Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-01
saf 9aily 9ress aua 9atstaias.
yAMk TON. DAKOTA.
'uesday Evening, April I, 1879
CONG To KANSAS.

CONG TO KANSAS.
A Colony Of "Riv.r Brethren" L,.x.
Tsa"syiva"iA for New HOnes.
1t. Louis 1lmes-Journal.
passed through st. Louis last nivbt on
thesr way TO the state Of Kansas. A Times
Jourusl reporter was At tue union denot
wnen the train arrived, shout IL $50 O'CLOCK
snu was soon afterwards in conversation
WIN Bishops Jesse Engle and BENJAMIN
Gish, and deacons Abraham and BENJAMIN
EoRle.
W are what they call river brethren.
sa'a b,shep EnRle, Q middle aged granger
looking gentleman, and we come from
ties, Pa"
And where are you all going" asked the
reporter.
ITO Abilene, Dickinson county, Kan"
was the answer. I'VE are going 10 Dick.
lnson county to found q colony of our
church people. A committee from eur
council went out there last fall and bought
some lands and q good many of our peo-
PIE had already settled In the vicinity. we
there" '
= ~ . . 1ClJklOuS bECk CAIlHO l1lVGE
Brethren; is that it?"
"Yes. We are something like the Dunk.
ards and something like the Quskers. and
also something like the M~ennonites.
We spring originally from the Mennopites
OF Switzerland. Our forefathers emigrsted
10 1854 from Switzerland. to Pennsyivanis.
They were Menoonites."
May 1 ask why you are called River
Brethreni"
Because the majority of the sect for.
merly lived along the Susauchanns river.
We are also called the "Old .Dunkards."
and sometimes also Brethren 3 Christ"
Can you tell me something about your
faiths"
"Our fundamental faith is experimental,
practical, visible religion. We are non re-
%sistless like the Quakers. But it would take
too long too tell you everything"
"How many are there efyouY'
There are 100 soula in our party-twenty
families-but there are also other emigrants
on the train, Daniel 9riest and party. They
are from Lehigh and vicinity. Pennsylvan-
ia, and are going to found a colony in
Pawnee county, Kansas"
D they belong to another religious
sect
"Well, Mr.. Griest himself is a Quaker,
and SO are many of the people with him,
but not all. They don't all belong to any
one sect"
"Hsve you had = pleasant trip 30 far ?"
"Yee, very pleasant, l have just written =
letter to our folks At Shippensburg, Pa,
about our trip and will give you a copy Of
it if you want it, bat if you publish it aend
me . copy Of the paper to Abilene, Kan.
sas."
The reporter took the letter and here
gives it publication:
St. Louis. March %, 1s79.-Friend d. ".
Wagnr.-We have safely arrived at St.
Louis and had . pleasant trip so far, and il
We will find the remaining part of our
journey as favorable as thus far, We have
no reason whatever to complain as our
accommodations and the special car given
to us we're such that there was no reason 10
complain, nor fault to find.
The agents and railroad officials took all
the care of us possible or could be asked of
them, the Pacific railroad having furnished
US first class cars and will run US through
to Kansas City without change, which we
consider a great favor, and We could advise
parties intending to go west, to patron:ze
their lines as long as they treat others as
treated us.
We had a company of 258 full tickets,
and would judge in all over 300, to Kansas
City. The children have stood it we'll and
are as cheerful as can be expected.
We have heard no complaints whatever.
Dur water tanks and other necessaries were
Ill we'll supplied the whole time.
Signed by the committee.
B. G1sH,
JESSE, ENGLE,
A. NJ. ENGLE.
I heartily endorse the above letter in all
respects, having also q party under my
charge on the same train.
D. GR1Esr,
Agent Atlantic and Pacific railroad:
The reporter made further Inquiries of
Bishop Engle of the cause of their leaving
pennsylvania, and was answered thst it was
lue partly to the hard times, but principal
for the purpose of spreading their church
n the west and giving their people already
n Kansas . church organization at home.
The immigrants for the most part were
'ery we'll of, having owned before they left
rome, some of the finest farms in Pennsvl-
'ania.
you're what they call PENNSYLVANIA
too, aren't you 2"
Eyes, we're Pennsylvania Dutch, nearly
IL of US"
"Hov many did you say we're on the
rain?"
"About $50, l believe, all told, ten car
oads of us."
"And most of you are farmers and expect
0 60 on to farms in Kansas p
"Yee, that's it. We have, however, a
,ood many mechanics also among Us. In
act we can build up a very nice little town
or the farmers among nj to do their trading
The reporter left the leaders of the riyerb
and found Mr.. james Timmons,
raveling agent for the Pennsylvania rail-
Dad, and the gentleman in charge oftheim
train. There were four car loads of
)unksrds, be said. two car loads Lehigh
county people. The rest we're . promiscu
JUS lot of immigrants from east Pennsylvs.
lia. When the train left Harrisburg the
rain had fourteen cars, but four Of the
were transferred to the Fort WAYNE
Dad. Those cars we're filed with Penn.
immigrants, hound for Illinois,,
owa and Nebraska. The immigrants that
tsyed with the main part of the train werel