The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-27
DUskARDs ARE ,IOvING WEST
Leaving. the East aud Settling in Colonies
in the Dakotas.

Leavin. the East and Settling In Colonles
in the Dakotas.
Chicago, March 26.-Twenty colonies
of Dunkards from six different states
passed through Chicago on their way
to new homes in North Dakota last
night. The colonists, numbering 1-5OO
arrived during the evening and the cars
in which they rode were at once
switched to the yards of the Wisconsin
Central railway at West Fortieth and
Twelfth streets. From there they are
being taken to st. Paul. From ST.
Paul the route is over the Great North
ern TO North Dakota. Along the line
of this road the colonists will establish
new homes.
The Dunkards arrived over the Bal
timore and Ohio, Wabash, Nickel Plate
Pan Handle and Monon roads. They
are from colonies in half hundred
towns in Virginia, West Virginia, Penn
sylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Limos.
The special trains were slow IN arrlV-
ing. As fast as sufficient cars were on
hand a new train was made up IN the
Wisconsin Central yards and started
for the Northwest. In order to carry
all the emigrants four trains We're nee
essary. The composition or these
trains was twenty passenger coaches
and 102 freight cars
In the freight cars were families NOV
ing their household goods, farm nipple
ments. and live stock. In the coaches
were families having sold out most Of
their goods. thinking it cheaper TO pay
cash for what will be needed in their
new homes than TO pay freight rates on
the old. a number of women used the
coaches while their husbands and elder
sons looked after the goods in the
freight cars.
A number of the Illinois contingent
arrived during the day and centered IN
the emigrant waiting room IN the Grand
Central depot. These people were in
the charge of Elder Lilligh, who came
from Smfthboro, and who will accom-
pany them TO their destinations. Sew
eral families came from Mount Morris,
Ill, where the Gospel Messenger, the
official church organ for America, is
published.
The arrivals during the day was on
regular trains only. The first special
to reach the city was over the Baltl-
more and Ohio at 1880. The Nickel
Plate train got in after S:45. These
trains, as we'll as those over the four
other roads, were not brought into the
depots, but switched about from the
trial yards in West Twelfth street.
The feeding arrangements are simple
each family carrying its own meals.
Huge baskets and boxes Of edibles were
in every seat, and everyone had plenty
to eat Cold chicken, cheese, ham, and
canned fruits were the most popular.
From the appearance Of the children
no one could distinguish the people as
Dunkards. 1t is only when the older
people are seen this comes out promi-
nently. The women are dressed plain
" and wear old-fashioned bonnets or
nothing at all on their heads. The men
generally appear in long boards
The present is the second exodus or
Dunkards from the east to North Da-
kota in the last three years. They
come from old-established colonies
which have been sending out members
to the west for half century. Often
children grow up, have families of their
own, and leave the parent colony much
after the nature of bees, which swarm
when their quarters become too crowd
ed. Such is the case in this instance.
The fathers of large families have left
their eastern homes, where land is
high. with a view to establishing large
family estates in the west. These en-
igrants are not of the poorer class.
Many are well-to-do and all are indus
triouS, desirable citizens.
For some time the elders Of the church
| have been investigating the desirabili-
tv for settlement on North Dakota
lands The reports have been favora-
bic and the present emigration is the
result The fate of the present colo
nists Will decide the future action OF
several times as many who have stald
at home and are watching the venture
with a view to following should it
prove successful.
The one great object of the movement
is the desire 10 possess more land In
the country where they are going there
remains a large tract of government
land open to settlement. This was not
ready for such purposes until recently
when the Great Northern pushed its
road through what is known as the
Devils Lake country. Within few
years many small towns have sprung
up along the line and the country is
rapidly being broken up into farms.
Each head of a Dunkard family will
| homestead leo acres of land. His sons
and sons-in-law over q years old will
| take a like amount. In this way fam
| lies Will absorb entire sections Of land.
Each family will also he a nucleus
around which other Dunkards will set
! tie In few generations the big farms
/ will be divided and Subdivided among
| the children, until finally no more land
! viii remain and another exodus Will be
| necessary.
The choice Of North Dakota by the
| Dunkards was due largely to the quail
| ity of the soil and climate and TO the
/ efforts OF the Great Northern road The
] g . l, Il
/ object it has in view Is the settlement
/ Of the country, expecting its returns
/ later in the freight carrying business.
| Max Bass has control Of this branch OF
| the roads business. He says the road
1 offers liberal terms to emigrants be
| cause IL understands il Will get ample
| returns in the years 10 come.
| The country into which the emigrants
| are being taken IS along the line Of the
| Great Northern road in Trail. Steele,
| Grand Forks, Nelson. Ramsey. and
| ToWner counties. They VIII be scat
| tered over 100 miles Of territory consid-
| Cd among the best in North Dakota.
Mayville and Clifford are the central
points in Trail county. The Grand
| Forks county Dunkard center Will be
| Larimore. This is the place where the
! Great Northern took the Worlds Fair
| commissioners in 1898 20 show them the
! great wheat crop and siEty-five self
binders cutting wheat in a single field.
Al Lakota. in Nelson county. several
| families viii be LEFT. Some are going
10 Cando, Towner county. already a
J large Dunkard center. Ramsey county
Is the big objective point for the major
! ny Devils Lake Is on lis south Dor
I der and smaller lakes and creeks water
| its surface The DunkarI towns are
! Devils Lake. Grand Earbor. Fem and