Evening journal., 1899-11-25
INDIANA AMISHMEN
COLONY OF A QUEER SECT LIVING
ON FARMS.

Laws Made at Home-One Man Owns
as Much Property as His Neighbor.
They Are All Happy and Content
In Their Way Of Living.
Ten miles northeast of Washington,
Ind, there is fertile section of land
owned and cultivated by a peculiar sect
of people known as the Amish. Little
is known of them except by the people
living in the immediate vicinity OF
their settlement.
The Amish came to this country at an
early date, and bought rich farms for a
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 Amish are not allowed to use but
tons on their clothes. Instead OF but
tons they use hooks and eyes. Their
clothing is homespun, 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 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.
Il nTl Qfrfnf1rr Ia tho rnHn nf
laws handed down to them by their
ancestors. 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 neighbOr. Con-
sequently 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 a 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 Whenever a scion Of one
Of the Eastern families emigrates tC
the Indiana settlement he is imme
diately presented with a farm equal II
size TO those of his brethren. Tn,
Amish do not believe in courts, that is
they never settle any of their Difficult
ties in the courts. All disputes and dis
agreements Of every nature are takeI
up for settlement by a majority of the
members of the settlement. II is, how
ever, a rare occurrence that the leas
trouble arises among them. They arr
> law abiding, honest, and truthful. Thel
do not deposit their money in banks
but accumulate and hoard II in thei
homes. They raise all the farming pro
ducts usually grown in this section o
the country, and are said to be tn
most successful poultry raisers in tn
United States.
Their every day life is their religion
They speak the German language. an
no other. They are negligent abou
educating their children, and star
} them. boys and girls alike, to work 4
the fields when young. The wome
and girls never wear flashy colors, an
long pants are put on the boys at th
/. age of and years.
Several months ago a young Amish
, man conceived an idea to discard ia
hooks and eyes on his clothing, [
shave his beard, and to don a suit G
store clothes. This he did, and re
turned to his neighbors in the ne'
garb. He was Immediately ejecte
from the community. His farm wa
taken from him, as we'll as his stoc
c and farm machinery, and he was give
strict orders never again to put hi
! foot on property owned by any mem
i Der of the settlement. After severe
weeks he allowed his beard to grow I
5 its former length, discarded his ne
i clothes for the old, and returned I
his people. They finally received hil
s and returned his property to him.
e Another Amishman, while doing h
trading in Washington, became struc
e with the idea of wheeling. He pui
T chased a bicycle and went gleefull
home, to show the machine to tt
n members of his family. The old An
u ishmen of the settlement looked wi:
y and called a mass-meeting to decit
whether or not it was proper for OF
Of their number to ride upon such
contrivance as a bicycle. The verde
Of the elder heads was against Il
lyoung Amishman. and he was compel
S ed to part with the wheel.-Indianapl
z lis News.
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