The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-05-05
MENNONITE COLONY MAY Be
INDUCED TO SETTLE HERE
MEMBER OF THE FAITH NOW
INVESTIGATING.
An Interesting People Who Have
Made Desirable Citizens Wher-
ever They Have Located.

We had the pleasure this week of
meeting Mr.. II. II. Fast, brother
newspaper man of Fresno, Cal, who
came here for a short vacation, on
the recommendation of our mutual
fried, DIR. A. II. Heppner, who is
now located in Fresno-and Incl
dentally we are pleased to hear
that the doctor is doing we'll there.
Mr.. Fast is German Russian
Mennonite, a people heretofore not
generally known in this state. He
tells us, that there are large colonies
of these Mennonites in the states of
the Middle West, having settled the
then bare plains in the early seven
ties; they are all good farmers and
have added greatly to the wealth of
the community by their labor and
thrift. The original colonies are be-
coming quite congested and of late
years have been seeking new loea-
tions to settle down. A number of
them have formed new colonies in
Idaho. Washington, Oregon, Cali
fornia, etc. 1t is the belief of Mr.
Fast, that 1t may be possible TO in
terest some of these people in
Churchill county, Ii the matter be
brought before them in a proper
manner; and surely our country Of
fers splendid opportunities to a
people of this class.
We understand that the Mennon-
ties originally came from the Meth
erlands, from whence they were
driven on account of their religious
beliefs; they are something like the
Friends or Quakers, do not believe
in the taking up of arms. therefore
will not serve in the army This
caused them considerable trouble In
Prussia, where they next settled,
and thus from Prussia they emigrat-
ed to South Russia, where perpetu-
II freedom from service in the army
was granted them by Katherine ii,
who desired to import these people
Is model farmers. Here, after about
hundred years, they were again
compelled to perform certain duties
which their religion prohibited them
from performing. and thus it was
they turned to the United tSates, as
the most promising field where they
could live according to the dictates
of their conscience without being
interfered with, and here they have
established colonies that are a mar
vel to all that have seen them.
This is a brief, though rather in
complete history of this people
Before leaving Fallon, Mr., Fast
intends to investigate our country
more fully, and ii is his Intention to
write to the church leaders In the
various states where these Mennon-
ties are located, and tell them of the
opportunities he believes they will
find here. He does not claim to be
able to bring a large number of his
people here Immediately, but he
does think that he can at least in
terest some to come here and invest
igate our project. Having once es-
tablished communication with them,
we should be able to induce a colony
to settle here. We are told that
most of these people are possessed
of some means, enough at least to
carry them over until the land
would yield them an income
While Mr.. Fast cautions us not to
expect too much from this modest
beginning, yet we cannot help but
see in this a possibility to bring
class of settlers here who would
prosper in this community and thus
bring to us all the benefits that nat
urally comes from the intelligent
and intensive cultivation of our
fertile lands.