The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-14

nlyersary Of the settlement in Kansas
Of the River Brethren has just been
celebrated. This settlement has left Its
impress upon the development of the
central counties Of the state. and in
many ways done more than any other
class Of people to make prosperity take
the place OF haphazard farming and
doubtful speculation in agriculture.
These ouakers Of the west are a
strange feature Of the frontier clvlliza-
ton, and their odd dress and close adj
hrrence to Biblical ways have made
them marked community. That they
have kept to their original simplicity
amid the rush and worry of western
nreis remarkable. Their movement is
by tribes, and their making abil-
ity one Of the wonders Of the other
settlers OF the state. About one-third
Of the church's members in the United
States, or more than 5000 live In Kan
sas, most Of them In this county They
are by far the Wealthiest farmers Of the
state.
OF German-swiss descent. they
sought America as a refuge in the last
century, settling on the banks Of the
Susquehanna. Other members Of the
church settled farther inland, SO that
these became known as the River
Brethren. The name they took as their
own, though the proper title Of the sect
is Brethren In Christ. A division grew
up between the two parties and now
they are far apart. When the menu
bers by the river became too many for
their settlement there was another eH-
odus, and in 1873, under Bishops Jesse
Engle and Samuel Zook, still two OF
their trusted leaders, they started for
Kansas. There were three hundred
families in the party, and they took
with them SO many OF their household
goods and implements that TWO full
freight trains were required to carry
them. They came into this city one
spring day and most sensational en-.
trance 1t was. Not hotel prohted by
1t, however. There had been arranged
n large frame building, and In It they
lived and prayed until the farms that
were desired had been bought and the
families had moved thereon. A prayer
meeting was held the first night and the
foundation for Bethel church was laid
the first week. 1t was said that the
men Of the party had S5OO,O0O in cash in
their pockets. and 1t was all spent for
land and houses.
For a time their garb attracted much
attention, but that has all passed away
now. They dress in the plainest fash
ion, holding 1t a sin to wear an Qrna-
rnent The men wear q dfab or black
suit with high ministerial collar, ant
wear neither linen cuffs nor, linen coll
lar. Their hair Is worn long In ring
lets on their shoulders and full boards
are seen on the faces Of the male adults.
They brush their hair straight back
from their foreheads. The sisters also
brush their hair back but they knot II
beneath little white muslin bonnetS
that are worn in every waking hour.
Their fashions never change, dark drab
dresses without tlounce or ruttie, sun
bonnets mnde of the same material and
with the muslin cap beneath. The
skirts are plain and not piece of Jew
elry appears.
Their farms are models. They pillow
deep and harrow often, and when the
hot winds come they are the ones that
have q harvest anyway. The Popullst
orator never has them among his audi
tors; they are too busy hauling wheat
to market The street corner never
sees them and the dry goods box forum
knows them not. They have little In
terest In the government and do not
believe in bearing arms. AS conse-
Quence they seldom vote and do not
read the political! sides OF the newspa-
pers.
Only one River brother has. ever run
for office. He fought 1t of a long
time but at last the Republicans Of the
county put him on the ticket. He told
his brethren that he did not seek 1t.
'but now that they have honored me, l
do not want to be beaten" So they
turned out and helped him, and when
they started on the ticket they voted II
all. When It came to the election the
Populists, in ordee to frlghten them,
challenged the River Brethren votes.
knowing their aversion to taking an
oath. But It did not work as was ex-
oected. The first man swore IN MS
vote and so did the next. Then a
POpullSt went to vote.
Hold on" said one OF the Qunkerlike
brothers, II challenge that vote"
So the Populist who had lived In the
town for twenty-five years was compel
led to swear In his vote. and everyone
that followed did the same. All day
went on the ceremony Of uplifted hands
and every vote in the box was accom-
panied by an oath. The church has a
rule against oficeseeking and the sup
preston OF It once has not changed the
views OF the members on the subject
Very few are engaged In business In
the town. The farm Is the one thing
that occupies their attention, next 10
the church. From the big white houses
they drive out in odd squnrc-topped
wagons, drawn by sleek horses. The
wOmen's faces are clear and sweet,
and the sons and daughters are many
around every hearth, for they believe
in the direction to increase and mul-
tiply." Brother greets brother with 4
kiss. The children and young folks
are solemn and old. and Join In family
worship ut the same enrly age. Two
or three times a day the family gath
crs around the hearthstone, and there
Is reading or the Bible and prayers
while drills In the catechism and other
lessons Of the church are frequent
The humble hen and meek and lowly
row are great friends NJ the River
Brethren, and their poultry and dairy
.prQducts are the wonder Of even their
most familiar acquaintRnces. They new
ser so to town without big baskets Of
eggs and butter. and nre the foremost
promoters Of the dairy Industry that
Us making such advances on the plains.
Ihey nave creamery company In
1Dickinson county that pays to the far
mer9 quarter Of million dollars n
year IN Cash. This creamery took a
Worlds Fair medal; yet II is run by
plain farmers. who seldom 10 to the
city, The barns are Of the old Penn
sylvanla style, red aud long with slnp-
Ing roofs. and are filled to the peake
with hay and grain. Occasionally, of
course, brother Is not good mana
ger; he gets behind and his friends sec
II. They take action promptly There
is a meeting Of the elders, and n he
needs money II IL given or lent 10 him.