Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1903-03-12
REMARKABLE SECT
Russians in Manitoba Who Are Pos
sessed of Strange Craze.
X efuse to Use Lower Animals for Any
Purpose and Place All the bur
dens of Labor Upon Th cir
Men and Women.

| session of religious sects, but the
strangest Of all is probably the dis
| tressing mania that has enthralled
| 5000 Russian Doukhoborsti, VINO have
| located in western Manitoba says a
| special to the New York Times from
| Yorktown, Manitoba. In the Swan
river district the government is appre-
hensive 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 cOncep-
tion.
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 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 vegeta BILE
diet, such beliefs are respected. All
might have been well had this state
of affairs been confined to Vegetarian
ism, but the DOukhoborsti religion
does not appear tC be finished prod
uct. 1t has been constantly undergO-
ing changes. From the belief that it
was a sin to eat meat, it seems a long
jump to reach the conclusion that it is
wrong to eat animal products, but
these people have now given mp drink
ing milk eating butter, cheese, e~ys.
etc, and the COWS, oxen goats and fowl
art, increasing and multiplying, and
waxing fat. while the people are on
the velg Of s1arvn1lon.
Having reached this absurd posi-
tiOn it was but a step to another and
more ridiculous one. If it were wrong
to eat the flesh OF animals the same
line of reasoning made It comparative
~ easy to condemn the use Of leather
harness made from the hiGee Of GODS
creatures. and then followed the con
demnatiOn Of wOolen clot hing. 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
1he lower animals. to use them for
beasts of burden or for any other pur-
pose. I
They had the courage of their con-
yictiOns. and at once turned out their
horses. cattle and sheep, driving them
to "GoG's Iill." to forage for them
selves, placi~ ~ the burdens Of farm
life on the q shoulders. For all
drawing rurpOses, such as hauling
heavy loads on wagons, men take the
place Of horses and oxen. Twelve or
4 men hitched to a plow suffice for
This purpose. and it is the cnlr ~ tho3,
employed by them in the cultiva tion of
the soil. Women. even, are employed
in this manner, though when coming
into town men only are seen hauling
the wagons and bugries. Every day
in the streets Of Yorktown dozens of
men may he seen drawing wagons,
hauing what iitttle produce they may
have for sale. and carrying back t.
their farms -four and other neces-
stiles.
The Donkh oborsti are clad exclu-
lively in cotton clothes and wear "rh-
Der boots or shoes knit or wover with
binder twine which they buy for the
purpose Their food consists Of bread
and water. and such vegetables 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 a view to emigration to warmer
climate where the conditions would
enable them to subsist on the soil
without trespas ssing 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 I
the hands of the government that (
brought them from Russia few years ;
ago to develop the prairie land of the
west.
Feminine Ignorance.
'Tt's only matter of time, re- d