The Delta independent., 1893-11-29
10 LU.,GER IN DEBT.
I-ani.co, -Iennonitco Even with
thu Canadian Government.
The Uphill Work of the sturdy Col
onists IN Paying fo- Their I:omcs
"A Thrifty and Grow
ing Community.

The Mennonite farmers of Manitoba.
to whom the dominion government
leaned nearly one hundred Thousand
dollars eighteen years ago to enable
them to imnigrate to farming lands in
Manitoba, have repaid the debt with
interest, closing the account, and also
the unusual ard romantic relations
tina. all these years have existed be-
tyvccn them and the government OF
Canada. The story is told il the latest
report Of a. NJ. burgess. deputy minis
ter of thc department of the interior,
and quoted by the NV York Sun.
Early in 1872, soon after the great
northwest had been transferred to Can
ada. the government began to look
abroad for settlers TO turn the bolnd-
'css prairie into fruitful fields. They
heard that in Russia was an isolated
people, the German Mennonites, 4 race
of farmers who desired to find new
homes in the far west. where they and
their wives and children could live in
peace and quietucss, which was no
longer assured to them by the govern
mcnt of the ear. Canada at once sent
"a agent TO Russia to ask these people
to send representatives to Manitoba to
inspect the country. SO they seat 20
Canada sr-cral persons in whom they
had confidence. and the rcsul, of their
report was that in 1874 many families
went to Manitoba and settled n few
miles southeast of Winnipeg. They
were supplied with money and needed
no Assistance. Hundreds of their
friends. however. desired to follow
them. but were prevented by the fccr
that they might become stranded in n
strange country before they were able
to grppor; themselves This fact was
publiahCd in u Canadian ncvvs vspapcr.
and the result was that about 100 we'll
tO-lO :arT9crs of German extraction,
who lived in the county OF Waterloo.
Ont, form themselves into the Wa
tcrloo society and told the government
that Il 1t would advance the money re-
pUircd to assist the Minaoaitcs to Man
itoba they would pledge their fares
~ security for the repayment OF the
loan. The government found the Sc
curtty cSocllcnt and accordingly ad-
tanccG Sgj, 800 to the immigrants with
the understanding that it wolld not
Ga.i for any part of the principal or in
tcrCst until the McnnonitcS who bor-
ruwcd the money had been able to get
fair start in their new homes. AL
the government had to do was to adj
vance the money. The busincSs dc
tails were looked after By the Waterloo
soe!cty. Its secretary saw to the dis
.T!bTtion of the loan, its collection and
it, repayment to the government.
This branch of the Mennonite colony
settled in Townships Immediately north
of the international border between
the Red river on the east and Pcmbina
louatain on the west. AT that time
he tract was q trcclcss prairie, rich in
everything, except trees, that makes ag-
Ticultural lands desirable. The immi-
grants began to cross the ocean in
1873. and the work of preparing shelter
for the winter and the difficulty of
getting supplies prevented them the
first season from bringing more than
small area under cultivation. Moth
ing, however. disheartcncd the sturdy
workers, though their first crop was
injured by Grasshoppers and the next
TWO crops by excessive rains. Each
wear saw considerable additions to
their number and u larger area under
cultivation. Their village grew. they
built roads and bridges, and to-day the
Cou2tTy that seventeen years ago was
n trcelcss prairie without a uolitary
settler l. bnc of the most thriving in
the Canadian northwest. l; IS, il fact,
beginning 70 overflow, and many of the
young men are looking for homcStcads
further west. ci,hcr in Manitoba or the
northwest territories. The money
which these people have repaid in
c!udcs not only the So6. 100 borrowed.
but also SS3.9S6 interest. making n
tota, return of si3O.3SG. Mr.. Burgess.
in his report. rightly observes that
the history of no country affords a
case IL which an obligation to the gov
ornmcnt on the part OF any society.
company or individual has been full
filed with greater faithfulncSs than
this" The entire transaction seems
crcditablc to the government, the Men
nonitc immigrants and the Waterloo
society, and it is noteworthy that
neither of the persons to whom the
loan was made nor the Waterlo. So
cicty, which bccnmc accountable for
its repayment, has ever requested any
abatement OF the terms of refund. nor
in any ease has there been any effort
of the settlers or their bondsmcn to cs-
cape liability.