Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-11-24
QUEEREsT PEOPLE IN AMERICA.
is Flat, Besides Other Peculiar
Customs.

| Inc qucCICSI pcOplc III ALueTlCd
are probably the Amish. In Ala
bama, Ohio and Oregon men may be
seen wearing long black boards,
broad brimmed hats and black
clothes without buttons They are
the Amishmen. There are several
thousand of them of them in America
and they are constantly increasing
in number.
| They came originally from Ger
many and Switzerland, driven out by
religious persecution. First, they
settled in western Pennsylvania, and
| then went TO central Ohio. Fifteen
years ago they ruled Holmes county
in the central part of Ohio, but be-
cause their children had to go to the
county schools they moved to Geuaga
county, in the northern part of the
state Even there they were perse-
cuted, and large number of them
moved to Alabama and Oregon.
The Amish people are the most
ignorant people in America. Edu-
cation is scorned. They resent all at
tempts to educate their children.
Even after their sons learned about
the world the Amishmen brand the
knowledge as a lie. They have no
conception of the earth as being
round.
why" they say, "the earth is not
round, because the Bible speaks of
the four corners of the earth, and it
wouldn't if it was round"
They never read books or news
papers, and the only way they re-
ceive news of the outside world is by
hearsay. They have no conception
of the size of America. In fact, they
have no conception of anything out
side their own community
Naturally the Amishmen are very
clanish, especially on meeting day.
Each Sunday all the Amishmen in
a certain district attend a meeting
at the minister's home, since it us
considered a sin to have a church.
These ministers are selected from the
congregation by lot annually. They
do not know one whit more than the
members of their parish. If an
Amishman believes he will be select
ed to act as minister he weeps copi-
ously. Often he throws himself into
Mysteries.
Another duty which falls to the
minister is to supply benches for his
flock. These he places in semi
circle around his front door. At
meeting time he takes his place on
the doorstep and designates where
each member of his congregation
shall sit. Men, women, boys and
girls sit through the entire lecture
with their chins in their palms and
their elbows on their knees. Some
of them sleep through the lecture,
which lasts four hours, and commun-
ion, which last seven hours.
The minister never breaches. He
simply delivers a good heart to heart
talk on the sins and transgressions of
his fellow men. After the lecture
the congregation enters the house
and partakes of feast provided by
him. On the same evening the young
folks dance until ten o'clock.
At the communion service each
man washes his neighbours feet, and
If any member of the clan has done
anything wrong he must expiate ii
before he can enter into this cere-
mony. A minister has been known to
labor for four hours with one of his
flock because of the fact that his
new buggy sported a patent leather
dashboard. Dashboards must be re-
u moved either by the horses hoofs
or by the Amishman himself, as soon
as he purchases the buggy. 1t is con-
trary to their religion to have such
things.
The next important social function
outside of meeting" is a wedding
] The highest honor which can be be.
}, slowed upon an Amish lass is to be
Z bridesmaid. This is the height oil
every girls ambition.
J The wedding is unique, there being
no regular ceremony. The bride and
J bridegroom are seated beside each
other, with the minister in front
Here again he lectures them on the
ways of an Amishman. No ribbons
!. flowers, or presents are allowed to be
: given the Bride. Ribbons are Ia
, booed by the sect as being loud
: Only recently have marriage licenses
| been procured. They marry for love
; the courtship being short one. Di
, vorce is unknown.
, If an Amishman decides to move
: he notifies his neighbors and they
/ send two teams to assist him. His
Z goods are carried in one load. Wher
he is established in his new home hi
: must provide feast.
!. An Amish funeral is the third
function of Importance in the calen