Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-04-16
OUR new ARRIVALS.
A Big Colony Of Dunkards
Came In Thursday and
Went North.
Something About the .lmmi-
grants, Their Customs
and Religion.
How They Ran the Gauntlet
In Chicago on Their
Way Here.

Way Here.
Some interesting matters we're learned
Thursday concerning the Dunkard COL
onists who left for their new homes IN
Foster county. There we're over $50 OF
them, and together with those who are
to arrive shortly, the number
will be over $50 who will settle IN the
three counties of Wells, Foster, and
Eddy this spring. II they do we'll and
get along as expected
beyond doubt over 1000 more of these
people will take mp land next season.
They are most desirable people, honest,
industrious and able to get along on
little. Their religion is their chief
source of diversion and comfort. There
are three divisions of the church, the
orthodox, the conservatives and the pro-
gressive, all differing chiefly in the
strictness of their religious views.
They take care OF their own
poor, they do not quarrel, nor exhibit
the usual petty jealousies. They mani
fest displeasure against one another by
silence It is the intention of the rail-
way company after getting this nucleus
located, to add to them at intervals as
fast as possible. There are some 10000
Dunkards in the United States and
many are far ming on lands that are so
poor as to give no hope for the future,
and consequently they look forward with
anxiety to the time when they will be
able to get on good land and become in
dependent. Stutsman county will have
it's share of this immigration also.
The railroad company is selling lts
land only IN quarter section pieces.
making q family take and cultivate l6O
acres only. The land as rule is as
good as any in the valley. The price of
this land has been reduced by the com.
pany only to Dunkards, and not to spec.
ulators or others. One man in Foster
county offered to advance the money to
q Dunkard to pay for railroad quarter,
at the price the company was willing to
sell to the Dunkards, and give the
Dunkard s1OO for bis trouble. Another
instance of how cheap the company is
selling good land to these new comers,
is shown by the fact that the Darlington
& Casey company has a quarter, which
adjoins one of the farms sold to the
Dunkards. The Carripgton & Casey
company value their quarter at 50 an
acre, and the Dunkards get their land
for $3.50 per acre. Every land owner
in the state is glad to welcome the
Dunkards as their cultivation OF land
will raise the price Of other property.
The railroad company will advance this
colony $500 to build church in Foster
county and as the church is the center
Of their social and religious life 1t ls ex-
pected this will 60 long ways towards
making the new arrivals feel contented
during the first year. A practical
farmer will be engaged to show them
how farming is done here, when to break
land etc. and give them all the benefit of
the experience of others.
The Dunkards are very warm in their
praises Of the manner in which the rail-
road company has treated them and the
exact way in which promises have been
kept. Every attention and protection
has been shown them. Some Of the i'm
migrants had never been 200 miles from
the place where born and had never seen
q great city. In worldly ways the breth.
ern are not versed; they are not inter-
ested IN politics and candidates will
have hard time to swarm them up,"
They settle points by conferences and
consultation in church. As showing
the old fashioned customs they wash
each others feet, IN their religion cer-
emonials, and prove everything by some
statement IN the bible, being implicit
believers in the scripture.
A great deal has been said in the press
about the peculiar methods-to say the
least-in which the Great Northern
agents have tried to prevent the Dunk
ards settling in this part of the state.
From conversation with the new ar
rivals, it was learned that these reports
have not been over stated. 1t appears
that the Great Northern railway has
seen fit to speak disparagingly and un-
truthfully OF everybodys property in the
tary to their own line and more especial
ly in the interest OF Ramsay and Town
er counties.
During the past winter there we're