The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-09-24
PECULIAR
FESTIVAL
Of a Peculiar Sect in
Pennsylvania.
THE SCHWENKFELDtRS Celebrate
The Anniversary of Their First
Thanksgiving Feast in America
Apple Butter Day.
THE SCHWENKFElDtRS Celebrate

Philadelphia, Pa, Sept. 24.-Apple
butter day was celebrated today by
the Schwenkfelders OF Pennsylvania
in their meeting houses at HOsensask
and elsewhere. Among the devout
members Of the sect the occasion is
known as "Gedaschtnistz tag" or
memorial day It's popular name re-
fers 10 the most conspicuous feature
of the MONDAY repast that is regu-
lar part Of the services. The Pennsyl-
yania Schwenkfelders are known far
and wide as the makers of the best
apple butter in the world, and this
wear by reason Of the large crop OF
apples in southeastern Pennsylvania,
the memorial celebration was a con-
spfCuOus success.
Because of the prominence the
Schwenkfelders have attained through
their thrift and industry, their quaint
yearly festival arOuSeS the interest OF
thousands outside their fold. In many
Of the rural communities the occasion
is a holiday, and from the larger
towns and cities come relatives and
friends 10 spend the autumn among
The picturesque hills and valleys In
the vicinity of the Perkimen.
Although primarily a religious fes-
tiyal, the Gedeachtnizs tag celebra-
ton also partakes largely or the ma
ture Of a great family reunion, for,
as result Of the church's rigid watch
over the matrimonial affairs Of its ad-
herentS, the membership today is re-
stricted almost entirely to the descen-
iants of the Schwenkfelder families
that crossed the Atlantic and settled
IN Pennsylvania early in the eight
eenth century. While they number
fewer than ! 500 persons in all, they
include the most prosperous families
10 be found in the rich agricultural
section in which they reside.
Their farms, the largest and best
IN this section of the state, have been
1eQueathed from generation to gener-
alton, and each succeeding owner has
N't@ltt 70 euUduc6 HIS uSI1loSC ~
keeping in touch with the most mod
ern methods of farming. While sed-
NlouslI guarding against changing the
ancient customs Of their faith, the
ec1Te1kfelders never oppose real
progress, as some of the other Penn
SyFania German secIs. One Of the
most successful cooperative agricul-
'aTa. organizations in the United
Etates is the Worcester farmers
I--on Of Montgomery county, which
was organized and it largely conJroll-
5I BY SchWenkfelders. The union has
Nearly a thousand members within
distance of twenty miles Of Worces-
re~
All farm supplies are purchased at
Wholesale rates by the union and then
distributed among the members.
Weekly meetings are held in the
unions own building and there is an
interchange among members OF opln-
ions concerning agricultural topics,
while at frequent intervals lectures on
scientific farming are delivered Dy
151 Who are authorities in their lines.
Although the smallest of the sects
'4at lied to America to escape perse-
<~Ion in Europe, the Schwenkfelder
organization is the only one that sets
apart annually a day OF which the
members meet to give thanks for their
release from the religious thralliom
y. me Old world. This is the purpose
~ their Gedaechtnisz tag, for Sep
.emoer "a, 1884, the first Schwenk-
1e.oers, who had landed at Philadel'
p~-a two days before, held a thanks
sFln8 service in recognition of their
safe arrival.
Ever since their founder, Casper
"cLWenkfelder Won Ossig. a Silesian
n'oIeman of the sixteenth century
1"0 disagreed with Luther over the
ralure Of the sacraments and there
lure decided to discontinue both bap