The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-05-29

side of the Atlantic. For years the "Douks'
were looked upon joke and Canada was
laughed at and ridiculed. but now there is
different tale to tell. Most of the stories that
brought the immigrants into contempt were
based upon the doings Of small minority OF
the communists, religious zealots whose fervor
led them into extravaganza OF conduct such
as 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 tgiven to them
by the Canadian government), because they
didn't believe that horses or oxen should be
made tc toll for man or that sheep or hogs
should be eaten by man.
The majority of the immigrants, however,
were Industrious and painstakng and had lit
tie sympathy for the fanatics. These indus
trious ones have built up the community prop
erty until the Doukhobor colonies are
among the best in the Saskatchewan country
They are as deeply religious ever, and they
cling to their old Quakerke customs tena-
ciously, but they longer are looked upon
as a problem by the Canadian government and
there will be more talk of dispossessng
them from the magnificent domain they oc
cupy
The Doukhobor has made good.
The first shipload of Doukhobors left Ba
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
spf their belief, however, are these Ihere is
: 5ne 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
dress is condemned and going TO war car
rying arms taking oaths of any descrip
ton are forbidden. Their mode OF life Is
strictly communistic, all laboring for the com
mon 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 cailed LII
tie Russia" In the reign OF Alexander H.
they all were banished to the Wet mountains
of Georgia, in the Caucasus There they lNeu
for many years among the half-savage Ma.
hometaps who have been the rulers OF that
region for centuries. The crisis In their 1or'
tunes came In 1887. A universal conscrlptloh
was declared throughout Russia. every
healthy adult male was ordered 10 De feaoS io'
service in the army
For the next three years the Doukhopors
were prosecuted unremittingly. There were
innumerable banishments, imprisonmeh.s'
f1oggings and tortures that cannot De ae-
scribed but the Doukhobors we're lmmoVaoie'
Their condition pitiable in the extreme
when Count Tolstoy and the Society OF
Friends in England came to their relief oy
raising funds for their emigration to CANADA
There was little difficulty about obtaining
sufficient land at little price for the ''ooo
Doukhobors who came to Canada during 'he
first year. Each male over IL years oio was
allowed to take up 100 acres subject TO pay
uent of $40 which was three years deferred.
Fhe Dominion government also gave a grant
bf IS to each man, woman and cnlid' WIZ
reached Winnipeg before June 50 1889
The region where these Russian exlies nave