The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-08-01
RUSSIANS IN KANSAS.
First settlement Of AIennonitcs In Western
Kansas-How They Made Wild Prairies
Productive-A Queer People Be-
coming Americanized.


When in the years 1874 and 1878 til
people commonly called Russians wer
arriving in Kansas, they were regarde
with special wonder, which did not
however, lead up to any sufficient in
vestigation by the American multitude
a Russian was a man who wore
sheepskin coat with the woody side out
or woman who wore black kerchie
tied over or around her head, and whc
spent most of her time going some
where with an iron teakettle Rus
sian and Mennonite were somehow
supposed to mean the same thing, and
there are plenty of people in Kansas
yet who do not know that Mennonite
Is the name of religious sect, as Bap-
tlst Or Methodist, but supposed it to be
the designation of race or nationality.
All Russians were supposed to be OF
the same faith, with the same peculiar
tiles Of dress and manners and coming
from the same region in Russia.
AS the years have passed the real
situation has slowly become under
stood, and, for one thing, those who
nave sufficient interest in the most re-
markable immigration Kansas has ever
known, have learned that that great
accession to the working force of Kan
sas was not Russian, bit German.
Kansas has not to-day, it il probable, a
single citizen who could be counted as
ia blood and language Russian and
al these thousands, though coming to
Kansas from Russia, and for years after
spoken Of as Russians were Germans
IN lineage, in language, in feeling, as
much SO as If they had come from sax
ony, or Bavaria or Prussia.
These German-Russians were di-
vlded into two bodies; the larger mum
Der coming from Southern Russia. y
country extending from the Turkish
frontier eastward, embracing all the
wheat growing country north Of Odes-
sa, and the Crimea itself, were in reli-
glon Mennonites and settled finally in
The counties Of Marion, Reno, Harvey,
MCPHERSON and Butler; smaller. but, |
still large body, coming from the coun-
Try Of the Volga river on the confines
OF Asia, were Catholics in religion and |
settled Tor the most part in the county |
of Ellis.
III will be perceived that these were
Important differences, but they we're
Iost sight Of by the American public
Inc Mennonities being the larger BODY
were regarded with more of newspaper
and they have become, as If
were, better understood. The word
russian, is seldom applied to them in
.nese later years, and there is now less
instruction between them and the rest
pa the population than there IS between
5helr distant kinsmen the Pennsylvania
Dutch, and the rest Of the Pensylva-
mans"
After referring to the thousand or 50
from Russia who. in the
years 1879, 1875 and 1877, went out into
me counties Of Ellis and Russell on the
Pa Kansas Pacific, as to an agricultur-
u country, moved, like the children of
srael, rather more by faith than by ;
lght, and some historical discrepan-
ies as to whether Ellis county were (
'etter adapted to stockraising or apri-
ulture, and the getting up Of a party j
? visit the locality, the article con-
inues:
ln pursuance Of the objects Of the t
exploration 1T was resolved to visit I
ne village of Catharine or, in full. Y
atherinestadt, as specimen Of rms
an village, and on the way the expe- d
ltion halted at the country residence d
Father Sommereisen, who at one e
me had spiritual charge Of the colo 4
lists, but who now rests from the care #
II i
souls, under his own vine if not his h
Tree. Father Sommereisen, by birth 81
Alsatian, an American citizen since L
'o4, kindly corrected the historians n
nclaI and otherwise, and likewise the 81
sographers Of Ellis county concerning m
e names Of Russian villages. For k
stance, on the official maps one sees as
e township of 'Hartsook,' the proner fla
me, Father Sommereisen explained, v
Herzog, which may be freely trans W
ted Dukesborough The other vii ch
ges, accepting his spelling, are Cath hs
inestadt or Conference.-The; Lieber-
al, or Love Valley, in Rush county: ar
eifer, or Fifer, named for some an- riI
mt player on the fife, and Obermund- hi
1uh, or the upper mouth (of the
er). Another village called Schoen- if
p, or Beautyville, had gone Yc
I or rather down, having been 70
fortunately located on tn
nd II really had no motive II
e after the neighbors got to calling ;ns
Snenlken. Much other information III,
lively and hospitable padre gave Of iii
Ellis county Russia, but seeing Il ma;
levlng, and SO, pushing on over the Ill,
llrle hills, we came upon a certain
&c and looked down upon the valley TIL
the north fork Of Big creek. and III,
Y at one glance Herzog and Gather a
stadt and the two great stona NJ NJ
riches towering above the clustered tit Il
Uses, and between the towns and he- I lA'
q them the dark green corn fields III s
yellow, newly shorn wheat fields
ne German farmers who had coma
N the other side of the world. A
The German colonists who settled
russia back as far as the time ~
err the Great whom Father som
'elsen called Peter Boss, seem ~ IN.
e adopted the village system. whara "ni
community Of farmers live together
own Q common field and common
Iure, and besides carry On thar n
as IN sevcralty at greater or less aver
ance from the common center. Tba was
monte settlers began life in Kan on
IN this way, and the writer II As =
visited the village Of Guadenap that
! its single street of prasS- min
ched houses. The Mennopitas wait
rely abandoned this system vcars sane
but amnncr tina Ell;c c,,,. flare