The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05

compilations Of tho Saxons, and are stocky In
and all the men wear great bushy whiskers; II
looks strange TO an Eastern. man in q market
day to OF see pS 81 psT seSt. Of ali T tSe mem ON With RSSs =
bullying mass OF tawny and sandyiwhiskors about
boards In imitation OF Christ. They cut their
hair on square, about the neck. and. a barber
as a llverymnn would DO IN Venice. Some peo.
pie say that they mt . bowl over their heads an d
the rim OF the bowl. The women wear their
luNuriant tawny locks in long braids down their
Mennonite leaders for spepdins any time in
tive. The men dress in calico shirts and coarse
oyercoats in cold weather. Many OF them
cling e tho fur caps and the great boots Of Rus.
STA; The women wear the plaincst OF woollen
and calico gowns. and almost always have
shawls over their heads. Some women wear
Ribbons and jewolry are diScountonahced out.
side OF the rings with which they are married.
The Mennonites are very elSnnish and seldom
are peeceoblc and law.abiding to n marked de
gree. No one in, Kansas pays taxes more
among them in all the years they have been in
this State. They never speculate and never
so and they know how they shall be able TO
meet their obligation;
politics. Many of them have never voted, ex.
cept on bonding questions. In 1896 they took
more interest in the issues than ever before in n
political campaign, and nearly all who did vote
Know good S@ land land sS Ss Ing sG By intuition SsaaHSr@ and they they
ers and they do not pretend to have any knowl.
edge OF worldly affairs outside of growing
All manner OF efforts have been made to induce
them to engage In politico, but In vain. They
VIII listen to a persuasive speaker with a stoid
or an act by which their thoughts may be di.
yined. The women are as hard workers as the
rooster in Tie night / sSRGIst to Poriend some HroM fntsi
disaster. The breaking of a lamp chimney Will
OF a dish oisaHit viii cause a night OF sIsepiesss.
ness; ind It. the boiling over Of a pot Of coffee is
means some Ill luck with the farm stock. A
year or two ago a rich Mennonite IN ellis coun-
~ became insane from worrying because a
went insane his family and friends were sure
that the dog brought the disaster on him.
,RcliRion is everything. to the Mennonites.
all and emiRrated into'strange lanes because Of
their religious zeal. They are devoted Bible
Bible through once and sometimes thrice a
year. Ninety per cent. Of the older men know
6 by heart Whole Wi,I chapters; They are the most
Serious illness is the only excuse among THEM
for non-attendance at church on Sunday.
In winter when things are dull on the farms,
they hold nightly meetings Al the church, and
with ali the tcrvor and energy of partisans in in
q critical campaign. At Hays City there are
five Mennonite churches, all severely plain
Each is the headquarters Of a schI1m among the
Mennonite. One party believes that, Christ
that he was baptized forward. Another party
prefers to Worship by itself because IL believes
Last Supper, while the other Mennonites believe
that some other kind was used. In Hillsboro
Ghrist %ss q bs eptiGt ioa aSS ths d dhs age hat a, T Asn.
ping, together; Everywhere among the Men.
nonites there 10 q ceaseless rgument as to how
far one should offer non-resistance to an ndver.
sary. Members of families of Mennonites have
without speaking to one another because Of
disagreement on this point;
follow the teachings of Chi list as closely as
t rs zee them; They wear a beard because He
Is still another bone of contention. They ron,
der unto Cesar what is Caesars. That means
law and the greater number of them viii not
speak to a lawyer. Arbitration among them.
Sslysp t on ths sS sra Snsnitsp SIe. is + tS st5Iiet W,v "d d.
strangers and they will cxpel a Mennonite who
4 h9t m mo5a Of to S,n his svs beast st. They They h follow
They cook over open llres because stoves were
not common in Christ's day, and some OF them
not. They are wine drinkers because Christ
Turned water INTO wine at the marriage feast in
because Christ countenanced the practice.
They pay their pastors or priests no salary, but
1They are very generous giyers Of aims to them.
Ihoy look out for the aged and sick carefully.
The women are not permitted to have any
voice In church affairs. A woman who ex.
tho sect would be disciplined. Some OF the
more radical Mennonites eat no sugar, burn no
te"P had as nome mS,'o of tb pen n Snd INK tbe because arn tn the Mas Mas.
lutely. necessary now. There was serious
trouble t d9 among the Russians in Marion county
photograph OF his baby taken. The mans
brethren argued that inasmuch as he and his
ture on the wall, they were covertiy worship.
tbnff the : EMEH snnon image; i, It tS may seem strange
extreme Puritanism, arc not prohibitionists
except for fruEality's sake, They find their
othy-"A little wine for thy stomach's sake"
Stories of the ~frugality of the Russian Men.
%nonites are the stock humor Of this region.
Most OF them are true. Not one in 100 of them
try editora who have taken newspaper plants
into, regions where thousands OF Russian farm
Issues. The Mennonites have no time or money
FOR reading; Ihoy seldom go more than a
Kansas count their landed possessions by 500
and 600 acres and have never been twenty
m miles from their homes since they settled there
OF The parents and seven children. Families of
Twelve and fifteen children are not
parents Is the way they look at it. A Russian
FAMILY OF nine persons can subsist on so cents
= Jay ENot, u penny kObb OUTSIDE except Tor
taxes and the cheapest and strongest clothes.
The women make the mems clothes as far as they
can. Many a Russian owning $40, 900 or $50, 600
worth Of land will 90 barefoot, and compel all
under his roof to do likewise. through the sum-
mer. except on SUNDAYS. so as to save shoes.
the sole and heel completely covered with
broad headed steel nails. to make the leather
wear longer.
Although tho Russians have some famous
dairy farms, very few OF them will ind ulge in
the e1trHyaganee Of butter and cream, They
argue that IL would be tho height OF folly for
them TO eat what would bring good coin at the
creamery down the road. Outside of IA Bible
never more than one for zach grown person In
thefAmily and a few books OF church forms and
duties. nothing in the way OF literature may
be found In the Kansas Russians home. When
4 Russian farmer cannot possibly find any work
for his hands to do, and when there Ii no church
service 10 attend. he may take a holiday.
Then, to save his horses FROM work he Will
walk ten miles to town, carrying in his pockets
q few oucumbers or ears of roasting corn to sell
for Z or 2 cents After getting the money he
He has seen tho sights OF the village and visited
9 bit, What moro could a man wishl When a
Russian goes to An auction. as he often docs,
and bids on a horse and wagon, or a harvester,
or a COW, does ho 20 at II recklessly with So or
$40 bids. No, indeed. II the last bid Is $62,