Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-23

within ten years. This memorial, pre-
sented to President Grant ana the
United States congress, asked tna'
these proposed omigrants be permit
ted 20 take up free lands In body, as
a colony rather than as individuals
the understanding they had was that
they were TO be exempted from mill
tary duty and permitted to hold and
practice such religious views as they
pleased. No action was ever taken by
congress or other executive on inns
memorial, so far as records show, but
the emigrants came and IL is pre-
sumed came feeling their desires were
to be complied with.
Dakota Colony Founded.
The Mennonites first appeared In the
west, in South Dakota in 1874. They
are of that branch (for they them
selves divided on some religious
polnts) who followed Hutter and they
call themselves the Hutterisch Bruder
Gemininde, which means Hutter
Brothers society.
They established numerous colonies
in South Dakota, most of them in the
southeastern part of the state, along
the James and other rivers where wat
err was plentiful and where they found
4 fertile soil for tho growing Of such
crops as are produced in Iowa, Ne
braska, Minnesota, Illinois and Wis
consln. In each colony the interests
were pooled. The products of the
farms were put into a common pot,
their stock was housed in one great
barn and all of their business was
done as one big company with a man
ager or boss" in charge. They had
their own mills. blacksmith shops,
their own weaving shops, etc, so their
needs, outside of what they produced,
were few. In some of the colonies all
lived in a common or central house,
while in others the families lived In
separate cottages. They maintained
their own church and school, but there
were no theaters or places of amuse-
ment for the young. whose whole time
was occupied with either work, play or
sleep.
colonists Become Wealthy.
Living under these conditions this
peculiar people became wealthy with
out having desired to do SO. Their
great acres swarmed with cattle, hors-
es, sheep. hogs and poultry: their gra-
naries bulged with wheat, corn and
oats, barley and rye and their bank &C
counts were held down only by the
purchase of additional lands.
Then America entered the war with
Germany. The draft law was passed
and these people were called on to
send their young men to the various
environments At first there was dis
position to ignore the draft, but better
council prevailed and the young men
went forward. Some of them refused
to wear the army uniform. some re-
fused to do any kind Of work about the
camps while all refused to bear arms.
This resulted IL some Of them being
sent to federal prisons for terms of
now been liberated.
Refuse to Give For War.
Then came the drives for bonds and
for various other war purposes. The
Mennonites refused to give, believing
they would thus be aiding in war.
However, on most of the South Dakota
colonies, it was agreed that the solicit
tors for bonds and other war funds
should take stock from the farms to
the amount OF the share Of the colony
in the particular fund. From one COL
ony In Yankton county drove of
several hundred sheep was driven to
market and fully paid the colony's
share of that particular drive.
It was these things that caused the
exodus to Canada to start and 1t Is
still going on, tho there is much dis
satisfaction with the new country, as
compared with the old homes in South
Dakota, and again, because there Is no
assurance they will not be called on
to do military duty there and to con-
tribute of their funds for war pur-
poses.
Midtown Colony Undecided.
The Midtown colony on the James
river in Hutchinson county. South Da-
kota, at one time had nearly forty
families and they owned nearly as
many quarter sections Of the finest
land in that valley. Today there are
but thirteen families there and they
own but thirteen quarter sections OF
land. The people Of this colony are
somewhat undecided what to do, dis
pose of the remainder Of their land and
go to Canada as the others have done.
or to hold their land and stick it out
in South Dakota.
Neighbors of these colonists believe
they will hold onto a considerable part
of their present holdings and that the
colony will be maintained there as a
nucleus for a larger colony If those
oo-,o 70 Canada deternnine m return