Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-07
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society


from taxes and military service be-
cause they could farm. then ban
ished because some of them estab-
lished a communistic colony; obey
ing the laws of many lands but re-
fusing to take part in making oil
enforcing them; frowning upon
science, buttons. life insurance and
tobacco-such are various branches
E, of the Me~nnonites. whose exodus
from Canada to Mexico adds another
chapter in the centuries-old anabasis
of this quaint inc goodly people.
while geographers are studying
human Vibrations on the basis oil
economic determination, here is a
considerable group who defy any
such charting. and move about sole
ly upon the basis of the best oppor-
tunity to follow their religious he
liefs." says a bulletin from the
| Washington, ID. c., headquarters OF
the National Geographic Society.
South Dakota Their Promised Land
From Holland to Germany,
thence to Moravia, Hungary. Ru-
mania, and into Russia-so runs the
| earlier course of Mennonite wander
ings. From the steppes of Crimea
and the treeless banks of the Mo-
lochnaia to Bonhomme County IN
| South Dakota was not too long q
tran, for the most nome-staying peo-
| pie in the world-so long as they
are not disturbed. They seldom
travel individually. Just before the
war a trip to Washington was offer
ed as an agricultural prize to twelve
young men of Lancaster county. Pa.
one of the oldest American Mennon-
lite strongholds, and Of the Twelve
winners not one had been outside
| 1T. @,w- zNtt hafArn
Now about 1900 Mennonites are
reported to be leaving Manitoba and
Saskatchewan, Canada. for Durango
Mexico, and the productive loss
their going will meal is only slightly
Indicated by the estimate that they
will take along with them some
SIS, 000, 900 worth of goods, farm i'm
plements and cash.
Schooling Begins at Three Years
Compulsory education require
ments including the teaching of Eng
llish, which could easily he adjusted
by a more compromising people,
caused the migration from Canada
In some branches OF their church
every Mennonite child must begin
his schooling when he is three years
old. From that time until he is six
the Bible and the Mennonite cate
chism are used for his instruction
After three years he takes UT the
Three RS but in the more ortho-
ldox branches of the church all
science. as such is frowned upon. In
farming, however, the Mennonites
ARE efficient and practical scientists,
European countries have profited by
their example, and to them Western
Pennsylvania owes much of its
prosperity.
There are various graduations
of policy among the various groups.
such as the Hutterians. the Amish.
the Wislar, the D~efenseless and
other branches. All hold against
taking oaths and to non-resistance,
which led to their exemption from
the draft without any such stigma
as attached to many types of con-
|scientious directors Their likeness
to the Quaker led William Penn to
invite them to his colony where they
first established themselves at Ger
|mantown, spreading thence to Lam
caster, Berks and Bucks counties in
Pennsylvania, and later into Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois.
Have Quaint Dialect
'In 'Tillie.' Mrs. Fiske disclosed
some of the peculiarities of Gus
tom and dialect of Pennsylvania Mem
nonites. Their adherence to taech-
ing German in schools is net SO
much that they love that language
as because they fear translation
would detract from the literal i'm
port Of their founders works. Their
detachment from the world is shown
by their curious use of English. A
caller at a Lancaster home rang the
bell many times without an answer.
Finally a woman appeared at the
door to apologize, ooh. did you bell?
It didn't make The women wear
poke bonnets, resembling those of
the Dunkers. Men. women and chill
dren avoid colors. jewels or any
grace of dress that might betoken
vanity. Women follow literally st.
Paul's injunction about keeping their
heads covered in church. Life in
surance and organized charity are
frowned upon. They have organized
an unincorporated company which
all Mennonites may join. This COM
pany reimburses the loses OF prop
erty by fire or storm, and assesses
its members at the end of each year
to cover these payments. NJ sal
aries are paid to ministers. Washing
of feet Is practiced in connection
with communion services.
Ban Those Wro Disobey
zone important branch of the
church, the Amish Mennonites. in
sist literally on the 'ban.' that is
the complete ostracism Of members
who have been suspended from the
church. The old Order Amish' sect
lays emphasis on simplicity in dress.
and requires it's members to fasten
their clothes with hooks and eyes
instead of with buttons.
Most rigid of. all groups, how
ever. is the Bruederhof, or lutheran
Brethren. dating back to Jacob HUI
ter, a MARTYR of the sixteenth CEN
fury, who insisted upon a complete
communal organization of congrega-
lions. 1t was this group that had
to leave Russia about the time OF
our Civil War for evolving a COM
munism which anticipated that of
the Soviet government in many re-