Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-09-07

TO hardShlpS such as the American
born citizen has never been called
upon to face, drilled from childhood
to habits of industry and frugality,
these are the last people of all the
varied population of the prairie state
which would naturally be expected to
need aid as the consequence of crop
failures.
The story Of the Russian settlement
in Ellis county has never been proper
ly told. OF the hundreds of superb
cial writer's who have attempted to
give an account of this unique colony,
the greater part have started out with
the error of connecting these people
with the Mennonites of Southwestern
Kansas. There is no similarity be-
tween the MennOniteS OF Barton
county and the Russians of Ellis
county than between an Irishman
and Frenchman, with the single eX-
ceptiOn that both are descended Of
the German race and speak the same
language; though even in this respect
there is vast difference. as the Men
MONTE is educated and speaks high
German, while the Russian is Hitter
ate and speaks low Dutch. In social
customs and religion the difference is
even wider, as the MennoniteS hold a
religion nearly Identical with the
Quaker faith, while the Russians are
Roman Catholics.
Without attempting historical eX-
actitude within the limits of a news
paper story, some little account Of
these people can hardly fail of possess
ing interest. Along back in the days
when Peter the Great was striving to
raise Russia from her condition of al
most hopeless barbarism he sought
the immigration of artisans and far
merS from the provinces Of Germany.
As an inducement to immigration he
entered into treaty which, for a
given period, was to exempt the colo
niStS from military service, and the
brief annals of those times recount
that thousands of Germans were in
duced to change their residence to
Russia. Those German cOlOniStS
formed two great settlements in Rus
STA. One was upon the Crimean pc
ninSula and the other in eastern Rus
STA, along the river NOlga. The Ellis
county Russians are descendants of
the German immigrants who settled
along the river and it was only TWEEN
ty years ago that the expiration of
Peters treaty rendered them liable to
military service and at the same time
set them at liberty to emigrate if so
they chose. Large numbers Of them
came to the United States. Others
sought homes in South America, Of
these the larger portion settling in
Brazil. Though widely scattered now,
| the first settlement made in America
was in Ellis county, Kansas, and at
this time it is the only colony Of the
Russian Germans which has been
maintained in its original integrity.
The first Russians arrived in Ellis
county on December II, 1875, and of
all the curious sights which ever
greeted the eyes of Western Kansas,
the trainload which was disgorged
upon the platform of Hays City easily
won the palm. Dressed in long sheep
skin coats, with the hair turned in,
unshaved, unwashed, and with all the
smells of long steerage voyage con-
centrated on their persons. there was
anything but fascination about
their appearance, which babe them
welcome. The women were dressed
in the same SheepSkin coats for the
greater part, while over their heads
heads they were the dark fringed
shaWls which to this day is the cos
tune of the elderly females. but
which in the younger has given way
to the headgear Of the American
woman, in all its glory. The writer
we'll remembers how that colony pour
ed itself into the store of Simon MOtZ,
who, as a Pennsylvania Dutchman,
could make stagger at understand
ing the quaint idiom of Western Kan
sas' new chums. Every man smoked
a black pipe, with a long leather stem,
which eXuded the most eXecrable
smells ever found outside of charnel
house. Adding this to the delicate
! aroma of bilge water it produced an
effect which cleared that store of
! American occupants quicker than
lightning could kill cat, and while,
for the sake Of future political intiu-
ence and trade, Senntor Motz heroic
ally remained with his visitors for a
space, he was at last forced to fly.
The first colony was quickly follow
ed by others, until now, within the
limits of Ellis county, there are more
than $500 of these Russians. They
poll about 600 votes with that never
wavering intelligence which always
guides the foreigner who can neither
read nor write his own language, and
who has about as much understand
ing and appreciation Of American
citizenship as he has of theoSOphy
They quickly entered government
homesteadS and commenced to build
towns. They now have five import
ant villages occupied solely by their
own countrymen. The quaint names
of these towns mark the foreigner in
every syllable. The most populous is
Hartsouk, followed by Catherine
Standt and Obermonjour, while the
two smaller ones are called. respect
lively, Schooner and Pfeiferstandt.
The colonistS did not live upon their
homesteads. They sought the towns
for two reasons, one of which was the
intensity of their religious zeal,
which required almost daily inter
course with the church and clergy,
and the other was the product of that
old patriarchal system which obtains
in Russia. At one time there was a
family of eighty-tiye persons living in
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES oil nnHar CONTROL Of