Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-04-29
Nenuonites in Manitoba.

some miles west OF fembina, on the brit
ish side of the boundary line, there is
large settlement of Russian Mennonites.
About 1000 have come to Manitoba, where
the government has reserved 100000 acres
for their settlements. Ii was a beautiful
morning when we set out on 'prairie
yacht" behind pair Of quick-stepping
horses, to visit the Mennonite Reserve. Our
road lay along the north bank of the Penn
bina River, skirting the edge of the timber,
and occasionally cutting across point OF
woods which ran out into the open prairie.
We passed many thrifty looking farms,
where the men were still working at the
remnant of the harvest. At Smuggler's
Point there was a log tavern, and We stop
ped for little dinner. The landlord was n
frontiersman who had tried life in many ter
ritories We asked him whether the Men
nonites we're good settlers, and how he liked
them.
Well" he said, "they're quiet enough
| and some on EN- lives pretty white but
they amt no good TO the country. They
live on black bread and melons, and raise
their own tobacker, and when crowd on
EN- comes in here to drink, each man steps
up and drinks, and pays for has o,ra liquor"
Such conduct as this, of course, is sub
versiye Of the very first principle of Ameri-
can society which recognize. treating as
the true medium Of friendly intercourse.
4 few miles farther on We found the farm
village Of Blumenort. II is not the largest
Of the villages on this reserve, but it will
serve as a type Of the rest The high-road
was simply a well-worn wagon track over
the bare plain. An irregular line Of dozen
low matched houses on each side OF the
road and 4 steam saw mill made up the vii
lag-. The farms radiate from this centre.
Every man cultiyates his own land and the
four nd-tventy families have the advantage
OF living close together, and making com
mon front against the hardships and loneli-
ness of frontier life. Each village has its
head or .Schulr-its school master
who teaches in German; and if the village
| is too small for church, the Pfayrer comes
over from some larger town TO preach at
stated times.
4 We sat on the steps of the mill, talking
with some of the villagers and eating a
water melon, which was passed around from
man to man for each to cut off a slice with
| his pocket-k knife. The Mennonite German is
barbarous dialect; Il has not been I'M
| proved BY ninety years -oJourn in Russia.
/ But il served as a medium Of communication.
/ They told US that their village had been un-
| fortunate that they had been forced to
| move twice on account of the wetness ofthe
| land. The present situation seemed 10 be
1 better. They liked the country better than
| Russia. But one Of the men, who had not
I vet taken up his allotment of land, COM
| planned greatly that under the new law,
| made this summer. he could get only eighty
acres OF homestead He thought Of going
10 America Il. C.. the United Statesl, where
| he could get one hundred and sixty acres.
| but how about the oath OF allegiance ?" We
asked lie shrugged his shoulders and
I grinned, from which We concluded that he
must be 4 Buttoner OF the looSer stamp.
The men expressed some anxiety to know
| if Sitting Bull were coming to make war in
Manitoba. They had heard that he was
marching with four thousand braves TO at
tack Emerson. They seemed much relieved
to hear that he was many hundred miles to
| the west of them.
! On the other side Of the road saw 4 clay
! thre>hing floor between some wheat stacks,
and an old man driving team of horses
over it to tread out the grain. The method
was old fashioned enough 70 be quite
novelty. went over to watch 1t. and thus
! chanccd TO make the acquaintance of the
| proprietor Of the stacks and the horses. He
was a pleasant. talkatiye old man, who had
come from Russia within year. and was
Just beginning to make home for himself.
| This was his first crop. and he thought it
would average over twenty bushels to the
acre. Three or four barefooted girls, ruddy
and strong, we're brushing up the grain
the horses trod it out, and wiunowing IL
The scene was picturesque and called Cad
over to make sketch OF il. But some
thing in his dark and rolling eve, or some
natural timidity, sent the maldens scamper-
ing off To hide behind the stacks, from
which they made rapid sallies 10 gather up
!tile wheat in their aprons. Meanwhile the
old farmer was asking many questions. He
was particularly anxious to know the value
of Russian money in New York, for he still
had a little stock of rubles which he had
brought with him from his old home. The
Mennonltes are, almost without exception.
well-to-do people. What is the mysterious
connection between the doctrine of non
resistance and worldly prosperity? Why do
they always go together?
After a while Brother Peters asked us to
20 home with him, and see his house. which
was but a few yards away from the thresh-
ing floor. 1t was built of logs, plastered
with clay and thatched with straw The
chimney was a square hole in the roof. The
inside of the house was rough, but comfort
able, or at least 1t might be Wade The
floor was made OF clay. Peters was particu-
lar TO impress upon US that the house was
not finished he had bought the shell, as it
stood, from another man, and he pointed
out with admirable pride how he proposed
TO wall OFF a GdStztB.Hier here and SveiSe-
zimmer there. The central point OF the
establishment was the great oven. which an
swered at once for purposes OF cooking the
food and warming the rooms. All improve
ments in the place the old man intended to
make with his own hands at his work
bench, which occupied one side Of the living
room.
AS We sat there in that rude room talking
with the old Russian, putting away quietly
at pipe of the peace-making Indian weed,
we seemed TO have entered quite into the
circle OF his domestic life. In one corner
of the room sat the old Hdusfrau combing
her scanty locks. The eldest daughter was
very busy with some household work, while
the little grandchild played on the floor be-
side the work bench. In the middle of the
room was the dinner table presently three
or four girls came in from their work, and
We were cordially asked to sit down with |
them 10 their resperbrod of black bread, |
melons. and cotfee.-HENRy J. VAN DYKE, !
JR., in Harper's .Hagasine for May.
-!Scribner for May is full of interesting !
material on subjects of general or timely |