The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-06-08
COrsican Life.

The following sketch of COrsican life is
from letter 10 the Cincinnati Enquirer:
The chestnuts, much larger than any
known in America, bursting from their
prickly sheath as they fall to the ground,
are gathered and CLEANED to the last one;
men, women and children making it their
sole occupation until all are housed. The
women carry them on their heads in bas-
kets, from the group of trees belonging
to each family, to the loft or granary Of
their habitation, where, poured in a great
stack upon II floor of poles, laid loosely,
they dry gradually by the smoke of the
winters fire Quilt on a platform of stones
in the middle OF the room beneath), creep
ing up as best it can between the poles.
Even from the time the chestnuts fall they
form no little part of the peoples nour-
ishment, as gathered about the wood
fire, morning and evening, the PEASANTS
family eat them as they roast them in an
earthen pot, each person putting his hand
into the vessel and taking them one by
one upon his knee, bursting the shell
with blow of the palm. When, in the
months of January and February, they
are dried hard and brittle, a part of the
upper floor is lifted up, and they come
rattling down upon the pavement beneath.
Then man brushes the hull by pound
ing them in bag which, being partly
| filled with nuts, he swings over his head,
striking it repeatedly upon wooden
block. AS each bag full comes broken
from his hands woman shakes them in
a wooden basin where the wind and her
careful fingers will clean away the shells
and chatf, At last carried on an ass's
back and ground in one of the many lit
tie mills turned by the mountain brooks,
the chestnuts are transformed into meal
worth always about half the price of
wheaton flour; hence, the contented Cor
sican exclaims: When we have not
bread we eat pasticine." And many
thousand people eat nothing all the
year save chestnut meal and little oil,
with good spring water; even the oil is
often lacking. He is called rich by his
neighbors who has every day white loaf.
bit of cheese or greasy pork, and bottle
of wine, although the latter, of most excel
lent quality, is bought throughout all Cor
sica ut five cents quart.
Unwashed, and covered with filthy
rags, half fed on the cheapest food, Sleep
ing like their own vile animals, men,
women and childred packed promiscu-
ously together in one bed-chamber, their
dirty bodies prey for fat vermin, the
IuCu ulSSOlUGc duu UIuuhCn, TIC WOmcn
illiterate, they nevertheless hold their
heads high, boast of their freedom and
chivalry, wear with excessive PRIZE the
badges OF military merit received from the
dead Emperor-for nearly all have been
soldiers-tell with vain satisfaction the
rank and titles which distant cousins have
risen to in the army, and are ready at all
times to shoot and carve each other in a
quarrel over measure of olives. Pious
and strictly observant of the forms of the
church, their conversation filled with in
vocations to the saints, they blush not at
the most vile forms of speech, uttered in
perfect good humor; no subject, however
base, and no manner of treating it how
ever infamous, being excluded by delica-
cy from their social circle; praying three
times q day, when the sound of the
bells is heard at morning, noon and night
they hurry through the form Of devotion
to continue where they left off the bitter
dispute in which they may have been en-
gagged, and to hurl at each others heads
the most fierce and horrible curses.
have known man and wife to cease claw.
ing each. Others hair as the vespers rang,
and, rapidly ending the prayer, begin
again the battle.