Here is one of the "New Order" (or let's say "newer Order") Amish buggies in Holmes County. We can tell that this is not an extreme Old Order buggy, because there are reflectors on the back and mirrors on the front of the rig. Also there are roll-down side storm flaps. Schwartzentrubers don't allow those features on their buggies. But how do we know this isn't one of the buggies of the most liberal New Order sects? It's the wheels that tell us. They are not rubber padded for comfort. Instead the wheels have plain wooden rims. So this is not one of the most conservative Schwartzentruber Amish buggies, but it is not one of the Newest Order buggies either. Mirrors, reflectors, and rubber-padded wheels are some of the features to look for when thinking about an Amish buggy. Schwartzentrubers don't make any effort to make their buggies more comfortable or more safe. They believe they have a more sophisticated level of faith, trusting in God for everything, especially for their safety. To my way of thinking, it just makes them more dangerous out on the roads.Labels: Amish, Amish Country, Amish Culture, Amish Photographs, Amish-Country Mysteries, Holmes County, P. L. Gaus, P.L. Gaus, PL Gaus
