connection with the hol-
Y AT noon the Kilbi dinner is eat
ana II turkey must be present at
thanksgiving dinner, honey must
eaten on Kilbi. In the afternoon
PC is perhaps some target shooting,
Pusl OF late years this has rather
ESea and all celebration postponed
W Monday. Monday is the day of
I!making. There is some target
Mng' perhaps professions and
Tnmlaklng, Invariably two or three
Oalls in the evening.
no small town gives a big Fourth
''uiy celebration every year, so the
chmaking and professions are not
"nmon occurrence. But the marks
4Salp contest comes off every year.
swiss and Tyrolese invented the
N The Swiss didn't invent dane
out they have adopted it. The
VI pail begins at 1880 in the even
i ends at $3.50 the next morning.
that don't mean long intermis-
NJ and retiring for tet-a-tetes, but
cOntlnuouS succession of dancing,
upon one another all night long.
ae men do not dance every dance,
as a consequence, some of the
% not. But the popular girls do,
maidens bearing the names of
arst five pioneers who came to
out the land half a century ago
ID demand from beginning to end
ae men wear their hats when they
~ This custom, undoubtedly, has
historical origin, like many 9th.
their customs, which at first
not appear to be based upon
le or reason. A soldier on duty