Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-08-10


Pistols for Side -AFms-NRturRl |
Courtesy of the RusItcs.
The London News correspond
ent says: CAT Boletch we found
ourselves out of the region where
any other language than Servian
was of any avail. Mes nam (II
know not) was the response to at
tempts to talk in French and Ger
man; but they are a social people
at Boletch, although difficulties Of
language interfered with the ex-
change of ideas. AS we descended
the slope on the other side Of Bo-
letch we met a couple Of the most
ferocious-looking fellows | have
ever seen they would have made
the fortune Of a transporting
drama as the rival rufiians. They
carried pistols in their belts, dag
gers hung from their sashes, over
their shoulder each man had a rifle
slung. and their unshayen faces
looked out from under caps of
bushy fur that blended indistin-
guishably with their hair. But
truculent as they appeared their
appearance was deceptive. AS they
passed lis on their little mountain
1 ponies they made a civil salutatioh
| and gave vent to a greeting which
/ imagine to have been equivalent
to what is familiarly known among
us as passing the time Of day,
and to which | deeply regret | was
unable to respond intelligibly. A
little further on we passed a way
farer who was adopting a very &C.
centric way of coping with the rain
that was falling heavily. He had
taken off all his clothes except his
shirt, and was carrying them under
his arm, rolled into a tight ball
that they might remain as dry as
possible. For his skin it was clear
he cared not; that would dry when
the rain should cease and the sun
come out; but it was a different
matter with his heavy woolen
Jacket and breeches, which were
probably night wear as well as day
wear.
3 Grotchka is a typical village o
the low-lying part Of Servia. AL
its houses are but one story high
: with projecting tiled roof such al
} we sec in Turkey. The women
mostly in white, with bright color
ed stomachers, gaudy aprons sewI
to or embroidered on their skirts
and thick parti-colored stockings
Fastened OH checker-wise with mo
rocco straps, sat in their door-ways
/. or picked their way along tn
rough road through the deep mud
!, The men left in the place were col
: ected in and about the tap-room o
: the village tavern, a great blaGi
. raftered apartment, with an opel
}, cooking-place opposite the door, j.
1t appearance like a blacksmith
IS forge. Everybody is armed to tn
z teeth in Grotchka. The lad VIII
> holds your horse has a big piSto
a on one side of his sash, and a de
= moniacal.looking dagger hangin
4 down from the other, ready to hi
4 right hand. Around a table in til
a. taproom is a group gathered to hea
g. the war news read by the villag
(, Mayor, from the Ischoll, the Be
grade journal. The Mayor is a fin
stalwart old man, an old soldier
=, the very tips of the huge whit
10 mustaches that bristle over hi
s' shoulders nearly foot in lengtl
- His sash is very brilliant, and thel
10 are silver-mounted pistols stuck !
it. Ills companions are chief
At. peasants in brown jackets, bagg
knee-breeches and greaves; thoi
= who do not wear fezzes have I'll
beehived hats which | have alread
= described. Their drink is the plul
brandy of the country, spir
which | cannot recommend Il
flavor, and which am informed
by no means a healthy tipple. The
is in the group one old hunchbaC
fellow who is pointed out to me
y having fought in the Servian j
ur- sunections against the Turks ey
,;,,oo Tho hog;nnino of the centu'