The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-24

parents it will not be long before the
Pohels will occupy much more than q
corner of Burleson county.
In Austin county there is another
German family almost as prolific as the
Pohels and equally as interesting.
There are fifty-six people in the fam
lily, and they all dwell in the utmost
harmony and apparently the greatest
felicity under one roof. These people
are Germans, and the family name is
Schmidt. Casper Schmidt, the founder
of the family, is still alive. He came
to Texas and settled the league that his
descendants occupied in very early
times. Strangely enough, he had but
one son. This son, however whose
name is John Schmidt, has made ample
reparation for the failure on the part
of his parents to multiply and replen-
ish the earth. He married when he
was twenty years of age and he has
raised fifteen boys and girls. Five of
these have married, but not one has
yet left the parental roof. These five
married sons and daughters have twen-
ty-five children. and there are six
great-grandchildren Of Casper Schmidt
in the family.
one that a visitor will never forget, to
see all these people gathered in the
great hall of the house, or all seated at
long table in the dining room. Mrs.
/ Schmidt, the mother, is yet alive, and
she occupied a seat of honor near a
daughter, at the head Of the table,
while the old grandfather prefers to
sit with the little children, down at
the other end.
They are very religious people, and
when they have all assembled about
tn table the father calls on some one
of the younger members of the family
to ask a blessing. They are all very
fond of music. and since there are sew
eral good musicians among them, they
are able to have a very good band.
They all assemble in the great hall in
the winter time every evening, and all
who are capable engage in singing or
playing upon some instrument.
There is a beautiful, well-6haded
grove in front of the large farmhouse,
and here the whole family assemblies
on Sunday, or when they are at leis-
ure during the summer months, and
enjoy themselves in various ways.
They cultivate a large body of land in
common, and the neighbors say that
they never heard of them having ony
trouble or any quarrels or even dis
putes of any kind. They are very de-
voted to each other, and 1t is said that
not one of the younger generation ever
spent a night away from the parental
roof.
They are very jovial, and while the
boys and girls seem at all times to be
bubbling over with fun, the older ones
are ever ready to tell or appreciate a
good story and it is seldom that a day
passes without some one is made the
victim of a practical Joke.
They have a schoolroom in the
house. and the older boys and girls
act as teacher by turns. No member
of the family has ever attended any
other school. 1--WE learn them TO read,
write and cipher" says the old father,
"and we feel that If they have got the
right kind of metal in them that they
will get along and make a good liv-
ing"
They seem to enjoy working In the
fields, and II is certainly an astound-
ing sight to see them all, men, women
and children, going to or returning
from the fields, laughing and chatter
ing and singing. 1t is not an unusual
occurrence for twenty-five or thirty OF
them TO be engaged at work in one
field. They are celebrated for their
hospitality, and many travellers turn
aside In order to take a meal or spend
a night with this extraordinary family
"a family without a counterpart eth
er In Europe or America.