ended upon its recovery.

Characterized by their strong religious beliefs it was only natural for
the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians to build their churches as they built
their little homes. Opequon Church south of Winchester is thought by
many to be the oldest church in the Valley. Not so with the Germans.
They did not attempt to build separate houses of worship for a
generation or more after coming to the new section but they did hold
regular services in the homes of the settlers and waited until a better
time to erect churches.

There was an interesting custom among the Scotch-Irish at their
weddings, too. It was called "running for the bottle." Usually the bride
and groom went to the parson's home for the marriage ceremony, attended
by their friends on horseback. At the conclusion of the ritual the young
men took to their horses and dashed for the bride's father's house. The
man on the fleetest horse was given a bottle of wine from which the
returning bride and groom first drank and then it was passed on to
others. In most instances the mad rush to the home was made in spite of
numerous trees and small brush which were cut down to serve as obstacles
in their paths.

At Winchester these two distinct nationalities got along fairly well
together. An example of their friendly relations is to be seen in their
"War of the Guelphs and Ghibellines." The Dutch on St. Patrick's Day
would parade through the village streets with effigies of St. Patrick
wearing a necklace of Irish potatoes and his wife carrying an apron full
of them.

And then on the day of St. Michael, the patron of the Dutch, the Irish
retaliated by holding aloft an effigy of the saint decorated with a
necklace of sourkrout.

As was to be expected these frolics occasionally went to the extreme and
ended before the judge in the log cabin courthouse.

It was hard for those early settlers to get such articles as salt, iron,
steel and casting. There were no stores where they could purchase sugar,
tea and hundreds of other necessities of today. Pelts, furs or skins
were their only money before they had time to raise horses and cattle.
In the Fall of the year, after all crops were harvested, every settler's
family formed an association with some of their neighbors for starting a
caravan.

This consisted of two packhorses. A bell and collar was put on each
horse, as were a pair of hobbles made from hickory withes. Bags were
packed on the back of the saddles in w