Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-03-13
A REMARKABLE SECT
Russians in Manitoba Who Are Pos
sessed of a Strange Craze.
Refuse to Use Lower Animals for Any
Purpose and Place All the Bur-
dena of Labor Upon Their
Men and Women.

Strange fancies sometimes take pos
session of religious sects, but The
strangest of all is probably the dis
tressing mania that has enthralled
5000 Russian Doukhoborsti. VITO have
located in western Manitoba, saws
special to the New York Times from
Yorktown. Manitoba. In the Swan
river district the government is appre-
hensiye for the remarkable craze that
has taken possession of those colon
lists. a visit to the community showed
that the sights, scenes and the horror
depicted were almost beyond coneep-
ton.
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 tie Canadian government EXEMPT
ed them from military duty as INDUCE
meut 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, ii was one
of the features that was overlooked by
the government that will cause i'm
mense trouble.
III this country man may eat what
he chooses, and if Lis 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 tc be finished prod
uct. 1t has hecn constantly undergo.
ing changes From the belief that 1t
was a sin to eat meat, it seems long
jump to reach tie conclusion that il i
wrong to eat animal products, bnt
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, anG
waxing fat, while tlle people are on
the vel &c Of starvation.
Having reached this absurd posi-
ton, it was but step to another and
more ridiculous one. fit were wrong
to eat the flesh Of animals the same
line of reasoning made it comparative
~ easy 10 condemn the use Of isather
harness made from the hides Of God's
creatures, and then followed tie cen
domination of wooden clothing beeause
wool grown on the bodies OF sheen.
vi ich also belonged to the Lord Tie
next step was still more sweeping in
its effect on their economic condition
Il 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 ont their
horses, cattle and sheep, driving them
to Gods Hill" to FORAGE for them
selves, plqoing all tn burdens of farm
life on their own shoulders. For all
drawing purposes, such as hauling
heavy loads on wagons, men take tse
place of horses and oxen Twelve Or
"A men hitcl ed to a pillow suffice for
this purnose and it is the only metho}
employed nv them in the cultiya ion e
the soil. Women. even. are employed
in this manner. though when coming
into town men only are seen hauling
the wagons and hrqgies. Every day
in the streets Of Yorktown dozens Of
men may he seen drawing wagons,
hauling what little produce hey ray
have for sale, and carrying back t.
their farms flour and other neces-
stiles.
The Doukhoborsti are clad exclu-
siyelv in cotton clothes and wear "uh-
Der boots or shoes Unit or woyep with
IL, bat. fs.v~ fst,i / a
purpose. Their food consists Of bread
and water ard such vegetables rs tfeN
grow. and wild berries and.herbs which
they rsther Their farms ere neglect
ed and their stock. of which theJ have
much. is running Wild in the hills.
where it will al die during the winter,
or be anrroprieted by those who are
not az their religious faith. ard who
will AT least give tie stock shelter.
With the advent of cold weather
starvation and disease must certainly
follow AMI they apoear to know tbs,
for they have been in correspondence
with authorities in southern CALI
fornia. Nevada Arizona and Austria La,
with view 10 emigration to warner
climate where the conditions would
enable them to subsist on the soil
without tresnassin on the nossessiors
of the animal kingdom. II is needless
to say thatno one wants them, as they
are still in Manitoba, an elephant on
the hands of the government that
brought them from Russia few years
ago to develop the prairie land OF the
west
Feminine Ignorance.