The sun., 1902-09-07
APPLE BUTTER DAY IS NEAR.
FESTIVAL or AN ANCIENT PENN.
SYLJiNIA SECT.


the Schwenkfelders Of PENNSYLVANIA on
Wednesday, Sept "a, in their meeting house
az Hosensack Among the devout members
of the sect the occasion is known as "Ged-
aecltnisz Tag" or Memorial Day. Its
popular name refers to the most conspicu-
ous feature Of the MONDAY repast that s
a regular part Of the services
The Pennsylvania SchwenkfelGers are
known far and wide as the makers Of the
best apple butter in the world, and this
year, by reason Of the prolific crop Of apples
in southeastern Pennsylvania, the Memorial
Day celebration promises to bc a conspcu-
ous success While the Schwenkfeders
number fewer than 500 persons in all,
they include the most prosperous farmers
of the rich agricultural region in and near
the Perkiomen Valley.
Because OF the prominence the Schwenk-
feders have attained through their thrift
and industry. their quaint yearly festival
arouses the interest Of thousands of per-
sons outside their fold In many of the
rural communities the occasion is holiday.
and from the larger towns and cities come
relatives and friends to spend the autumn
day amid the picturesque hills and valleys
or tne SFnWPNNltllPT country.
Although primarily n religious festival.
the Geiaechtnis2 Tag celebration also
partakcs largely Of the nature of grea,
family reunion, for, as a result of the
Church's rigid watch over the matrimonial
affairs of ns adherents, the membership
to-day is restricted almost entirely to the
descendants Of the Schwenkfeldar families
that crossed the Atlantic and settled in
Pennsylvania early in the eighteenth CEN
tury. There are scarcely more than two
score family names among all the Schwcn-
folders. Kriebel, or Krieble, appears most
frequently. Others often encountered are
IIartranft, Gerhard. Brecht Meschter,
Hcydriak and Hoffman.
Their farms, the largest and best in that
part Of the State, have been bequeathed
from generation to generation, and each
succeeding owner has sought TO enhance
his heritage by keeping in touch with the
| most modern methods Of farming While
sedulously guarding against changing
the ancient customs Of their faith, the
Schvenkfelders never oppose real progress,
as some Of the other PENNSYLVANIA German
sects have done.
One Of the most successful cooperative
agricultural organizations in the United
States is the Worcester Farmers Union, in
Montgomery county, which was organized
and is largely controlled by Schwenk-
folders. The union has nearly a thousand
members within distance Of twenty miles
from Worcester.
All farm supplies arc purchased at whole
sale rates by h union and then distributed
among the members Weekly meetings
are held in the unions own building and
there is an interchange among members
of opinions concerning agricultural topics.
while at frequent intervals lectures on
scientific farming are delivered by men
who are authorities in their lines
Furthermore, entertainments of general
interest are given. 80 hat the farmers
entire family may have direct share in
the unions benefits. The organization
has been in existence about twelve years
and has helped many a farmer to solve
the vexing problem Of how TO make both
ends meet-and also overlap somewhat
II is now building a teleE hone system to
connect the homes of its members, and
il is further proposed to supply electric
power for all whp may choose to use it
for illumination or FOR operating farm
mac hinery.
Although tho smallest Of tho many sects
t+lat lied to Pennsylv ania to escape perse-
cution in Europe la1-I.s-
ganization Is the only one that sets apart
annually n day on which the members
meet to give thanks for their release from
the religious thraldom Of the Old World
This is the purpose Of their Gedaecht nisz
Tag, for on Sept, "a 1874 the first Schwenk-
felders, who had landed at Philadelphia
two days before, held a thanksgiving SER
vice in recognition Of their safe arrival.
Ever since heir founder, Casper Schwenk-
field Won Ossig, a Sle.an nobleman of
the sixteenth century, had disagreed with
Luther over the nature Of the sacraments
and therefore, decided to discontinue both
baptism and communion until their pur
pose should be better understood, his fol-
lowers had been subjected to ridcule,
imprisonment and death under Catholic
and Protestant rulers. Finally they emi-
grated in a body 10 America In 1884,
After their thanksgiving service on
Sept. "a. 1874. a meal consisting Of bread.
butter, apple butter and cider was served.
Annually since that time the Schwenk-
folders meet on Sept. - to celebrate their
'iPudpcn'IliSI WV iflt. DNlNttu lHe
ing and afternoon services rep6st IL
served similar to that OF 1884. except that
the apple butter is more plentiful and water
is substituted for cider
chief concern OF the Schwen kfelders
from the beginning has been the education
and the religious and moral training of
their children. They had Sunday schools
in Europe more than two hundred years
before Robert Raikes, in 1881, opened at
Gloucester, England. the school which il
commonly supposed to have been he be-
ginning Of the Sunday school system.
As early az lS3 they printed a manual
for Sunday school instruction. Moreover
they provided school fund, by means
of which they gave their children a secular
education until the introduction Of the
public school system. At present the
denomination maintains n seminary at
Pennsburg, where several hundred students
are enrolled.
No Schwenkfelder IL ever sent 10 an
almshouse or allowed 10 become n public
charge. Because of the traits Of the people.
few such instances could occur, but provision
Is made for possible misfortune by poor
fund amounting to about $4,000 from
which assistance is given the needy.
The Schwenkfelders have only seven
houses of worship. Six clergymen minister
To the spiritual needs of the congre gat ions,
oonilning their labors not to one church
but serving an entire district.
In the Lower District are the churches
al Worcester, Towamencin and Lower
Stafford In the central part of Montgomery
county II is not customary to bold services
in each church every Sunday, instead a
system Of rotation is followed, whereby