Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1899-11-15
COLONY OF AMlsHMcN..


with Homemade Laws.
A few miles northeast of washing
ton. Ind, is fertile section of land
owned and cultivated by II peculiar
sect of people known as the Amlsh.
Little is known of them except by tho
people living in the immediate vicinity
Of their settlement.
The Anish came to that county at an
early date and bought rich. farms for u.
nominal price They have added great
ly TO their possessions until now this
settlement takes up thousands of acres
Their peculiar manners and customs
are interesting.
According to their religious beliefs,
the Amsh are not allowed to use but
tons on their clothes. Instead of but
tons, they use hooks ana eyes. Their
clothing is homespun, and they wear
black SLOUGH hats. All Amlshmen let
their hair grow long and fall over their
shoulders, They never shave. not even'
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
sist on trading farm products and poul
try 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
cestors. One of these laws is to the
effect that no Amishman in the settle
ment shall be entitled to more of the
worlds goods than his neighhor. Con
sequently the farms are about tho
same size and stocked equally. An
other law says If one member of the
settlement meets with misfortune hiss
nelghbors must go down in their peck
cts, pay his Indebtedness and, II neces-
sary, buy him new farm and stock it.
The Amish originally came from II
county in one of the eastern states
There are few families still living in
the east. Whenever n scion of one of
the eastern families emigrates to the
Indiana settlement he is Immediately
presented with farm equal in size to-
those Of his brethren. The Amish do
not believe in courts-that Is, they new
er settle any of their difficulties IN the
courts. All disputes and disagree
ments of every nature are taken up for
settlement by n 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 ard hoard it IL 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 thsA
United States.
Their everyday life is their religiop
They speak the German language GEd
no other. They are negligent about
educating their children, and START
them, boys and girls alike, to work In
the fields when young Tho women and
girls never wear fashy colors, and long
pants are put on the boys at the age of
2 and 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 suit OF
store clothes. This he did and returned
TO his neighbors in the new garb. lie
was Immediately elected from the COM
munty. His farm was taken from him,
as well as his stock aud farm ma
chncry. and he was given strict orders
rever again to put his foot on proper
ty owned by any member Of the settle
mont 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 in Washington, became struck
with the idea Of wheeling. He pur
chased bicycle and went gleefully
home, to show the machne to tho
members of his family. The old
Amishmen of the settlement looked
wise and called mass meeting to de-
eide whether or not it was proper for
one of their number to ride upon, such
o contrlvance as bicycle The YER
dict of the elder heads was against
the young Amishman and lie was com
PEELED to part with the wheel-Chicago
Tribune.