The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01

hiEF aAu uhAOluuNp thgA WEA0 FubINfNNA Y
daily. The boycott was maintained for weeks
when the boycotters gradually became dis
couraged and Indifferent and finally one b
one resumed their former relations with tn
boycotted and became recoDciled to the nov
order Of things. But the boycott almost ruinet
Bowman and came near breaking up tn,
Lutheran Church In the village. Many old
time Pennsylvania Dutch farmers have not ye
modified their views against the commol
schools and refuse 10 accept their benefits.
"A peculiarly about this people Is that hun
dreds Of them Wit are able to read German can
not speak IL or understand It when It is spoken
They can converse only In their own monde
script dialect. There are people in the Penn,
sylvania Dutch counties whose parents and
grandparents were born there and who cannot
speak a word Of English 20 this day. Half the
schoolteachers in these counties are proficient
in: the dialect. and. while teaching their pu.
pills English, converse almost invariably with
them In Pennsylvania Dutch. IL would be
something for q native OF Berks or Bucks OF
Lebanon or IehiRh to pause and be amazed
at II. In passing q country schoolhouse. he
should hear at recess the children speaking in
English TO one another. Berks and Lancas.
ter counties Join one another. The prepon-
derance OF the population in each is Pennsyl-
vania Dutch. Largely their interests and
methods OF living are the same. Berks coun-
ty may be safely counted upon for q Demo-
cratic majority well up in the thousands. Lam
caster county may Just as safely be depended
upon for a Republican majority well up In the
thousands. Just why an imaginary line
drawn between a family of. say Brubachers.
on one side Of 1t and q family OF Brubachers
on the other side q it should make OF one un-
compromising Democrats and OF the other
just as uncompromising Republicans. no ono
has yet been able to find out. 1t 10 one OF the
peculiarities of tho Pennsylvania Dutch.
THE Pennsylvania Dutchman OF the old
school has a holy horror Of lawyers. especially
IL The is a witness and on cross-examination,
and he invariably will insist on giving his tes-
timony in his own language. although It may
be that he is sufficiently familiar with Eng
lish to testify In it. II you should ask him
why he is so averse TO testifying In English
he will very likely reply:
-" 'Yaw. shust du. in Deutsch koenne die
verdolt lawyers mich net fange. aber des YER
dolt English bottert mich Which means:
Yes. you see. in German these DANCED law
yers can't catch me. but their DANCED English
hothers me- DANCED is a ~favorite byword
with the PENNSYLVANIA Dutch. who are little
to profanity.
One characteristic OF this peculiar people is
their regard for and strietness in attendance at
and the requirement OF 1t from all in
the household. No matter how far the near
church may be away. the farmer and his
never miss a Sundays service. man
may get drunk. lie, cheat. or offend against
and morals in other ways and be forgiven.
but II he neglects his church he is at once
placed under the ban Of PENNSYLVANIA Dutch
society. They are proud of their piety. these
people. and they adhere closely to old forms.
II L. 1-A ~ - D-nGII
clans understand and use this love Of church
among these farmers. and a candidate who
goes among them and makes ostentatious
show Of his church connections and is able to
luote freely from the Scriptures may capture
The hearts and votes of the sim Pile minded
Germans They are easily hoodwinked in
ocal politics. Fondness for der guta alta
weG,' the good old German way. is
he same wherever you may find the Pennsyl-
'ania Dutch. So strongly are they welded to
t that more than one Lutheran church
,mong them rigidly adheres to a provision in
he church constitution. adopted a century and
\ quarter ago.:which says that the preaching
or this congregation shall be done In the
German language 30 long as grass grows and
water flows
From the earliest days of the Pennsylvania
Dutch farmers they have regarded mental ser
'INo a. t"C dil VI tlclI Woul0H. Il 2 y W no
means an uncommon sight in passing through
he hack farming districts to see the women
in the fields the same as the mon
lot only hoeing or harvesting. but following a
plough. Many a domestic servant in town
antilles is the daughter of a farmer rich
enough to buy her employer over and over
gain. | have a friend who has as a kitchen
servant in his family the daughter of a Lehigh
county Pennsylvania Dutch farmer worth S4O.- |
100 il he is worth a cent.
Probably nowhere are tho social pastimos |
the fathers preserved apd INDUCED in to
UGH an extent as among the Pennsylvania
TIL apple-cut. the corn husking. the
Iuilting bee. the old-fashioned country dance
urnish amusement and recreation to the bux-
m maiden and the SWANS OF these people to-
lay as they did to those of a century ago-that
excepting the Mennonite. Amish AMI Dun
,ards. Those pious branches OF the Pennsyl-
ania Dutch do not indulge In such dissipa-
ions. as 1t would place them forever out OF the
Of their church. A baptism. a love feast,
r a funeral is the only recreation or pastime
hey are permitted to enjoy. A Pennsylvania
butch dance Is kept up from early evening I'M
daylight. There is NO going to bed after a
ance. Tit women go at once to their house,
old duties and the men to their labors In the
elds. the same as II they had slept as usual,
ccording to the custom OF their fathers. Work.
indoor and out. begins as soon as it Is light
nough to see. and continues until it is too
ark to see, winter and summer.
THE Pennsylvania Dutch farmer is as honest
s the day is long. and is most close-flsted and
in a bargain. Driving long distances
} market. he will haRgle over a dime in a bar
ain that may involve q hundred dollars worth
I produce, and II assured that by going on half
dozen miles or so he will be able to sell his
Gods and get that dime. he will not hesitate
} mako the journey. The extra time and la
or he does not stop to take into account. The
ld-time Pennsylvania Dutch families dis
ourage and disapprove OF marriage that will
estroy the race purity OF their blood. hence
with outside people are not fire.
uent. This account for the remarkable
reservation OF the language. the customs. and
10 traditions Of their forebears among these
eople. surrounded as they are to-day by in
of the highest modern thought and
But. Notwithstanding their exolu-
yeness. their tenacious adherence tc ideas OF
ago and stubborn resistance to those
to-day: the lessons in industry. integrity.
rift and thoroughness which they have given