Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-05
Snow. Rain and Cold Overtake
the Doukhobor Pilgrims in
Canada
THEY REFUSE TO TURN SACK
Many Believe the Storm Is Sent to
Test Their Devotion to the Faith
Forty mine Recruits Join the Pilgrims
They Expect and Invite Persecu-
tion-Ready to Die in the Cause.

cial from EoXWafren, @Vi iiihSs iAo
Winnipeg, SAYS. The Dukhobor pill
grimage has reached a critical stage.
Scarcely had the night set in than II
began to snow. lightly at first, then with
fury, The wind blew a bitter blast ana
the unfortunate Dukhobors settled
down to pass a night in the open with
no shelter save their cotton blankets
and clothing between them ana the
gale. But they were not disnlayed, al
tho they had all along held to the be-
lief that God would preserve mild
weather for their wanderings, and at
tributed to him the warm season for
this time of the year up here.
But they did not interpret the storm
t, be an evidence of divine disfavor. On
the contrary it was taken to pc test
of their devotion to the cause, anu
slowly the marching hundreds turned
their backs to the wind, and, to the ar
or their never-failing chant, made for
the nearest shelter in the guiiles Inc
greater number are in the valley OF
Stony creek. The woods were dotted
with the campfires, and around their
rudy glare crouched the wanderers,
cold, but undismayed at the weather.
mo, we will not turn back; go on. on,
ofl--alWays on such was the repeated
saying.
In Winnipeg This Week.
Forty-nine recruits Joined them yes
terday At the rate they have been
travelling so far they ought to reach
Winnipeg Wednesday or Thursday.
When the war tocsin rang out in South
Africa, it was little to be imagined that
it would result in religious crusade in
the northwest territories, and when the
earthquakes in Mexico and the erup-
tions of Mount Pelee were read of a
schism in the religious and family ties
OF the Dukhobors in Canada was un-
thought of. and yet in a great measure
these several incidents of what is now
history are responsible for the trek of
the Russian immigrants, who are on an
aimless journey in search of Jesus.
1.-THE Bible says that when there are
wars and battles and when the earth
goes up and down, sings and shakes.
and kills people, then will Jesus come"
said a Dukhobor yesterday to corre-
spondent. These things have come,
they have happened and Jesus will
come and you will see.''
The words were uttered slowly, the
speaker having to consider before he
chose the word in his limited vocabu-
larry that expressed his meaning.
"But don't you desert your wives and
children?"
1.-THE Bible says" was the reply, that
the man must leave his wife and son
and daughter and his father and his
mother and follow Jesus. That is what
we do.''
Invite Persecution.
Where are we going? We are apos-
ties of Jesus. When Jesus was here on
earth the first time he had apostles. He
told them to go out into the world.
That is so: we go. Jesus was put on
the cross the first time and then his
apostles We're put on the cross, too.
That is why people laugh at us now.
We know 1t, but to the first apostles
they did 1t, too, also. We will go on our
way, way, way, how far don't know"
This last utterance explains the whole
situation. They expect persecution and
seem to invite it. An evidence Of that
was instanced on the railroad track
yesterday. Two of them were walking
along in the rear of the main body when
they encountered two men who were
out chicken shooting. The Englishmen
talked with them awhile and, as is Gus
tomary with all the settlers up here,
consumed some time in a vain attempt
to persuade them to go back to their
villages. At last one of them said he
would shoot them IL they did not turn
their faces back to their homes. In
stantly the faces of the two Dukhobors
lighted up and, throwing open the
breasts Of their coats, they fell on their
knees imploring the hunters to shoot.
Shoot. shoot" they begged. They
were looking for martyrs death, for
they believe that such an ending would
ensure eternal happiness and additional
honors to the one so favored
Entered Binscarth Sinuinq.
special from Binscarth says the
Dukhobors came to that place in a
compact body, singing their psalms. AS
they passed the group of bread and
vegetable beggars, who had attended
to the details of the commissary de-
partment in the morning, many of them
turned aside, and, helping themselves
to chunks of bread, quickly reioined the
ranks. They walked six or eight
abreast and as they passed little groups
of curious townspeople politely DOTTED
their caps. Some were barefooted, the
trouser ends being drawn tightly to the
ankles with bits of strong or bands of
cloth Others wore on their feet the
skillfully knit slippers of binder twine
and not few of these slippers had
sown to them soles of strips of wood
All the others wore rubber footwear.
AT the corner of the main street they
halted and, after finishing their singing
one of Them who speaks some English
made little Grafton in which he adj
dressed all there as brothers in Jesus
and asked for assistance. Then all the
pilgrims barred their heads and bowed
in unison, while muttering words in
Russian.
Dined on Oatmeal and Salt.
The army moved only short dis
tance out of Binscarth, and then on
little knoll cleared off the bush beside
the railway track and proceeded to pre-
pare their daily meal. Blankets were
spread on the grass for table cloths and
three long double rows of Dukhobors
stood ready to eat. Religious exercises
proceeded for some five minutes and
then several bags of oatmeal were pro-
duced and the stuff was distributed in
little hillocks at convenient intervals
along the blankets. Salt was spilled