The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-07
AMONG THE DOUKHOBORS
CURIOUS PRACTICES OF THE QUEER
RUSSIAN SECT IN CANADA.
of the Religious Fa-
natics Who Are Making 1'rou-
BILE for the Authorities.
Felix Ingold. in the Outlook.


boia, where L was teaching Indian children
under the direction of the Canadian gov
eminent, was situated near several Douk-
hobor villages; and as it was OH road
on which the Doukhobors often travelled
on their frequent visits 10 one another,
had unusual opportunities of seeing these
strange people, who came from Russia and
Galicia several years ago, to the number
of three four thousand. They would oc-
casionally, in their journeyings back and
forth, pass my place about noon, and would
come in and ask permission to rest and
for something to eat. AS L was boarding
myself" in a little shanty adjoining the
schoolhouse, / was prepared to offer hos
ptality to them, such as 1t was. To the
Doukhobor as with most Russians tea is
a necessity; and this l made for them or
permitted them to make. Butter and strip
were luxuries for which they were espe-
cially grateful, although some of them
would not use the butter internally. In
their own homes they live principally on
vegetable soup, made of potatoes, onions
and water big painful of soup is placed
on the table, and each Doukhobor takes
out from his pocket a wooden spoon, and
all fall to dipping simultaneously, each with
his own spoon out of the pan. The eyes
Of some of our city vegetarian would
open in wonder and alarm at their strict
Interpretation of the Injunction, Thou
shalt eat no flesh" For the stricter ones
not only refuse to eat bread which con-
tains shortening, but will not deprive their
cows of milk, saying that Ii would be
sin to take their natural food away from
the calves. Eggs also are tabooed for them.
On Sunday, as special treat, they have
pancakes made of flour and water. OF
course, when they are sick. more nour-
fishing diet Is permitted. Often, too, when
they are away from home they allow them
selves a more liberal diet
Assinlboia, like most northern countries,
is during certain seasons sadly afflicted
with mosquitoes. Some of the Doukhobors
carry their strange Brahminical reverence
for all forms of life to such an extent that
they will not kill even mosquito. How
ever, they do not feel so much tenderness
toward their friend the mosquito as to be
willing to sacrifice themselves in order to
feed him-probably considering that the
mosquito ought, like the Doukhobor, to
confine himself strictly to a vegetable diet.
So, on their journeyings in the mosquito
season, some of these Doukhobors carry
consisting of little vessel of burning
charcoal covered with clay and grass, and
held by string, makes dense smoke,
and they will swing 1t along as they walk,
remaining within the protecting halo. An
other rather interesting example of the
Doukhobors' regard for the rights of ami
mails Is found In their treatment OF their
horses. They are fond of fine horses and
raise most excellent stock. They take the
greatest care of these animals, and prize
times bring as much as SIPS. which was
the sum asked by of the men for a
two-year-old that took my fancy. This Is
a large sum to them, and they ask even
higher prices for some of the mares The
stations, however, they will sell fer mere
song, sometimes a fine young colt going
for little as S. They sell all the male
colts, except those they wish to retain for
breeding purposes.
SLAvISH WORK FOR WOMEN.
The sailors saying is that God first
created sailors, then dogs, then soldiers.
The Doukhobor. it would seem. might vary
this by saying that God first created men.
| then horses. then women For among them
| the women do much of the work which is
| usually allotted to horses. The Doukhobors
| say that the horse has as much right to
| follow his own will as man has, and they
| try to put the principle into practice.
| Consequently the horses are well taken care
| of and have very easy time. The women
| themselves are sometimes harnessed to the
pillow, and have a photograph of fourteen
| women harnessed in rude fashion to a sin
| gle plow, a stout Doukhobor turning the
| tough sod behind them. Sometimes IL the
| field is far distant from the little clump of
houses where the Doukhobors live they will
have the horses drag the plow along the
| road to the field, where the women will
take their. place and do the hard work.
| The men, however, frequently get into the
| harness themselves and draw their wagons
to and from town for supplies-that is, the
Industrious ones. for there are some lazy
| Doukhobors who spend much of their time
| in visiting. AS guests they are not required
| to work.
The houses of the Doukhobors are an
other evidence of the women's industrial
skill They are well and strongly built of
! logs, this heavy work being done by the
men; but the plastering is done by the
women. They make thick, tenacious
| plaster and cover the houses with 1t, both
inside and out. This gives the houses an
appearance Of solidity and durability, and
makes them well adapted for resisting the
cold of the very severe Assiniboian winters
| When 1 required some plastering done for
my schoolhouse, 1 sent to the Doukhobor
| village and hired some of their women 10
do the work. They worked from sunrise tc
sunset, and did their work thoroughly and
we'll In many of the houses are to be seer
large earthen stoves on which, after the
Russian fashion. the family sleep in ex-
| tremely cold weather The families of the
Doukhobors In Assiniboia are not large
unlike pioneers families generally, and
while the peculiar social customs of these
| people may possibly be responsible for this
| the extremely hard work done by the WON.
| en- in helping TO found homes in the new
| country may also account for the fact
| The women are very neat in appearance
| their white aprons and kerchiefs being
kept immaculate when they are in their
suffer from the outdoor work They are
tender-hearted and their feelings are easily
touched when l showed one of them a pic
was far away, the Doukhobor woman.
eyes filled with sympathetic tears. as did
also those of the daughter of old Douk-
hobor woman for whom, when the two
stopped at the schoolhonse TO rest on Z
| very cold day i got a not brick for tn,
purpose of warming her half-frozen feet
COMMUNIsTIC FEATURES.
The Doukhobors are to certain extent
communists. The village property is owned
in common, also are the stock and i'm
plements. Certain personal possessions
however, are not regarded as common
but Doukhobor has no hesitation in ask
ing another for any article to which h,
takes fancy. IL, for instance. ne sees q
nice pair OF shoes in fellow Doukhobor'.
house or a good coat, he will ask for them
and a good Doukhobor will give 10 hin
that asketh.
| The recent exhibitions OF fanaticism ar.
perhaps In the nature OF a revival
bringing back the recreant ones 10 tn,