Tabor College - Bluejay Yearbook (Hillsboro, KS)

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43 11 - ' 2 52 ri? V-VNC A 1. GPFAB 0Pc1TE.9i E11 . - isiirxr. Jus' Y ,Y l W-gi. Anniversary Stock and dairy farming is fast coming to the foreground, particularly in the north central ,UMW state Wcommilnities.. Today the bare prairie 5, 1 N, 9 .f ,, - landsfhave beenbrought under proper cultiva- 1 0 Zi7 ' tion.,,,.The early' sod houses have disappeared Wccjflf' 91014 4-LZ'fMf'MfffQvfj9zvw-f- and better farm' homes have been constructed. Wwgm ,,Q,2,g,g9,,,,,., MW The walking plow is a thing of thelpast after Z ,AW A! QM? W modern. tractor farming has been introduced. F .V J J U The has neV,er been known to many, for jfrv it has been superceded by modern machinery. 535' The winding roads have been changed to great N, 9 highways whichware practically covered with Ji ZW JMA4 M 9 automobile traffic. The small grinding ma- ffffiw-f--ff : chinesare but a relic of the past, whereas Hour- WLM, -f ' ' ,y-f,,9',,,,-1. ishing flour mills have been constructed. Land 5 4.1 im! .f 0- .f - .. - once bought for two dollars an acre now sells 7 I J 20 for one-hundred dollars an acre. But the descendants of the German Men- nonite immigrants have not been confined to Q11 -- . .f I. Q agricultural pursuits only. Some have entered MW U ffnigirf various other industrial activities and succeed- W ed in making a mark in life as machinists, ' ' Aye merchantmen, publishers, andso forth. Again .f others have chosen the modern business world, and their honesty has enabled them to make an unparalleled success. Thus after fifty . Magma The Earliest years 'of progress our people have successfully entered practically all phases of indus- trial work. Social changes have also been effected. Their ways of living were marked SOCIAL with simplicity. The customs at large were considered in the light of church l LIFE A discipline. Many views, however, have been subject to change' for the Ameri- ' can ways were so different that a certain amount of adaptation was essential. We look back with a large measure of sympathy and appreciation for the vanishing customsland at the same time realize the necessity of adapting ourselves to our envir- onment. The German dialect which our parents have handed down to us is still pro- minent, but in the process of amalgamation it is naturally becoming less important, and thus asocial fusion between our peopleuand English Speaking Americans is being brought about. Our ancestors' could not converse with their neighbors, but the present generation is very efficient in the English language, for the new circumstances and na- tionalobligations have led to the necessity of using the American language, still, we are using. and will continue to study the mother tongue. We must 'admit that there is a strong downward pull towards gross materialism, and that' the highest and best in man is tested to the highest degree of tensity, but with high and elevating ideals our churches and communities have been able to persist, and have inaintained a high moral level as well as an enviable social standard. A V X The two conferences have always shown interest in elementary educa- EDUCATION ation. There were those who had obtained thorough training in the Menno- ' I A nite Bible Schools of Russia, and since most of the people were staunch supporters of religious education they did not neglect the training of their children, but Progress-the onward stride of God. HMI' i'1f 911999911111 i 'i 'i: ' L Fourteen

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f- .21 J -.sr A' A Q TQ ' I 'frat-gg.-X ra. 'Wm A B O R. I T E..9 . 1- 3411, P221 . - E 11-25. I: ,- Lk .-4, Anniversary persistent in overcoming obstacles and hardships until they landed in the great metro- politan city of New York. Soon after they boarded American trains which were westward bound, and after three days of steady traveling they reached their destinations. The railroad companies rendered every possible assistance so as to gain the desired settlers for their respective territories. The Santa Fe Railroad Company succeeded in drawing the larger number to Kansas, whereas others settled along the respective main roads of the Dakotas, Ne- braska, and Minnesota. The difference in choice was due to differences in climatic con- ditions. The settlers found vast prairies with no friends to welcome them. They were pioneers in a pioneer country. Dugouts and clay brick buildings which served as tem- porary homes were hurriedly constructed to provide the necessary shelter. The grassy plains along the railroads in the states of the Middle West THE NEW appealed to the newly arrived immigrants. In fact they became convinced HOME that these were the very places which they sought, and from 1874 to 1880, twelve hundred families or about ten thousand Mennonites arrived in the prairie lands, having followed the promptings of their own convictions. The sale of thousands of acres of virgin soil was negotiated with the railroad companies for an av- erage of two dollars and fifty cents per acre. The immigrants during the first years of their history in the new land paid the pioneer's price. Even the soil yielded its fruit grudgingly to those who first came to till the prairies. Starting with practically nothing but hardy physical manhood and Womanhood, and with an unbroken faith in the Creator, they struggled on through years of privations. Drought, prairie fires, and grasshoppers threatened and sometimes brought the labor of the husband-man to naught, and at times when nature smiled and yielded generously of her great bounties, a lack of market seemed to make the reward for his efforts meager and unfavorable. The bareness of the prairies weighed heavily on the hearts which had been accustomed to scenic beauty and pleasant surroundings. Only the conviction that a kind Father in heaven directed their steps to this faraway land, and would also sustain them in their struggle for bread, kept the Hame of hope burning withlundimmed brightness. When the delegates, who were sent to investigate conditions in America, returned, they informed the people that they would have to adopt American ways and means so as to assure success, but when they arrived it took some time for this adaptation to be effected. They brought wagons, tools, kitchen utensils, scythes, harnesses, and other articles from their old homes, but most of these were discarded after efiicient Ameri- can methods had been properly introduced. A The most important occupation of the Mennonites in Russia was OCCUPATIONS farming, and when they reached America they realized the great agricultural opportunities. In the summer of 1875 their fields yielded enough for their bodily sustenance. The early farm machinery was very crude and ill- adapted to the needs. The once prominent Hail and scythe were used in harvesting grain, until the American harvester was introduced, which was soon followed by the modern binder. After some years of experimentation the people were convinced that the American ways were preferable and after complete adoption, their renewed efforts were crowned with success. Since that time they have held a leading place in agri- cultural pursuits in their various communities. The map indicates that our people are now scattered over the greater part of the western half of the United States. They raise millions of bushels of wheat and corn in the north central and in the plateau states as well as in Canada, whereas a great amount of fruit is raised in California. Every man's life is a plan of God. l l 'fill if'f '- -4gynll 'i:'lllllllllllllllilgwll lllll mm' 'l:' ' v Thirteen

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'A' 452: Ai P ' A if 72 4 - 1 f-q,,S:- Agree 12.1 one-2 f ,.,,0,,fJ,.9.,., A,?.,w.Q.Mf . U' -f-Mfr A ' 4949. Q2 .CJ D -2. m?.i.,f7e.f ti ,Iggy 49 rf Wffrfiwf fjfeeef' fgfafyff ,,,,,f,2,,f7 77? 'f ,W ' 04,44 r -' i,,,eWeye,9i5T,2e,, W' Qfeffrflfgffrfrrf QVMVMMWWWAWM Tabor Document Anniversary obligated themselves and organized German church schools. Bible training was particular- ly stressed, besides placing emphasis on read- ing, writing and arithmetic. The schools con- tinued with encouraging success until the peo- ple realized that they were impelled to support the public schools of America. Some young people started with new enthusiasm and suc- ceeded in meeting the American educational re- quirements till finally they were competent to' begin their work as instructors in the various public schools of the respective communities. However, the elementary schools did not meet all the needs, so secondary preparatory schools were organized. The Corn Bible School in Corn, Oklahoma, the Preparatory School in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, the 'fZoar Academy in Inman, Kansas, as well as the Herbert Bible School in Herbert, Saskatchewan, are good examples of these beneficial, educational institutions. At present many young people are studying in American high schools, where they are privileged to finish the four year course. Finally the need for an institution of high- er learning was keenly felt and found its first expression when the Mennonite Brethren Church supported the German department of McPherson College with funds and students. It was here that most of our present leaders in educational activities received their advanced training. After having com- pleted the course they continued their search for knowledge in universities, after which they, with the assistance of other friends, led the agitation for a new denominational in- stitution. As a result our Tabor College was founded in 1908. Professor H. W. Loh- renz, the author of the earliest document, as given in these pages, which led to the organization of our school, will always be remembered for his untiring efforts in behalf of Tabor College. He has served as president from its very beginning up to the present day. At present Tabor College is the most important source of intellectual life for the Mennonite Brethren and Krimer Mennonite Brethren conferences, both of which give it hearty support, and we hope that it will be a uniting factor for our people, where the educational interests may ever find expression. On the religious side our people have loyally and consistently clung to RELIGION the fundamental principles. The more important points in the confession of faith are: that God the Father, Jesus Christ His only Son, and the Holy Spirit as Comforter are one in the great Godheadg that all men have sinned and can be saved alone through faith in the saving blood of Jesus Christg that baptism by emersion and partaking of the Lord's Supper are necessary in Christian life, that the Lord's day must be observed in reverence to Him, that an oath is not scriptural and should be avoidedg that Christ taught non-resistance and that therefore we can not participate in warg that the Holy Scriptures are the inspired Word of Godg and that the second coming of the Lord is imminent. With these fundamental truths in mind we hope to face the future before us. The peace of charity, like lhat of Godj is everywhere. -I 'lil 2f '- V- 'wiulni''v lllllllliwmwl lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllmlm' 'l ' ' ' 1 -H Fifteen