The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-04-01
HOW MENNONITES LIVE
iContinued from Page 81

work, and chooses MS assistants. He
studies his work and gets to be IN
expert in his line.
They buy thoroughbred stock and
raise good cattle. Their farm is kept
up in splendid shape. They never
hire anyone, so all they make is their
own. No one spends money, everything
is sayed. About twice year the
young boys get day off to go to town;
blow in" and that is all the money
they get, and | suspect most of them
have every quarter saved up they
ever got.
! They all eat together in large hall,
except the children, they eat in a
home by themselves. The men have
one long table by themselves, the
women another. All food is put on
the table for each one what he is to
have; no one waits on the table.
have eaten with them several times,
good clean, wholesome food, but no
cake or fancy dishes of any kind
! | have always found it very nice
and clean in their homes; all in good
order.
/ They elect a man to be preacher
for them They hold service every
evening and also a business meeting.
Any question of Importance is put to
vote and that settles the matter.
They have a good -four mill run by
water and make very good -four. They
have a modern blacksmith shop and
wood workshop and broom factory.
They have creamery, bakery and
laundry. all in fine order. They have
a tannery for all kinds of hides. They
make their own shoes and clothes, but
in later years they buy the cloth and
shoe leather They quit making that
as they used to do. But tobacco Is
no good there, nothing doing, and no
JOY wagons for them; they use horses
and spring wagons.
When boy is 21 years old he is
TO get a wife, either from his colony
or near colony, but not from out
siders, and then as soon as he is
married he lets his whiskers grow
and shaves no more.
All the women dress alike, long
black dresses and towel over their
heads. Little girls, four years old
dress just like an old woman. All the
men are dressed alike, sort of
Jacket and pants made from gray
jeans. They keep some Russian black
sheep and when a lamb is four days
old they kill it and take the skin for
cap. All of them, big and small,
get one of these black shining fur
caps. You can tell them at long dis
tance that they are Mennonites by
their dress
They have English school at every
colony and the grown-ups nearly all
speak good English.
One year they sold tame doves for
$4,000, dressed them. and sent them
to the Chicago market
Anyone who believes in their re-
ligion can come and stay as long as
he wants to and will be as much an
owner as any of those who have been
there for twenty years or more. But
he must work. All property Is owned
together; anyone who wants to quit
can take his hat and go, but he takes
nothing along, unless he brought
money when he joined them. He would
then get the amount back he had
turned in.
An attempt is being made to break
up the colony. Judge Taylor has or
dered them to dissolve as corpora
ton inside Of 80 days. They took an
appeal to the supreme court.
One cannot help feel sorry for these
prosecuted people. Their life has
been hard and stormy and their joys
and pleasures few and far between.
have had lot of dealings with them
down here and found them good, hon.
est and reliable. They will do any
thing to help a friend.
l consider them a very good class
of people that has been much abused
by the newspapers and others.
With greetings to friends.
Ole Aslakson.
Alexaudria. S. D., March 27, 1920.