The suburban citizen., 1900-08-04

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NRH - sand of this sect
EMAN emigrated from the
NHlI Caucasus provinces
MMl E.fsf.SSs-HS of Russia to Amer
k 49, lea during the win
ter and spring Of
1899. For several
IT, years they had suf-
Ke,gS 1%SE fered a relentless
lls--s.eeSA prosecution because
kSs--Ss,S ~ - their religious faith
forbids them to take life, and hence
prohibits them from serving as sol
diers in the Russian army Permis-
sion to emigrate was at first with
held, but at length it was obtained
from the Car, through the mterces-
sion of the author-philanthropist
Count Leo Tolstoi, and of prominent
Quaiers in England and America.
The Canadian Government, believ-
ing the DoukhoboTs would be good set
tiers, made them welcome ana accord
ed them farming lands in three
districts to the north and northwest
of Winnipeg. Owing to the conlisca-
tion of their property by the Russian
Government, nearly all the immigrants
arrived in America very poor, the ex-
penses Of transportation having been
betrayed largely by Count TOlstoi and
sympathetic friends in England and
elsewhere.
The DoukhobOrs are ycgctariaus by
reason of their unwillngness TO
slaughter domestic animals, poultry,
game or food Such of them as fell
i'll at the quarantine station refused
to take beef tea, or extracts from
meat
These people are mainly farmers,
and when the spring opened they be-
gan working with great cheerfulness
on their new hOmesteads; but as the
soil, climate, seed, birds and beasts
in Manitoba are different from those
which they had been accustomed TO
in Southeastern Russia, they had much
to learn in their first season, and their
efforts did not all prosper. But they
seem possessed of an abOunding in
dustry. and will doubtless do as well
as their cogeners, the MennOnites,
when they shall have become Gccus-
toned TO the country.
One DOukhobor family, consisting
of Wassell Romig, a young man TWEEN
ty years Of age; his mother, Sospatra
Romig; his younger sister, Pelgia, and
a little brother, Timofen, had queer
adventure with a family of bears.
The Romigs had settled in the Dau-
| phin Lake district of Manitoba, and
there were living with them at this
time two girls, named Marba and En-
docia Kodashan, whose father and
brother were at work on the railroad
| Wassell ROmig was therefore the only
| grown-up man at the new place.
The seasons Of growth and harvest
are very short in this northern region;
but crops grew with corresponding
rapidity. BY June Wassell, a gardener
by training was kept very busy
! sprouting his new clearings and hill
ing his potatoes and other root crops.
In this work his sister and mother
aided him.
About this time they began to be
]
one Of those large bears which, in
and near the woodland districts, have
sometimes been found so formidable
that they have been misnamed "griz-
! zlies." The creature emerged, one af-
ternoon, from the willows bordering
the little farm, and walked toward
| Wassen, who was at work with Il
| "bush-hOok."
The young man stopped work in as
| tonishment. which speedily changed
to apprehension. As he perceived the
| size Of the newcomer, he backed away
and made n circuit to reach the shelter
of the log howell Mother Sospatra,
/ who was transplanting turnips near
/ the house door, also saw the bear, and
| calling sharply to the girls, who were
cutting willow shoots for chairmak.
| ing summoned them 10 the house.
These people had Lever seen a large
bear before.
| The beast approached the place
where Wassell had been at work, and
shifted the sprouts which he had
mown down. 1t then walked through
his potatoes, took a look at a hOtbed
in which garden vegetables were
growing, and left the clearing on the
other side. 1t did not exhibit any
ferocity; its visit seemed prompted
merely by inqulsltiveness.
Wassell did not possess gun, had
never used such a weapon, and was
quite content 10 set out of the bears
way. The whole family, who had
taken refuge indoors, now came forth
TO discuss the bear and TO express
hopes that it would not come again
or modest their two cows and six
sheep. These animals were nearer the
lake in "A kind Of pasture enclosed by
a brush fence. Wassell went immedi.
ately to drive them home TO the shed
near the log house.
The bear appears to have been a fe-
male which had a lair and a cub not
far away. Two days later. at sunset.