Show I A PECULIAR P OPLE Omih Sect Has Many Queer Practices ad Customs ChIcagO Record Clmma Park Ills has an ecentric re lgIous sect whIch forbIds its male members to wear neckties cultivate a mottstache smoke vote or go courting court-ing Women are enjoined from wearing wear-Ing trimming of any kind on theIr hats Not even a very little ribbon or a chIcken chIck-en feather is allowed Fashion maa zlnes are looked upon as tempting lures sent out by the evil one and any sisterwho dares to sew a ruffle on her skirt is disciplined and made the subject sub-ject of special prayer Ey outsiders this strange sect Is cal this ed Omish The members resent hoWever and call themselves the Chris tiall apostolic or German church There are about 1000 members of the churcn nearly aU farmers and aU noted for their sobriety frugality and strict honesty hon-esty They live as a distinct little com monwealh set down on the Illinois entirely by prairie and governed entrely churdh law In fact it is a grave mls demernor for any member of the con gregaton to appeal to the state authorities au-thorities in the settlement of disoute3 Differences which among other ptopie would lead to lawsuits are decided by a council of the elders of the church The members dress in the olainet of clothes The women wear sal black aprons over calico dresses TheIr headgear head-gear consIsts of a black straw sailor hat entirely devoid of trimmIng The men are nearly all clean shaven Thy are permitted to wear beards but no moustaches The moustache Is under a bar as the elders say It conduces to anIty and the dreadful pride which goesbefore a fall NO cHANcE FOR COURTSHIP Courtship is away below Dar among the Omish of Cissna Park The only pportunly ayoung ma has of choosing choos-Ing a partner for life among them lS by Cstng sheps exes across the broad aisle which separates the men and women worshipers in church on Sun C alt day He ma not ask to see her hons from meetng and burning coal in the parlor grate on Sunday evening Is con sidered rank heresi After a rustic swain amongthe Omishes has in someway some-way picked but the girl h thinks he mihtlke to ram he confides in one of the elder df the church The cIder in turn tells the father of the girl und the father i he approves of the match gives the elders message to the daughter daugh-ter I her answer Is favorable the Is announced In prospective wedding anounce church the next Sunday I her answer an-swer is nfavorable the young man Is supposed to zenounce all hope in that xenounce direction and look somewhee else for a marital partner The only proper way to salute one another an-other anioxig the Omishes Is by kissing Shakinghands hfs considered a cold J soulless method of greeting and is one oftheforms orpunishment visited upon a recalcitrant church member On Sun da godly dIscIple not too day mornings D godl young and goodlooking stations hIm goodlookng self at the outer door of the curh and kisses all members in good standing stand-Ing as theY go away I he skips a brother or sIster it is the cause of gossIp gos-sIp immedIate and it Is understood that there has been a grave infrc tia of rules ton A CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE Saturday Is market day and then there 15 a continuous 0culator performance per-formance goIng on in the streets of the little village The men embrace and kIss each other and the women like wise kIss only the members of their own tan Sunday e service < at the church begian early and lasts all day The food i cooked and served at the meetinghouse cooke house and strangers are always welcome wel-come The elders are very strict in enforcing theIr church discipline They ordr penances for all offense One of the most ordinary punIshments inflicted inflict-ed for minor offenses such a prIde boasting etc i5 to condemn the culprit cul-prit to attend meeting on foot No matter what the condition of the roads mater elders so decree any toploftY young man who persists il wearing neckties or patent l the shoes will be compeled to trudge to church Oil foot The girl that he had decided to mention to the elder may drive by in a carrIage and she may look at hIm with scorn but he has to grin and bear it In silence sience Ifa member fans under the ban of I elders he is boycotted by hIs fel lowmembers They refuse to buY his corn they wont attend his wieS quiltinga and refuse to hold any inter quItngs he expiates hIs course with hIm nt offense The members of the Omlsh set taA no part In poJitcs and never vote They do not employ physicians They never use tobacco but drink a good deal of wIne and beer They abhor secret so cietles Reading newspapers is not strictly forbIdden but Is considered strcty frIvolous and risky They a opposed to war under any circumstances Nearly ly l aU of the OmIshes are proSerouS and farmers may of tem wealthy aU extremely careful to live up to their contracts |