Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-11-12

tuated by an unrestrained frenzy bred
of devotion to their ideals, they de-
cided to endeavor to evangelize the
world, and in this effort to follow the
example of the apostles who depended
upon the dispensations of Providence
for their sustennnce. And in this con-
nection it is interesting in passing to
recall the fact that about thirty-f1ve
years ago the Dukhoborsti became
seized with a religious mania similar
to the present one, being possessed of
the idea that the second coming of
Christ was close at hand and that he
would lead them forth to evangelize
the world. They started ON a pilgrim
age over the country, as at present, in
small armies, visiting their communl-
ties and preaching their new faith un-
It'll the movement alarmed the Russian
government, and the Cossacks were
sent to disperse the fanatics, who had
been on the march then almost a
month. The fierce soldiery of the
czar showed zone of the f~orbearance of
the Canadian government and people.
The hordes were ordered to dispense,
and when they refused, they were shot
down in their tracks like dogs, or
rudely .trampled under the feet of the
charging horses of the Cossacks. The
people were driven back to their viii
lagos and increased persecution and
official severity followed, while the
leaders were sent to languish in Siberia.
In the present crusade the residents
OF the Swan river colony were the first
to take up the cross, and turning a deaf
ear to the persuasions and arguments
of the government agents, they began
their eventful overland journey to
Yorktown, visiting other colonies on
the way, to evangelize and to gather
recruits. eve are seeking for Christ"
they said, land we will go from village
to village until we find him"
With the privations and miseries en-
dured on that remarkable pilgrimage,
which is still in progress, readers are
already familiar. The heartrending
scenes everywhere witnessed along the
route have been indelibly imprinted on
the memories of those who saw them.
The primary instincts of motherhood
and parental affection were destroyed
and forgotten. Four women were con-
fined ON that via dolorosa and three of
the newborn babes and one mother
died on the open prairie, and the little
corpses of the infants were left I'M
buried III the bluffs to become food for
the foxes and coyotes. . Fs,azs# .
Now, although the ~tribulations Of the
women are over, as they have been
sent back to their villages by the gov
eminent after being tenderly cared for
and nursed past the acute stage of
their madness, the mission of horror
still goes on where the men are plod-
ding along on their way to Winnipeg,
pale and emaciated phantoms who have
borne the privations of a cross4country
tramp on the frontiers of settlement,
sleeping in the snow and feeding o. the
berries of the prairie rose, herbs, raw
grain and vegetation with am endur-
ance that seems to defy fatigue while
the Pickering fires of reason burn fit
fully in their brains. Nature has
ceased to smile upon their wanderings,
and Indictment weather adds to the hor-.
O of the occasion. Should a real
blizzard, such as is likely to sweep the
prairies at amy time now occur, the re-
suit might be a tragedy that would
shock civilization.