Willmar tribune., 1909-06-02

side of the Atlantic. For years the "Douks'
we're looked upon as joke and Canada was
laughed at and ridiculed, but now there is a
different tale to tell. Most of tho stories that
brought the immigrants into contempt were
based upon the doings of a small minority of
the communists. religious zealots whose fervor
led them into extravaganza of conduct such
rs could be explained only by mental de-
rangement. These zealots went naked in the
middle Of winter on pilgrimages through the
snow in search OF the Messiah. They would
not work and they would not sanction work
by others. They even turned loose their
horses, cattle, sheep and hogs (given to them
by the Canadian government) because they
didn't believe that hcrses or oxen should be
made to toll for man or that sheep or hogs
should be eaten by man.
The majority of the immigrants, however,
were Industrious and painstaking and had lit
tie sympathy for the fanatics. These indus
trious ones have built up the community prop
erty until now the Doukhobor colonies are
among the best in the Saskatchewan country.
They are as deeply religious as ever, and they
cling to their old Quaker-like customs tena-
ciously, but they no longer are looked upon
problem by the Canadian government and
there will be no more talk of dispossessing
them from the magnificent domain they oc-
cupy.
Lie DouhHODOI Has 11ldue SOOu.
The first shipload of Doukhobors left Ba-
toun, in Asiatic Russia in January, 1899, bound
for Canada, and by the middle of that year
more than 1000 of them had settled in the
far northwest. Now the number of these Pc
culiar religionists in Canada exceeds 10000.
The creed of the Doukhobors is somewhat
vague in many details. The principal points
Of their belief, however, are these: There is
one God: the Holy Trinity is beyond compre
hension They do not believe in praying in
temples made with hands, and say that all the
ceremonies of the churches, being useless
were much better left alone. Luxury in food
or dress is condemned, and going to war, car
rying arms or taking oaths of any descrp-
tion are forbidden. Their mode of life is
strictly communistic all laboring for the COM
good. They are abstainers from alcohol
and tobacco, and, for the most part, are vege
tarians
For many years the Doukhobors lived in the
neighborhood of Kief, in what is called lit
tie Russia In the reign of Alexander L.
they all were banished to the Wet mountains
of Georgia, in the Caucasus. There they lived
for many years among the half.savage Ma.
hometans, who have been the rulers of that
region for centuries. The crisis in their for.
tunes came in 1887. A universal conscription
declared throughout Russia. Every
healthy adult male was ordered to be ready for
service in the army
For the next three years the Doukhobors
prosecuted unremittingly. There were
innumerable banishments imprisonments,
foggings and tortures that cannot be de-
scribed, but the Doukhobors were immovable
Their condition was pitiable in the extreme
when Count Tolstoy and the Society of
Friends in England came to their relief by
raising funds for their emigration to Canada
There was little difficulty about obtaining
sufficient land at little price for the 1000
Doukhobors who came to Canada during the
first year. Each male over 18 years old was
allowed to take up 100 acres subject to pay
ment of $40, which was three years deferred
The Dominion government also gave a grant
of S. to each man, woman and child, who
reached Winnipeg before June 80, 1899.
The region where these Russian exiles have