The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-06-21
The German Emigrant.

1t was a sad, sad sight, in which was
blended tears and laughter. On the
Santa Fe train was large family of
Germans so fresh from the ship that you
could smell the steerage odor. There
were fathers and mothers, brothers and
sisters, and raft of little ones. Some
were able to crawl up and sit on seat,
others were still at the breast. They
were all bound for the Neosho Valley.
All were tired, hungry and worn-out
from four weeks passage. They had
left crowded Germany, where they had
been struggling for an existence, and
they were going to their new home in
money it gave out before they reached
Kansas City. for on the train they were
eating black bread and salt. When the
children cried for meat or something
better than the stale black bread the
mothers hushed them and told them
that they would soon be at Plymouth,
beyond Emporia, where they would
meet Uncle Heinrich and Aunt Lena,
and when they got out onto the farm
they wo@d all have meat and milk.
80, it will be Heaven" said one of
the women, t'to live in a country where
| our children can have all the milk and
meat they wantr'
AS the train passed Emporia the poor
Germans began to raise the windows
| and admire the beautiful country along
the Santa Fe Road. The next station
| was to be the -hoped-for new home.
The mothers, wreathed in smiles, began
to wash the children's faces for the last
| time. Then when the rosy-cheeked
children were fixed they took white
handerchiefs out of their bags and put
| them around their own necks. Poor
women, they had but one dress on earth,
but as they were going to see brothers
and sisters and neighbors who had been
away from Germany and living in Kan
sas for five years they wanted to look as
well as they could.
"The next station is the place." said
big, healthful German as he tied a
blue handkerchief over his old so;led
collar, land here III never be hungry
again. Here my little babies can have
all they want to eat" =
| ''Will your friends meet you at the
trainp" asked, becoming deeply in
terested in the poor but now happy
group.
."Yes, they know we are coming this
|
train. Heinrich's farm is only two miles
Off"
'There they are waiting for u.s." said
the wife, stretching her head out of the
window, and sure enough there stood a
crowd of twenty Americana on
the platform as the train drew up.
Soon the fathers and mothers lead the
way off the train, carrying the big
bundles, the children following with the
dozens of little packages. AS they struck
the platform brothers and sisters and
fathers and children came together in a
long embrace. Every eye was dimmed
with tears. Every voice faltered and
every throat choked with emotion. 1t
was the pother of great joy. But soon
they wiped their tears away and began
to laugh and pat and smooth each other
on the back. Then the Kansas Germans
lead them across the street to a hotel
where big dinner was ordered. Fol
the first time in their lives these poor
German emigrants ate beefsteak, and
fried eggs and cake, and pie and fresh
Texas cabbage. 1t was worth day s
travel to see those appetites appeased.
became SO absorbed in the little epi.
| sode thatI could not keep my eyes of
of them. 1t was scene of the most
heartfelt joy ever witnessed. 1 could
not look at the scene without wiping
away tear myself, and cannot speak
of it now without my throat choking
with emotion.
When the dinner was over they al
went out and got into new lumber
wagons, with bright green boxes and
rode out to the new home on the farm
Having occasion to lay over in the
town, rode out to the new German
farm this morning, to see how the new
emigrants were getting along. founG
the Kansas Germans had had them al
over the farm before breakfast. Wher
got there they were showing theil
stock. The happy emigrant would pu
his hand on colts back and smooth i
like kitten. Then he would examine
harness, then take hold of plow
handle.
This said the Kansas brother, "i
the span of horses I've got for you
John"
Then John would go and pat them OF
their faces and look into their eyes.
The talk of the women in the hous'
sounded like school intermission
| They were showing their stoves ant
. kettles, and showing how they burned
| coal and wood instead of sticks, ant
} telling how, in Kansas, every one ha
all the white bread and meat they want
, "Then," said one woman, ''there is n,
} army here to take our men away. W.
| are sure our husbands will always sta.
at home"
: In two years these German emigrant
who looked so hungry on the cars will
own good farms. They will have horse
and cows and green wagon to ride t.
town in, and in ten years their farm
will be worth forty dollars an acre
, Their grandchildren will go to college
, be perfect Americans and fill position
of honor and trust in the best State fo
, the poor man the sun ever shone on
t Kansas.-Ek Perkins, in Chicago Irf5
. al7ae.