Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper: the entire article from the March 20, 1875, issue:
Our population has received an important and valuable addition in the past two years by the extensive emigration of Mennonites. This is not the first time that representatives of this thrifty society have found an asylum in this country. As early as 1683 many left Holland and Germany to escape religious persecution, and settled in various parts of Pennsylvania. In 1708 a school and a meeting-house were erected by them in Germantown, near Philadelphia. Another colony was established in what is now known as Lancaster County, Pa., and numerous stable farmers of that delightful agricultural region are the descendants of these worthy pioneers, and retain many of the characteristics and habits of their forefathers. Subsequently Mennonite settlements were established in Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, New York and Canada. With the advancement of religious toleration in Europe the causes which led to the large emigration of religious sects decreased, and this particular body being peaceful, home-loving people, but few representatives of it were found among the crowds of emigrants yearly arriving at our shores. The Mennonites recently landing in this country came from Russia. They are the descendants of a colony that left Germany in 1780 to escape the conscription of Frederick the Great, and settled in the southern provinces of Russia, upon land granted by Catharine II. They now leave Russian territory to avoid an edict of the Emperor requiring all able-bodied men to perform military duty. Their religious tenets teach peace, and they are unable to reconcile their conscience to the order of the Czar. In Russia their number is said to have been about 40,000, and so many have emigrated since the edict was published, June 4th, 1871, that the Czar has been induced to modify the order, and has signified his willingness to accept from this particular sect service in the military hospitals in lieu of service in the regular army. This, however, does not appear to have stopped the exodus, and it is probable that in a few years the great bulk of the Russian Mennonites will be citizens of the United States. The Russian Government, fully aware of the importance of retaining this thrifty, hard-working community, has made every possible effort to prevent their emigration. When the authorities first learned that the Mennonites would not enter the army, the time of conscription was extended, but without the anticipated results. Then an attempt was made to force a renunciation of their belief, and the acceptance of the doctrines of the Russian Greek Church, but without effect. The latest compromise in the matter appears to have come too late. The Mennonite Church was founded in Germany in the early part of the sixteenth century by Menno Simonis, a priest settled at Pingium, who early imbibed the reform doctrines of his contemporary, Luther, and renounced all connection with the Roman Catholic Church. For this he was driven into exile, Charles V, setting a price on his head, and for twenty-five years he struggled valiantly with want, suffering and persecution. He found an asylum in Holstein, and received permission to publish several religious essays on the true Christian faith. He died there on the 13th of January, 1561. His doctrines gained followers, and a colony of exemplary men, who favored his religious views, was established in Holland. During the eighteenth century the number of Mennonites had increased to 160,000 and in 1735 they established a theological seminary. As a sectarian organization, they resemble the Baptists, and follow many of the simple customs of the Quakers. The sacrament of baptism is never celebrated until the candidate has acquired sufficient intelligence fully to comprehend the nature of the obligations about to be assumed. They choose from their own members certain ones notable for high moral standing, intelligence and ability as teachers, to be their priests. For these ministers no special preparation is required. They must be pure, honest and faithful to the teachings of Menno. They serve without pay. The Mennonites strive to live an everyday, practical Christian life; they are strict in discipline, oppose the taking of oaths, and, like the Friends, are strongly antagonistic to war. The brotherhood in America have organized a Board of Guardians, which is charged with arranging for transportation across the Atlantic to New York, and then from thence to points of destination in the West. These guardians are custodians of a fund contributed by the brethren who have already settled to provide for the ocean passage of those who are without means. The emigrants are a conscientious, hard-working agricultural people, and most of them are the possessors of a moderate capital. A very large amount of money has thus come into the country, as it is estimated that the head of each family brought from $2,000 to $10,000. They will be welcomed by any State within whose limits they settle. One colony has purchased 150,000 acres of land in Central Kansas. The ground selected was a bleak, wild prairie—lately the frontier buffalo range, but the industrious settlers have built up a prosperous colony, with thriving towns and well-ordered farms. We give illustrations showing some of the scenes in this settlement. Two large, rough buildings were erected sixteen miles north of Newton, as temporary barrack residences, whilst the emigrants were building permanent dwellings. All new-comers are lodged in the barracks—the interior of which presents an animated and grotesque appearance. Crowded with strange-looking, battered trunks, boxes, beds, cook- stoves, sacks, bags, fur coats, and the numerous articles that go to make up an emigrant's outfit, a perfect Babel is created. In pleasant weather the religious exercises are held in the open air, and in this temple not made by human hands the fervent prayers of these simple worshipers go up to heaven. Midway between the two temporary buildings is the public well, where our artist made his sketches of costumes. A handkerchief is the only headdress worn by the women, and gay aprons seems to be their only vanity. The men wear caps of cloth or fur, and have huge fur- lined overcoats. About seven miles northeast of the temporary homes is the quaint brand-new village of Gnadenau, where there are some twenty small farmers, who have built the queerest and most comfortable cheap houses ever seen in the West, and with the least amount of timber, being merely a skeleton roof built on the ground and thatched with prairie-grass. They serve for man and beast, being divided on the inside by a partition of adobe. The lands purchased by the colony are distributed in four counties. Halstead, on the Little Arkansas River, being the most central town, has been selected as a trading-point, where some of the community have opened stores and built a fine mill. The Mennonites are a peaceful, temperate, industrious, and very frugal people, and will soon build up on the plains of Kansas a settlement rivaling in beauty and prosperity some of the most favored agricultural districts in the older States. |
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