Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-01-20
HOW THE DOUKHOBORS LIVE.
INTERESTING STORY OF THEM
TOLD BY A REPRESENTATIVE.
1t Was Mainly Through the Agency of
J. S. Elkintcn That These Simple
Hearted Russian People Settled in
Canada-Easy to Impose on Them.

Joseph S. Elkinton, of Philadelphia.
may be regarded at the American rep
resentative of the Russian Doukho-
bors. 1t was mainly through his
agency that these supplemented peo-
pie settled in Canada. and it was en-
tirely through his agency that 40, 900
acres of land-a free gift-were be-
slowed upon them by the Canadian
Government. And Mr. Elkinton' S
son, Joseph, Jr., has studied the Douk-
hobors profoundly has made nearly
800 photographs of them, and has writ
ten book about them. Hence, on ac-
count of the horrible stories that have
lately come from Canada, it is interest
ing at this time to hear what the
Elkintons have to say about the Doai1-
hobors, their wards.
Joseph S. Ell1inton is rich and phil
anthropic member of the Society of
Friends.
When the Doukhobors got leave
from the Russian Government to emf
crate Mr.. Elkinton took charge of the
collection of the American emigration
fund. He it was who obtained from
the Canadian Government permission
for them to settle in Canada, and he
arranged the favorable terms through
which they were to receive 100000
acres of land for nothing. When they
arrived at Quebec he was at the wharf
- l. 1nd fn
new home, and he superintendent their
settlement there And since then he
has visited them number Of times
each year, and he has been in con-
slant correspondence with their head
men.
He said: 1.-THE Doukhobors are be-
ing misled by a false prophet. They
are unable to read and they know no
English. It is easy to impose on
them.
But it is only part OF the Douk-
hobors. that are falling into delusion.
The rest keep sane. will tell you,
if you. wish, just how they live.
"Thay came to Manitoba three years
ago, and while their houses were build
i2g they lived in tents. The houses
they erected were simple and substan.
tial-one-story houses, with white
washed walls two feet thick and
with eavthen floors as firm and as
level as floors of board Their stables
were made with walls of turf 80 inches
thick, plastered inside and out. But
before they finished their houses and
stables they put up the communal
baths. These baths of steam, where
in the bather sleeps himself for two or
three hours at time, ending with a
douche of icy water, for the Doukho-
bors are the cleanest people in the
world. Their dwellings, their grounds
and their own persons have a neatness
as extreme as that of the Dutch.
1.-THE Doukhobors came to America
| through the help of the Society OF
Friends. They have been prosecuted
at home because they would not bear
arms. They were sent to the Cauca-
sus to fight the Tartars there, and
their best men, because they would
not fight were transported thence to
Siberia. They were being harassed
on all sides-1 900 of them had died
when the Dowager Empress happened
in that neighborhood, and the Douk-
hobor women presented to her petit
tion-a very noble and pathetic petit
ton wherein it was asked that they
be allowed to leave Russia forever
The Dowager Empress had their wish
granted, and my society, together with
Count Tolstoi, raised the money for
their departure.
1--WE had arranged with the Cana
dian Government that after they had
dwelt on their allotted lands three
years these lands-120,O 900 acres in all
we're to be given to them. The three
years are now past; they have done
well in them, and they are about to
receive their land as gift from Can
ada. Bun there is danger of their
false prophets spelling everything.
These false prophets, headed by
Alexander Bodiansky, have led a frag-
ment of the Doukhobors into foolish
religious SXc6SSeo. DOCJdhohJ 10 q
man of intelligence and education, but
he is never sincere. What he does
is done. as a rule not for the Doukho-
bors' good but for the furtherance of
some selfish end of his own. He
wants the Doukhobors now to move
from Canada to California
These good people have been living
life as simple and clean and comely
as the world has ever seen. TIER
Hocks and herds and horses have been
the pride of Canada. Their crops
have taken prizes for excellence. They
came penniless to Manitoba, and in
three years they have reached the
point of owning fertile and profitable
and well-stocked farms. Their good
health and cleanliness an6 poi;teness
and humanity have made them no
table.
Joseph Elkinton, Jr., has written a
book called THE Doukhobors." that
gives the first authentic history of this
sect. 1t is a sect $50 years old, and
Mr.. Elkinton's volume, which will APP
pear in January. contains many iIus-
trations and much matter that was
hitherto inaccessible to students.
"The present craze and fanatical
outbreak of the Doukhobors only az