Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-24
TURKISH LABORERS,

LaDOr Is so lar free In Turkey that q
man can leave one employer for another
at the end of his term, provided he owes
the fret nothing. If he is in debt, he
becomes a serf, except in name; for,
being charged compound interest, the
debt grows SO quickly, it is soon more
than he can ever hope TO pay; and then
he is liable to be transferred, with his
debt to any landowner thinking it worth
while to pay off the original creditor.
In these cases the unlucky debtor re-
ceives so much grain every year, suffi-
cient, if he has family, TO keep them
and himself in state of semi-staIvation.
So long as the Turkish lsborer can avoid
debt, he is not badly off. Naturally of
penuriously economical habits, his wants
are few. 4 two-penDy earthenware pot
Is the only cooking utensl he needs to
prepare his daily meal-a dish of beans
or lentils, onions, salt, picked cabbage,
garlic and pepper, eaten with bread OF
mixed grain. Sailed cheese, olive oil and
hemp seed oil are occasionally INDUCED
in; but meat, wine and spirits are reserved
for festival dsys. These come rather
frequently with the Christians-almost at
the rate of one a week, for, counting
Sundays, their idle days number 100 in
the course of the year. Many live upon
bread, making five or elk pounds q day
of that suffice to keep body and soul to.
gether. Setting aside the victims of debt
the agricultural laborers are well clad,
and there are but few who cannot boast
the possession of a holiday suit, red leath.
er shoes included-a suit they make last
their lifetime. Their ordinary clothes are
almost all made at home by their thrifty,
Woodworking wives; their working at
tire, consisting of cotton-twist shirt and
drawers, thick wooden socks, AID outer
garment of dark wooden stuff, a red skull
cap, covered with cotton turbaD, and
sandals of raw buffalo hide; and in winter
an overcoat of sheep skin with the wool
inside. The women wear cotton gar
ments, deliberately embroidered with
bright hOme-dyed woods, snd for head
dress cotton keIchief, covering the neck
and bosom.
The ordinary agricultural lsbOrer lives
in a one roomed house, built of suu-dried
square bricks, upon foundation of stone
Tubble, cemented with wetted clay and
chopped straw. The rubble is carried
about foot above the surface of the
ground, the walls being bound at inter
walls with strips of rough hewn oak, beech
or pine, running along their inner and
outer edges, and fastened together by
cross pieces nailed TO them. In some
parts the peDt roof is covered with heavy
slate or shale slabs, but light kiln baked
tiles are Oftener used. The room itself is
f ON eight to ten feet in height, and
measures from twelve to fifteen feet
square. 1t is provided with one or two
very small uDglszed windows, closing
with sliding shutters, and an open fire
place with 9 fiue. The white washed
walls, some three feet thick, are studded
with wooden pegs, and in their recess
usually two or more shelves are fitted,
while another narrow shelf runs all around
the room, near the ceiling. Such
house will cost 922. Prosperous laborers
will have two or more rooms, besides sta
bling and out houses. In the billy dis
trio IS of Macedonia, where stone and
lime are easily procured, substantially
built houses of two or three rooms sre
common enough; but whether the house
be of stone or of clay, it is equally desti-
tute of furniture within-chsirs, tables
and bedsteads being articles unknown, or
at any rate undesired. A few straw
stuffed cushions, or even piece or two of
rush mating, placed upon the hard clay
f1oCr, supplies all the sitting or sleeping
accommodation the occupant requires. In
fact unless their dOmicile is provided WITH
a sort of verandah, they prefer to take
their rest in summer at least in the OPEN
air. 10 any case, they lie down in their
clothes, covering themselves with blan-
ket, if they have i; if not, an overcoat
serves the purpose.-Chdnbers' Jour
nal.