Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-02-10
The Mennonite Emigrants from
Russia.


For number Of years Major Alexander
Mechers, of this oity, has devoted great
deal of attention TO tho eubjoot of foreign
Immigration, and hos done much to On.
courage theinhux Of new people into South
Carolina lie is now endoavoring to secure
favorable situation upon which to locate
u COLONY of Russian Meunonitcs. and is in
correspondence with persons III different
sections of the State in regasdsato tho
scheme.
During the past six years, largely through
efforts, three thousand immigrants have
been induced to come TO this State, and
have been provided with comfortable homes.
lie has faithful ally in tho Rev. Mr..
NeuGann, missionary among the immi-
grnnts at Costle Garden, New York, who is
anxious to secure good cheap homes for
the strangers who arc committed to his
care aud whose location he can do much to
determine.
During tho month of December, in
company with Major Mclchers, he made
a partial tour of the State, visiting tho
Counties of Abbcville, Anderson, Green :
vile, Ooonee und Spurtanburg. Their
| object was to look out body of land
contaniug from five to ten thousand acres
which could be secured ata nominal price
or altogether FREQ of costs to such ooonists
a: would locate upon it, aud, becoming
permanent settlers, form the nucleus for
large colony. They found in Oooucc County
p!cuty of oheap Iand, but with defective
titles. In other Counties they found many
large tracts of land, but with no disposition
or apparent desire ou the part of the owners
to dispose of it upon suoh terms aa would
be Within the reach of those wishing to
secure homes Tho sale at low price or
the gift Of few thousand acres Of land
would, in their Judgment, SO enhance the
vaun Of surrounding real estate that it could
be sold at paying figures.
Major Mclchers wus assured by gen.
tlemau i'll Wulhulla that he would bring the
matter before the people of Ocuncc County
and endcnvor to secure their co-opcratiou
10 placing large tract of mountain aud ut
the disposition of tho Menuonics as an
inducemcnt for theui to make their homes
| thinks there are a number of gentleman ia
Georgetown County who will give from
| five hundred to thousand ncres as u
nucleus for the settlement of the immigrants
in that County, and, after consultation
with M,jur Melchers, went to Columbia on
Monduy night to suggest to the State Bourd
of Agriculture the wisdom and practicability
of giving the forfeited unds in Gcorgetowo
County 10 the Immigrants upon cusy terms
These lands amount to from thirty,fvo to
thirty-seven Thousand acres. If satisfaoS
tory arrangements cnnnot b. made With
the !nndholders 10 this State the Mennonite
immisrints vii! go TO other States aud will
probably settle 10 considerable numbers in
North Carolina and Tennessee.
The Mennonite Immigrants began com.
ing 10 this country about six years ago and
| wcut to the Northwest, many Of them
locating III Alinn sota and Kansas. At the
ti'"r of their coming Major Mechcrs mada
an Gttur, to secure their settlement in this
State No cheap lands could be had here.
The RAILROADS offered free transportation
from Chicago to the West mud the chances
we're nli us,insi us Bui the railroads do
not INV tnrn'Sh free transportation, prop
r,ty h"s become ,Orrr valuable in the West,
sad the nducn"crt for immiyrals to come
Snnth are favorable.
Tht Russian Mnuno"itcs are q sturdy
agricultural people. aud are nutrd for their
industry aud modest worth. They come
from an ancestry who sounded oil the
drpths Of pulitical aud religious persecution
aud originally came from Switzerland and
South GarWsny. whcuce they cmigratcd to
Southern Russia. settling first in the
D0ieper aud later near The sea of Azov
They acqu red considerable property, and 10
1870 ioI'"rd n pnpn at'on of about 10, 900.
'Y special DEGREES Of the emperor they
we're exempted ftom military duty. ln
loi this privilege was abolished and 10
.iterna.ive wns left them except cnnscrip
iiuu or emigration, the privilege If ~lnigrn>
tion hci"g confin"d to the period from Isl
to 1881. They are opposed to war, and
rather thnn saolfiee their principles they
hay" determined To hceept tho alternative
left TO them ny the Russian Government and
are conIUg to America to find homes The
time for departure is at hand, and their
emigratiou will begin in the Spring Flf-
trcn villages will be broken MP eDirc. and
th"i' "isah'rhn'> Wal r".ne to this c'nniry
win all tncir pu-sca>lons. Tues" villages
coutain 800 fom.Iies or about 1000 per.
sons
1t will take from fifty TO eighty thous; .,d
nrrcS OF l'nd for tue settlement Of the ep',t
HUNDRED families, who will devote their
attention ululost exclusively to Turning
operations. They are well acquainted with
tho culture of grain, but have never tried
to raise cotton.
Tho alennonites arc pretty well educated,
and onn, almost without exception, read
and write. Nearly oil of them tavo some