Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-05-17
NO. 20.


The following description Of colony Of
Mennonite emigrants who have established
themselves in the Arkansas valley, South
western Kansas, is taken from the Rocky
Mountain Tourist-a handsome quarto PAM
phlet of 6 pages, issued by Mr.. w. +. White,
passenger and ticket agent of the Atkinson,
Topeka and Santa Fe railroad Topeka, Kan.
Halstead, while possibly of itself not deem
ed worthy of more than passing glance mt
its neatness and general air of comfort, is,
from its associations, one Of the most inter
esting points on the road It is the CONNER
cial centre of the Mennonites, those peculiar
people transplanted from the steppes of Rus
STA to the rich valley of the Arkansas. and
who, in bringing with them habits and GUS
toms of hundred years ago form one of the
most interesting and suggestive features in
the rapid development of the new West.
They are a distinctly religious people, and
make their settlements in colonies, with mu-
tual interest and n common church for bonds
of fellowship. There ara now about !. 900 of
them in this section, and more coming every
year. They own soSething more than 20O,-
600 acres of land on the line of the Santa Fe,
all purchased of the railroad company. and
mainly for cash. Each colony has village
consisting of one long street, with houses a
few rods apart all built in the same style,
and the farms Of the colonists lie contiguous
to these villages. The church. which is also
Il school house, stands at one end of the sin
gle-streeted town, and around it cluster all
the moral and social interests Of the colony.
1t is plain structure, always and the minis
ter, like all his parishioners, is farmer, who
with his own hands supports himself and
| family, and breaches only because ''called of
God" so to do. The religion he expounds is
similar in many respects TO that of the Lu-
therans-its patron saint, Memo Smonis,
| having been contemporary with Luther in
Germany. 1t opposes infant baptism, the
| bearing of arms and the taking of oaths and
inculcates practical moral laws and duties
rather than abstract theological speculations.
1t is not a cheerful religion, by any MEANS
| but is seems wonderfully adapted to its stold
professors, and it certainly makes honest men
and good citizens of them. The Mennonites
take no part nor interest in politics, and rare
| ly fellowship with other religious denomina-
tions indeed, they have as little as possible
to do with 'the worlds people" in any way,
| though if you visit them you will find them
remarkably hospitable, polite and commune
cative Their homes are plain and neat,
without carpets or stoves, and with very lit
| tie furniture. The houses are heated by huge
| brick ovens in the centre, where most of the
cooking is also done. Their food is of the
most frugal kind, and principally vegetable.
| Their favorite fruit Is the watermelon, which
they raise in abundance. and eat without
stint. As farmers, the Mennonites are mod
els of thrift and industry. Their fields are
cultivated with scrupulous thoroughness, and
their yields of grain are enormous They
raise corn and wheat mainly, though they do
| something also in smaller crops and they are
preparing to go into silk culture-an industry
to which they say the soil and climate of Kan
sas are peculiarly adapted They have good
live stock, as a general thing, though they do
not devote special attention as yet to that
branch of husbandry. The women are
plainly-clad, good-tempered set of beings, "a
little lower" than the men in point of force
and intelligence, but equally industrious and
practical In fact, personal industry is the
Mennonite crown. drone or shirk cannot
live among these toiing and economical peo-
pie Their very religion has labor for its
cornerstone and chief glory, and "a good
crop" is the outward and visible sign of moral
and spiritual grace-or, at least without that
sign, unless the season has been notably un-
favorable, the possession of grace is seriously
! doubted.