The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-03-07
A B RK BI, i, IN
Russians il Manitoba Who Are Pos
sessed Of a Strange Craze.
Refuse to Use Lower Anim ais for An
Purpose and Place All the, bur ss
*4 dens Of Labor Upon Their ri
~ Mem and Women. La

Strange fancies sometimes take pos.
'ession of religious sects, but the
,trangest of all is probably the dis
ressing mania that has senthralled
5000 Russian Doukhoborsti, who have
COATED in western Manitoba, saws "a
special to the New York Times from
yorktown, Manitoba. In the Swan
liver district the governments appre-
lensive for the remarkable craze t hat
has taken possession of those colon
lists. A visit to the community showed
that the sights, scenes and the horror
depicted were almost beyond concep-
ton. 49, r:-.. ,-.t F. <.<*I VI, +. =. -
r 1t is well known that the Doukhobor-
sti are adverse to shedding blood. This
is the reason why they emigrated
from Russia, and it is also the: reason.
why the Canadian government exempt
ed them from military duty as induce
ment for their location on the prairie
LANDS of the west. As to what they
should eat, this was purely personal
matter, but, as it appears, it was one
of the features that was overlooked bv
the government that will cause i'm
mense trouble. -
III this country a man may eat what
he chooses, and if his religion dictates
that he shall conform to vegetable
diet, such beliefs are respected. All
might have been we'll had this state
OF affairs been confined to vegetarian
ism, but the Doukhoborsti RELIGION
does not appear t.: be a finished prod
uct. It has been constantly undergo
ing changes. From the belief that it
was a sin to eat meat, it seems long
jump to reach the conclusion that it is
wrong to eat animal products, but
these people have now given up drink
ing milk, eating butter, cheese, eggs.
ETC., and the COWS, oxen, goats and fowl
are increasing and multiplying, and
waxing fat, while the people are on
the verge of starvation.
Having reached this absurd posi-
taon, it was but step to another and.
more ridiculous one. If it we're wrong
to eat the flesh of animals the same
line of reasoning made it compare tive
ly easy to condemn the use of lea Their
harness made from the hides of Gods
crea lures, and then followed the con-
demnation of wooden clothing, because,
wool grown on the bodies of sheep,
which also belonged to the Lord. The
next step was still more sweeping in
it's effect on their economic condition.
It was to make servants Of any of
the lower animals, to- use them for
beasts of burden or for any other pur-
pose
They had the courage Of their con-
victions, and at once turned out their
horses, cattle and sheep, driving them
to Goods HILL" to forage for them
selves, placing all the burdens of farm
life on their own shoulders. For all
drawing purposes, such as hauling
heavy loads on wagons, men take the
place of horses and oxen. Twelve or
IA men hitched to a pillow suffice for
this purpose, and it is the only method
employed by them in the cultivation of
the soil. Women, even, are employed
in this manner, though when coming
into town men only are seen hauling
the wagons and buggies. Every day
in the streets of Yorktown dozens of
men may be, seen drawing wagons,
hauling what little produce they may
have for sale, and carrying back t.
their farms -four and other neces-
sites.
The Doukhoborsti are clad exclu-
sively-in cotton clothes and wear rub
Der boots or shoes knit or woven with
binder Irvine, which they buy for the
purpose. Their food consists of bread
and water, and such vegeta bles as they
grow, and wild berries and herbs which
they gather. Theft farms are neglect
ed and their stock, of which they have
much, is running wild in the hills,
where it will all die during the winter,
or be appropriated by those who are
not of their religious faith, and who
will at least give the stock shelter.
With the advent of cold weather
starvation and disease must certainly
follow, and they appear to know this,
for they have been in correspondence
with authorities in southern Cali
fornia, Nevada, Arizona and Australia,
with view to- emigration to a. warmer
climate where the conditions would
enable them to subsist on the soil
without trespassing on the possessions
of the animal kingdom. 1t is needless
to say that no one wants them, as. they
are still in Manitoba, an elephant on
the hands of the government that
brought them from Russia a few years
ago to develop the prairie land Of the
west. .~-@ ...~#= -.
/ - : -------- 49, -: - 8
Feminine Ienoranee.a 4
cts only matter of time" re-
m rLa1 tho sh0e-c1erl15 h0a RIDER. xrh :,