The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-22

Carl Solms- Braunfels in 1874 He exploited
his scheme IN which he thoroughly believed,
until many focked to his standard in the old
country. Then he sailed from Bremen to
Texas. assumed the title Of general commits
sar," and discovered soon after he landed
that he hae been cheated in the deal for a
site upon which to locate. He obtained an
other place, near Galveston. Soon $50 families
came over and another group arrived in less
than a year. The colony was failure from
the start. Money became scarce and the
home society that was behind ythe enterprise
was soon bankrupt The prince was discour
aged, but he did the best he could to secure
funds, succeeding finally in obtaining enough
in New Orleans to last for a little while. That
gave out, and he returned home disheartened.
He was succeeded In the colony by Freiherr
Won Meusebach, who brought over 1000 more
immigrants. Famine and starvation followed.
The total number of the colonists had reached
1890 by this time, and a move from Galveston
to Indianola was decided unon. Then a
plague Of fever fell upon them. resulting in
many Deaths and it is said that fully 1000.
died of the scourge before the war with Mex
leo began. In that war MANI Of the men
enlisted with the United States forces, and
after the fighting the corporate entity of
the colony was but memory The colonists
had begun to scatter, going where they could
live and work, rather than work and die of
starvation. Z
Different Classes.
During the hundred years of German immi-
grafton the newcomers have not been exclu-
sively people seeking their own material bet
terment Between 1915 and 1860. especially,
many came because of political or social per-
secutions, or because OF religious differences,
or, In the case of the peasantry, because Of a
natural hunger for land. Those of the last
descendants now form a dominant American
element in that section of the country.
Statistcians have generally divided the
German immigration into two periods, the
decade from 1860 to 1870 being the transition
stage. In the first period. from 1915 to 1860,
not year passed but men Of the higher class
es, dissatisfied tormented politicians, came
from Germany. They were especially numer-
Gus from 1890 to 184S. Since 1860. on the
other hand, there have been few political ex-
lies among the immigrants.
Between 1921 and 1899, SOS, 1862 German i'm
migrants landed at American ports. In 1900,
out of a total of 44S,572 immigrants OF all ma
tionalities, 1S.507 were Germans. Last year
the Germans who arrived at this port of New
York alone numbered S1.672. and the other
ports of the country received about one-fourth
as many more. In last May ALI We're landed
/ through the local immigration bureau. and
the smallest number of the year was recorded
in January, 1901, when 80 arrived.
In 1895 a German writer. Wilhelm Weber,
published an article entitled "Der Deutschen
in America" He made the claim. which
many people say is reasonable, that one-third
Of all Americans are of more or less German
extraction. He also urged the preservation
Of German characteristics and intimated that
there was still hope for the Germanization of
America. His article reads like a reminis-
cence of the past. He suggested that the chill
dren of German Americana should be
taught their fathers language, that teachers
should be procured from Germany. and that
all Germans should get together on policy
to perpetuate their separateness.
In the civil war the list of noted German
officers on the union side is almost endless.
Carl Schurz was the first colonel Of the first
regiment of cavalry duly authorized to be
organized. He gave Up the command to be-
come minister to Spain. whence he returned