The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-08-17
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TURKISH LABORERS.

man can leave one employer for an
other at the end of his term, provided
he owes nothing. If he is in debt he
becomes 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, ith
the dedt, to any land owner thinking
it worth while to pay off the original
creditor. In these cases the uhlucky
debtor receives so much grain every
year, sufficient, if he has a family, to
keep them and himself in a state of
semi-starvatien. = So long as the Turk
ish5laborer can keep out of debt, he is
not so badly off. Naturally of penu-
rious economical habits, his wants are
few. "A ltwo-penny earthenware pot
is the only. cooking utensil he needs
to prepare his daily meal-a dish OF
beans or lenteIs, onions, salt-pickled
cabbage, garlic and pepper, eaten with
bread of mixed grain. Sailed cheese,
olive oil, and hemp-seed oil are occa-
sionally iindulged in but meat, wine
and spirits are reserved for festival
days. These come rather frequently
with the Christians-almost at the
rate of one a week, for, counting Sum
days, and their idle days number 100
in the course of the year. Many live
upon bread, making five or six lbs. a
day of that suffice to keep body and
soul together. Setting aside. the VIC
tins of debt, the agricultural laborers
are we'll clad, and there are but few
who cannot boast the possession of a
holiday suit, red leather shoes included
Ia suit they make last their lifetime.
Their ordinary clothes are almost all
made at home by their thrifty, hard
working wives their W orking attire,
consisting of a cotton twist shirt and
drawers, thick wooden socks, and an
outer garment of dark woolen stuff, a
red skull cap covered with a cotton
turban; and sandals of raw buffalo
hide; and in Winter of an overcoatof
sheep-skin, with the wool inside. The
women wear cotton garments elabo-
rately embroidered with home-dyed
woods, and fora ahead-dress q cotton
kerchief, covering the neck and bosom.
The ordinary agricultural iaborer
lives in a one roomed house, built of
sun dried square bricks, upon a foun-
dation of stone rubble, cemented with
wetted hay and chopped straw. The
rubble is carried about a foot above
the surface of the ground, the walls
being bound at intervals with strips
of rough hewn oak, beech or pine,
running along their outer and inner
edges, and fastened together by cross
pieces nailed to them. In some parts
the pent root is covered with heavy
slate or shale9 slabs, but light kiln
baked tiles are oftener used. 10 The
room itself is from eight to ten feet in
height, and measures from twelve to
fifteen feet square, It is provided
with one or two small unglazed win
dows, closing with sliding shutters,
and an open fireplace with a flue. The
whitewashed1 walls, some three feet
thick, are studded with wooden pegs,
and in their fecesses generally two or
more shelves are fitted, while another
narrow shelf runs all round the room,
near the ceiling. Such a house will
cost oE22. Prosperous laborers wifi
have two or more rooms besides sta
bling and out-houses.. In the nhilly
districts of Macedonia, where stone
and lime are easily ly9procured, substan-
tally built houses of two or three
rooms are common enough; but
whether the house be of stone or clay,
it is equally destitute of furniture
within---chairs, tables and .bedsteads.
being articles unknown, or at any rate
undesired. A few straw-stuffed cush-
ionsyor even a piece or two of rush
mating, placed upon the hard clay
floor, supplies all the sitting or Sleep
ing accommodations the occupants re-
quire. In fact, unless their domicile 1
is provided with a sort of verandah,
they prefer to take. their rest, in sum-
mer at least, in the open air. In any
case, they lie down in their clothes, 4
covering themselves with a blanket,
if they have it, if not, an overcoat
serves the purpose.-Cha,nbers' Joatr-
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