The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-09
D0UKH0BORS ON THE MARCH.
DELCSION or THE RUSSIAN
FANATICS ~ CANADA.
In Peril From Hunger and Cold-They
Believe They Have Received q Message
to search for .Jesus-Womcn and { hi.
dren Rescueti-1heir strange Lseiiefs.

uTeH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT strange heutIs.
WINNIPEG. Nov S-.We have received
message from heaven and are looking for
Jesus
Where are you going'
we do not know We Will 60 wherever
the spirit tells us to 60 We are looking for
Jesus"
This il part OF conversation which took
place on Tuesday morning, Oct. IS, within
three miles Of the village Of Yorkton, in
the Northwest Territories OF Carada. 2s0
miles northwest Of Winnipeg The speakers
were an English cowboy. riding out to see
what was meant by the march Of 1900
Doukhobors toward Yorkton. and Simeon
Tcherninkov. the leader Of the mob who
marched AT tho head Of the line ana gave his
information in tones which were tremulous
with emotional excitement. Will" the flick
cring light of unbalanced reason CLEANED
from his eyes
II Is impossible to understand the prescott
pilgrimage without first taking n glance az
the previous history of these people They
lived originally In the heart Of the Caucasus
Mountains in Russia and were subjected
to severe persecution on account Of their
strange beliefs.
They were exceedingly stubborn in fol-
lowing the dictates Of their consciences
and refused TO submit to the authority Of
the State. One Of the chief articles OF their
faith Was that they should not bear arms.
and it was through adhering to this that
they frequently clashed with the Russian
Government.
SO violent did the prosecutions become
that Count Leo Tostoi and other philan-
thropists OF his type became interested In
the Doukhobors and entered into negotia-
tions with different Governments to en-
deavor to establish the people in a colony.
Finally, in $780, they were accepted by
Canada, which has, ever since the opening
up OF the Northwest. been endeavoring to
secure settlers.
Tolstoi devoted the entire proceeds OF
his book Resurrection" to Transporting
the Doukhobors to Canada, and the Cana
dian Government paid cash bonus Of 81
head, as we'll as giving them free land.
Ten thousand Doukhobors came on these
conditions and settled in several colonies in
northwestern Canada. They were supplied
with horses. cattle and implements by pri-
vate parties, Joseph s. Ellington. a Quaker
OF Philadelphia, taking an active part In
seeing that they were we'll provided for.
For three years since they arrived In
the country, the peculiar customs OF these
people have been a subject Of comment
their vegetarian principles In particular
having led them into strange conditions.
TURNED THEIR STOCK LOOSE.
Not only do they abstain from all kinds
OF animal food. but they hold that 1t is not
right to wear a. clothing any animal product
or to employ animals az beasts Of burden.
A few who realized that their old ideas
must be adapted TO new conditions, aban-
doned these principles, and became pros
porous, but In two settlements, one at
Swan River and the other north Of York.
ton. the Doukhobors chung tenaciously
to the old doctrine.
Nothing extraordinary happened until
few weeks ago. when. after having kept
possession OF their animals for more than
two years. they drove their horses and
cattle into the northern wids. and the
men and women performed all the heavy
teamwork themselves. Women In teams Of
twelve pulled the ploughs. young men
hauled heavy loads Of produce TO the mar
ket. forty miles away, and the only animals
to be found in the villages wsrs dogs, which
would not be driven away
The Government officials rounded up the
herds. sold the stock. and placed the pro-
ceeds. to the amount OF some $4,000, In
the banks to be drawn upon when the
communities should require the money.
1hreshing time came, and the crop was
harvested with rcaping hooks and threshed
out with fails. At ono village fifty mon
md tbrnahaI
day, while on the adjoining section modern
outfit turned out thousands Of bushol,
in the same time.
THE NEW oUTBREAK
When the threshing was over there was
no news from the Doukhobor settlements
Of startling nature for short time, but
1t has since been learned that for some weeks
a few agitators had been working among
tho people. Suddenly the news came
that the fanatics were mobilizing, and con-
templated a movement upon the English
settlement at iorkton.
At first little credence was placed In thes,
statements. and Government officials who
had travelled through the district cmphati-
cally denied the rumors. Their object il
denying what they must have known tc
be the truth Ia difficult to understand, anc
the result was that when the horde die
reach civilization no person was prepared
there was no organization competent tc
cope with the situation and the Doukhobor,
overran the country.
The first definite knowledge OF the pil
grmage which reached the public cam,
on Sunday, Oct. 20. when a gentleInaI
who had just returned from the scenes o
disturbance was interviewed by a Winnipes
reporter. and told Of many strange thing
he had seen when driving through tn,
settlements.
AT one place." he said. 'there was ,
gathering Of 5000 Doukhobors. all engaged
in prayer. The only one among then
who could speak English informed M
that they were making a big prayer an,
that they were going to set out to lool
for Jesus, as they had received messa 2
which told them that His second comm,
was near at hand.
'Other villages were entirely deserted
large quantities OF grain lying in the gran
aries. and the houses being loft In perfec
order"
SLEPT OUT IN BITTER COLD.
This leads back TO the scene referred /
above. in the vicinity Of Yorkton. Tha
quiet little village was startled on the even
ing Of Monday. Oct. ~. by a rumor tina