The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-06-17
The Mennonite Settlement in Southern
Kansas.

In southern Kansas, in the Arkansas valley.
One of the most powerful inducements to
bring them to Kansas was the passage Of
an act by the Legislature of 1874 amend
ing the militia law Of 1868, so that all
persons who, on or before the first day Of
May in each year, file with the clerk Of
their county an affidavit that they are mem
bers ola religious organization whose articles
Of faith prohibit the bearing Of arms, shall
be exempt from militia duty. 4 trans
lation of this amendment has been pub
lished by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railroad Company, with pamphlet
description of Kansas lands, which has
been sent to Russia by that company and
well circulated in the colonies The fact
that a good portion of the most Influential
of the different colonies have now settled
in Kansas, and are we'll satisfied there,
viii 90 far to induce the bulk of immigra-
ton which is expected during this year to
come direct to Kansas, as it is the chief
aim of the people to rc-establish the former
relations, and most of the late comers have
! left near relatives behind.
The whole number that came to
America last year was 6,366, distributed
as follows: Dakota, 1000; Manitoba,
Minnesota, 10 Nebraska, 400; Kansas,
1850; Eastern States, 759 Their settle
ments in Kansas are in Marion, Mcpherson,
| Harvey, Reno and Barton counties, on the
line Of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railroad. They purchased of this railroad
company l00, ,00O acres Of land, at from
81 so to So per acre, paying for the same
mostly in advance, though Il portion was
purchased on five and eleven years time.
! The policy Of the railroad company toward
! these people has been liberal and very
satisfactory to them. Seventeen car loads
Of freight were transferred at the expense
of the company from Philadelphia to
their Kansas homes, and all freight and
transportation were free to them over the
company's road, for the first three months.
The company also erected several large
reception houses, 200 feet in length, in
which they could reside until they con-
| structed their own dwelling houses.
| The Arkansas river is remarkable
stream 1t winds hundreds Of miles
through high rolling prairie country,
without the ornamentation of the forest
fiingcs that usually line the banks of
/ streams. From the car windows it seems
that the stream Is higher than its banks,
and that it is about ready to overflow and
submerge the valley. The point where the
railroad strikes the valley, near Hutchinson,
is fifteen hundred feet above the level OF
/ the sea, a fact which alone tells Of its
healthful climate. Sargent, on the west
line Of the State is thirty-four hundred feet
above the level Of the sea. The soil of the
country is Of d varied character, that of the
eastern portion Of the line possessing general
characteristics similar to the country called
the blue Grass region" Of Kentucky,
while its fertility is Of the highest character
1t producing luxuriant crops Of certain
productions. The first and second bottom
lands are adapted to the culture of corn
and wheat, while the higher lands are
especially adapted to stock raising and
dairying purposes.
The principal Mennonite settlement in
Kansas is in the southern portion of Marion
and the southeastern portion Of Mcpherson
counties They have located town about
six mile west of Marion Centre, which they
have called "Gnadanau or, Vale Of Peace. y
They have already erected about thirty
houses, all of which are occupied by families
Some of these houses are Of wood, OF modern
American construction, but most are pat
termed after their Russian domiciles, and
present unique appearance. They are
merely skeleton roofs thatched with grass
and furnish accommodations for both man
and beast. About eighteen miles north o1
Newton are the large wooden barracks
erected for the Mennonites by the Atchison
Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company
which afford temporary quarters unit
permanent habitations can be erected
These barracks are filed with families, ant
present curious medley Of business anC
domcsticity. Sixty-four frame houses
erected at an average cost Of $542 each, are
within sight Of these barracks. A. Lane
formerly Of Carliuvilic, H., superintendeC
the construction Of these houses and fo
labor upon them he paid to mechanics il
the vicinity OF Newton alone, 5000. Ill
also paid 50, 100 to tcamstcrS for haulln!
lumber from the depot at Newton to th
settlements. The colony is located in tn
heart Of the region which was desolatc,
last fall by the erasshoppers, and grea
want and destitution would have preyile'
there among the primitive settlers had
not been for the opportune assistance al
forded them in the shape Of remunerativ
employment by the Mcnnonitcs. A
Halstead, station on the railroad eigh
miles west of Newton, they have erected
dam and grist mill at an expense of $50
) 000, aud they have just completed hotC
there. Halstead viii doubtless becom
their business centre, though they seeI
disposed to trade where the best bargain
can be procured, irrespective of the nation
ality or religion OF the seller.
: They are quiet, inofensiye, ploddin
and honest people. They seem to have n
other worldly ambition than TO make
honest living.