Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12
AM is H M EN- IN INDIANA
Colony of the Queer Sect on Farms Near
Washington.
One Man Owns as Much Property as
His SeighbOr-Hnppy and
Content.

From the Chicago Tribune.
The miles northeast of Washington, Ind,
there is a fertile section of land owned and
cultivated by d peculiar sect of people
known as the Amish. Little is known Of
them except by the people living in the i'm
mediate vicinity of their settlement
The Amish came to this county at an
early date and bought rich farms for a
nominal price. They have added greatly
to their possessions until now this settle
ment takes up thousands Of acres Their
peculiar manners and customs are interest
ing.
According to their religious beliefs the
Amish are not allowed to use buttons on
their clothes. Instead of buttons they use
hooks and eyes. Their clothing is home
spun. and they wear black slouch hats All
Amishmen 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 any
thing, but always insist on trading farm
products and poultry 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 ancestors. One of these.
laws is 10 the effect that no Amishman in
the settlement shall be entitled to more of
the worlds goods than his neighbor Con-
sequertly the farms are about the same size
and stocked equally. Another law says if
one member Of the settlement meets with
misfortune his neighbors must go down in
their pockets, pay his Indebtedness and if
necessary, buy him d new farm and stock
it.
The Amish originally came from a county
in one of the eastern states. There are a
few families still living in the east When
a n he acfa 70, mill
emigrates to the Indiana settlement he is
Immediately presented with a farm equal
in size to those OF his brethren. The Amlsh
do not believe IN courts, that is, they never
settle any of their difficulties in the courts.
All disputes and disagreements of every ma
ture are taken up for settlement by a ma
1ority of the members of the settlement
1t Is, however, 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 ac-
cumulate 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 United States
Their every day life is their religion.
They spt ak the German language, and no
other. They are negligent about educating
their children, and start Them boys and
girls alike, 10 work in the fields when young.
The women and girls never wear fiashy col
Crs, and long pants put on the boys at
the age of two and three years.
Several months ago young Amshman
conceived an idea to discard the hooks and
eyes on his clothing, TO shave his beard.
ana 10 don a suit of store clothes. This he
did, and returned to his neighhors in the
rev garb. He was Immediately elected
from the community. His farm was taken
from him. as well as his stock and farm
machinery. and he was given strict orders
never again TO put his foot on property
owned by any member of the settlement
After several weeks he allowed his beard
to grow TO its former length. discarded his
new clothes for the old, and returned 70
his people They finally received him and
returned his property 10 him.
Another Amtshman, while doing his trad
! ing in Washington became struck with the
| 'dea OF wheeling. He purchased a bicycle
ana went gieefully home, to show the ma
| chihe TO the members of his family Tba
| OLD Amishmen of the settlement looked WIS.,
| ana called mass meeting To daci5o
whether or not it was proper for ONE ~
| thelr humoer to ride upon such contriy-
| ance as bicycle. The verdict Of tbe sida,
ue3ds was against the young Amishman
| wheel. Win the