The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-03-14
a REM B Bile SECT = Il
Russians d''l 4 s. Mani oba Who Are Pos
/ RI sessed Of i Strange Craze.
:Rs6ase to Use Lower. An11aals Tor A.
Il P1FDoss and Place All the Bar
as0s OF Labor Upon Their 53. 4
III. Non and WomsaA ! s$.%z II

Strange fancies some times take pos.
'ession OF religious sects, but the
'trangest of all is probably the dis.
'ressing mania that has enthralled
1000 Russian Doukhoborsti, who have
:ocated in western Manitoba, saws =
special to the New York Times from
Yorktown, Manitoba. In the Swar
river. district the government is appre.
aenslve for the remarkable craze that
has taken possession Of those colon.
lists. A visit to the community showed
that tho sights, scenes and the horror
depicted were almost beyond concep.
ton. y \ r.. .. =.
It 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 overlook ed bv
the government that will cause i'm
mense trouble. -
In this country man may eat what
he chooses, and if His religion dictates
that he shall conform to a 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 tt. be finished prod
uct. 1t has been constantly undergo.
ing changes. From the belief that it
was 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
waking fat, while the people are on
the verge OF starvation.
Having reached this absurd posi-
ton, it was but step to another and
more ridiculous one. lit were wrong
TO eat the flesh of animals the same
line of reasoning made it comparati tive
~ easy to condemn the use of lea ther
harness made from the hides of Gods
creatures, 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
its effect on their economic condition.
It was to make servants of any OF
the lower animals, to use them for
beasts of burden or tor any other pur-
pose. r
<s.Th ev' had III a nniiraor>-A.their con-
victions,s and at once turned out tnt5r7
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 plow 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 eeen 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 til
their farms -four and other neces-
stiles.
The Doukhoborsti are clad exclu1
sively in cotton clothes and wear -uh-|
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. Their 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 warmei
climate where the conditions would
enable them to subsist on the soft
without trespassdng on the possession!
of the animal kingdom. It is needless
to say that no one wants them, as they
are still in Manitoba, an elephant OF
the hands of the: government thal
brought them from Russia a few year
ago to develop the prairie land OF thi
west. $780, :~>.@t'> e +.
= Femindne IgnDranoo.
Its only q matter Of time." RI