Year: 1875


The Russian mennOnites ia Kansas


Their Dress and Morals alike Strange


They Wear Sheep-SEEIn OvercOats, and


Don't Drink Whisky or Gamble.


We left Atchison on the morning of
the 1st instant, at 1910 a. M, bound
for a trip over the greatest of Kansas
railroads-the Atehison, Topeka and
Santa Fe road. The country along this
road is the finest in Kansas, and it is
along the line of this road that the Rus
sian Mennonites are settling. We passed
through Topeka at about 2 p. m, and
reached Peabody, our first stopping
point, at about 1920 o. N. Here we
saw the first of the Mennonites. The
parties we saw were a hearty, stout
looking class of people, much resemb-
ling the Germans, whose language they
speak. We picked mp an intelligent
looking young man of about "a and be-
gan to pick him to pieces. He stated
that he had been here fOB about one
year and was very much in love with
the country. He thought that the soil
and climate were far preferable TO that
of the country they left, but had an idea
that Americans were a set of sharpers.
One peculiar taste they have for dress,
and that is you win not find one of the
whole number now (several thousand)
but what is supplied with a large over
coat made IRON the hide of a black or
brown sheep, that must be very plenti-
full in their own country. These coats
are made after a queer pattern, each
being supplied with a large collar from
eight inches to one foot in width, which
is usually folded down, and gives the
collar almost the appearance of cloak,
or which IN cold or stormy weather is
raised to a perpendicular position, to
the utter seclusiOn of the head of the
weareF. met few who (although the
day was warHn) had two of the mon-
strous coats on. They have purchased
large tracts of land lying between Pea
body and Hutchinson, and all along the
road You see signs of their industry.
At Halstead, town about one year old,
they have a fine mill, and here also an
enterprising Mennonite has opened a
gG8etalts. They are very religions,
and have not seen a single one who
viii use intoxicating drinks. Very few
Of them use tobacco IN any form. We
were qnite amused st the lesbure we re-
eeived from Rev. Goddard, one of the
head men. We were enjoying a quiet
Don Pedro, or in other words, had a
social game of seven up" When
Rev. Goddard put in an appearance he
ooked at us for some time. and think
ing he would enjoy a game, we asked
him to have a hand but he told us in
!, his country only children played, and
then he began to moralize. He is a
very fine looking man, reminding us OF
a big Buffalo alderman, though must
say be did not have the look that alder
men who have had one term wear.


From Halstead we went to Hutchinson,
a very fine western town; it has some
fine brick buildings. The people are
great temperance folks, and saloons are
ont of the question still drug stores
sell a great deal of liquor, but, of
course, as medicine.


We got to Dodge at 1920 p. 10. Dust
was blowing, and you could scarce see
a rod ahead. Although it was Sunday,
Dodge presented the appearance You
will see in DO other town except on the
frontier. Men rOamed the streets with
reYolYeIs displayed in a manner that
made our blood run cold. Every groR-
shop was in full blast, and We thought
By the signs around as that we we're
indeed in q wild country Western
Letter.