The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-06-02
THE MENNoNlTES IN KANSAS.
Success Of the Colony in the "Vale Of
Peace" in the Arkansas
Valley.

Success of the Colony in the "vale of
Peace" in the Arkansas
Valley.
THEIR HABITS OF LIFE AND, IDEAS OF
CIVIL AND MILITARY Az
THoRITY.
About 5000 Russian Mennonites
located last year 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,
amending 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 af-
fdavit that they are members of a
religious organization whose articles
of faith prohibit the bearing of arms,
shall be exempt from militia duty
A translation of this amendment has
been published by the Atchison, To
peka and Santa Fe Railroad Compa-
ny, with pamphlet description Of
Kansas lands, which has been sent
to Russia by that Company, AMI we'll
circulated in the colonies. The fact
that portion of the most influential
of the colonies have now settled in
Kansas, and are we'll satisfied there,
will 90 far to induce the bulk of i'm
migration which is expected during
this year to come direct to Kansas,
as it is the chief aim Of these people
+ to re- establish their former relations,
and most eff the late corners have left
near relatives behind.
The whole number that came to
: America last year was 6,35e, distrib-
, uted as follows: Dakota, LOCO; Man
itoba, Mimi, IS; Nebraska, 400; Kan
sas, 29so, and Eastern States, $50.
Their settlements in Kansas ore 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 100000 acres o.
| land, at from $3.50 to So per acre
paying for the same mostly in ad
vance, though portion was pur
!, chased on FIVE and eleven years time
The policy of the railroad compan,
toward these people has been liberia
and very satisfactory to them. Sew
entceD car loads of freight were trans
: ferred at the expense Of the compan,
from Philadelphia to their Kansas
p homes, and all freight and transpor
# tation were free to them over tn
" company's road for the first tire
Ie months. The company also erecte'
n several large reception houses, 90
e feet in length, in which they coul
IS reside until they constructed thei
" own dwelling houses.
o. The principal Mennonite settle
st ment in Kansas is in the souther
r portion of Marion and the south
re eastern portion Of Mcpherson Cour
d ties. They have located a tow
y about six miles west of Marion Ger
Or ter, which they have called Guad'
l. nau, or "Yale of Peace They hay
lie already erected about thirty house
if all of which are occupied by fam
Of lies. Some Of these, are Of wood, (
IN modern American construction, b,
of most are patterned after their Ru
lie sian domiciles, and present uniqr
el appearance. They are merely skel
of ton roofs, thatcheQ with grass, al
at furnish accommodations for bot
to man and beast. About eightee
is miles north of Newton are the, lars
he wooden barracks erected for tt
he Mennonites by the Atchison, Topel
MS and Santa Fe. Railroad Compan
st. which offered temporary quarters u
ar til permanent habitations can
ial erected. These barracks are fill
to with families, and present a curio
ID. medley Of business and domesticit
,ly Sixty -four frame houses, erected
IN. an average cost of $542 each, a
me within sight of these barracks. T
he colony is located in the heart Of t
he region which was desolated last f
lge by the grasshoppers, and great wa
ect and restitution would have prevail
ne. there among the primitive settle
had it not been for the opportune .
ro- sistance afforded them in the sha
IS of renumerative employment by t
er- Mennonites. At Halstead, a stati
- A.. ..:1u.o1 ,;o~l,k ~o;1o, xvo,4