The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-10-06

vania German. They have figured large
ly in the government of the state, and the
nation, have given of their money and
their sons in every national crisis, have
been loyal citizens in every sense of
the word; but the remarkable fact re-
mains that they are today as distinctly
German in their speech and character
istics as were their forefathers.
In earlier times the reasons for this
lack of assimilation might easily have
been found. Then the sons remained
to take up the work of the fathers, for
eign marriages were unknown, and
methods Of transportation and COM
munication were slow and meager.
Their round of life was satisfied with
the means at hand, and outside infu-
ences were slow in finding foothold
among people Of temperamenta as con-
tented and equable as was theirs. A
change is now at work among them, and
in comparatively few years these Amer
lean Germans will finally become di-
gested by onr wonderful unifying ma
chine that dooms to assimilation with
itself all nations and creeds that enter
its NAV. But they have held out no
bIy-far longer than any other race
that has sought our shores, and they
antedate by hundred years our ma
tional existence itself.
It goes without saying that in order
to have pursued for so long time in
one portion Of the country such q
quiet and undisturted life as these
Germans must have lived, the moral
qualities Of thrift, honesty, and frugal
ity were strong within them. This is
evidenced by contact with them today.
In drfvings bargain, q Pennsylvania
1Dutchman is the equal of any Yankee
and before he signs his name to a pa
per, whatever it may be. like the Mis-
sourian, 'You must show him." He il
honest and yet exacting to the fraction
of cent. For the most part even to-
day his chief source of income Is his
farm and yet there are number OF
large towns and several cities whose
business names are an earnest of theil
German ancestry, and whose thrifty
appearance leaves no doubt in tht
mind as to commercial success. Tn,
earlier days saw these Germans con
tent to live in simple fashion, looking
but little for the comforts of life, 81
long as their crops and their animal
were we'll housed and cared for. S,
! large families lived in three-room cot
tages, while great barns filled to over
flowing reared themselves short dis
tance away, completely overshadowin,
the humble house. To certain ex
tent this is true even today. The re
sulting overcrowding in the livin
quarters for the Pennsylvania Gel
man is no believer in race suicide
had probably moral effect, in tina
it did not tend to instil complete re
pect for decency and an adherence t
! the seventh commandments failin
: which these people in common wit
: others were known to possess. AS
whole, however, their virtues outshin
4 their defects.
: In religion, the Pennsylvania Ge
: man generally clings to his Luthera
: doctrine. There was and is, howeve
a strong Evangelical following, an
the Mennonites and Moravians clai1
g not few as members of their fold
9 AS an adjunct to the churches, Il
d winter singing school brought tt
f young together weekly. Each sturd
Il farmer boy escorted his best girl
Q and from these gatherings, and as di
l. tances between farms were consider
It BILE, usually the young man WI
# expected to pass the night at Il
r home Of his inamorata. Due to Il
VI paucity Of sleeping accommodate
q some difficulty in slowing the que
l. away occurred, and the custom
D ''bundling," more or less often used
n remedy, arose. This is reputed
10 have been kept up locally until qui
ID recent times. but description of Il
process is hardly possible here. II
ID That these people were not deficie
8, in folklore is abundantly proved. The
ID are many legends extant, but one
is sufficient to illustrate. just back
le the village Of Orwigsburg, in Schu.
of kill County, lies the Sharp Mountai
III It is 9 spur Of the Blue Ridge syste