Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-28
DUNKARDS IN EXODUS
TWENTY COLONIES GO FROM
THE EAST TO THE WEST.
Members Are from Six Different States
and They Pass Through Chicago on
Their Way toDakota-Br; to Rec
ognize Cubans.
Seek New Homes.


Twenty colonies of Dunkards from six
different States passed through Chicago
on their way 10 new homes in North Da-
kota. The colonsts. numbered 1.50o. and
they expect 10 settle along the line of the
Great Northern Railroad in North Da-
kota
The Dunkarls arrived over the Balti-
more and Ohio. Wabash. Nickel Plate,
Pan-Eandle and Mcnon roads. They
are from colonies in half hundred towns
in Virginia West Virginia. Pennsylvania.
Ohio. Indiana ana Illinois. The special
trains were slow IN arriving. A. fast IL
sufficient ears were ON hand 4 new train
was made up In the Wisconsin Central
yards and started for the Northwest. In
order to carry all thc emi=rants four
trains were necessary The composition
of these trains WAS twenty passenger
coaches and lU2 freight cars.
In the freight ears were families NOV
ing their household goods. farm imple-
ments and live stock. In the coacheS
were families having sold out most OF
their goods. thinking it cheaper 10 pay
cash for what will be needed i'll their new
homes than to pay freight rates on the
old. 4 number of women used the
coaches while their husbands and elder
SONS looked after the goods IN the freight
cars.
Their Second Exodus.
The present is the second exodus of
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 crowded Such is the case in
this instance. The fathers Of large fam
lilies have left their Eastern homes. where
land is high. with 4 view To establishing
large family estates in the West. These
emigrantS are not of the poorer class.
Many are well-to-do and al are indus
trious. desirable citizens.
For some time the elders of the church
have been investigating the desirability
for settlement on North Dakota lands.
The reports have been favorable and the
present emigration j. the result. The fate
of the present colonists viii decide the
future action Of several times as many
who have staid II home and are watching
the venture with view to following
should it prove successful.
The one great object Of the movement
is the desire to possess more land. In the
country where they are going there re-
mains 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 rs 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 Il Dunkard family Will
homestead on 100 acres Of land. His sons
and sons-in-law over 21 years old will
take a like amount. In this way families
will absorb entire sections of land. Each
family will also be a nucleus around
which other Dunkards will settle. In Il
few generations the big farms will be di-
vided and subdivided among the children.
until finally no more land will remain and
another exodus will be necessary.