Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-01-15

good, but no better than can be raised in
any part of the two Carolinas. l have
often heard it said that in Ireland it was
not an uncommon thing to see at the same
time on the table both old and new or fresh
potatoes, and that the old were the better.
This does not correspond with what l saw.
saw a great many old potatoes, that is po-
tatoes of the year previous, but they were
by no means good. They were full of black
spots. They were not az we would say rot
ten, but they were badly damaged on ac-
count of age. They were far better than
our old potatoes, kept in the same way,
would have been, but they were not near SO
good as our "new" potatoes are.
AS a general thing, the Irish farmers live
well. They do not eat as much hogs lard
as we eat, but they live as we'll, if not better,
than the same class of persons do incur
country. They have an abundance of good
milk and butter, and many of them have
cheese: Oatmeal mush and milk, or as they
call it ''stir about" is as palatable dish as
ever was tasted, and it is full of nutriment.
1t is this oatmeal that gives to the Irish lad
his muscle and the Irish lass her rosy cheeks.
AS general rule, the Irish people, those
of the better clas, any all their bread, ex-
cept oat bread and potato bread. The ba-
kers in the towns and cities send out their
bread wagons several times during the week
all over the adjacent country with bread.
From these wagons the farmers buy so much
bread as they need. This bread is decided
ly good. 1t is made of good flour and is
we'll baked The oat bread is baked at
home. This is usually baked in thin cakes,
and is generally very dry and hard, but
we'll tasted. From what saw, | think that
very little oat bread is used. The oat meal
| !; do tnfn OF al a.
to bread is made by mixing potatoes and
flour together, as is done sometimes in our
southern country. We, however, use sweet
potatoes; the Irish use Irish potatoes. 1t is
| tough but palatable. The Irish use no cof-
fee, or at least, very little; but they are
great tea drinkers. The tea they drink is
far better than what we use. In fact, no
one who has drunk the tea used either in
England, Ireland or Scotland, can drink the
stuff which we call tea. So far as l remem-
ber, did not see biscuit in Ireland. l do
not think the people use that kind of bread
at all.
The hospitality of the Irish people knows
no bounds. 1t is without parallel. We
Americans, who are in a continual rush, as
if our very existence depended upon the
rapidity Of our movements, can form no
idea of the marvellous hospitality of an Irish
farmer. When stranger knocks at his door
and asks for lodging for the night, he does
not rack his brain for an excuse to turn him
off, or go into the house to ask his wife, but
promptly replies with a glowing counten-
ance, which betokens warm heart, eyes,
come in." In his own house an 1rishman is
gentleman.
LIFE IN SIBERIA.-On their way to Sibe-
ria the convicts practice among themselves
such mercantile affairs as exchanging their
names, which is another way Of taking each
others places fora certain amount of money.
For instance, Ivan is doomed to hard labor
and Peter is sentenced only to distant ban
ishment, but Ivan having in possession a
sum of money forfeits it, together with the
severity of his punishment, for the benefit
of Peters sentence, who, henceforth called
Ivan, voluntarily accepts the exchange and
goes to work in the coal mines for twenty
years. The possibility of such exchanges
will be easily conceived if one bearsin mind
that the officer and escort do not know the
countenances of the convicts, the guard be-
ing changed at several stations. They only
take care to deliver the number of cOnvicts
they were entrusted with.
There is many aconvict to whom trip to
Siberia is Of no consequence, as he is used to
it from childhood. He makes his escape in
the summer, during which he does his usual
extensive business of burgling until the bit
ter cold of the approaching winter season
reminds him of the indispensable necessity
of seeking for shelter. Having no alterna-
tive, he is finally compelled to deliver him
self to the nearest prison officials, who keep
him until the opportunity of joining par
ty of convicts is offered. Oftentimes these
fellows, who have already been several
times to Siberia, are recognized by the Off
Ger or escort of the party, who seem not the
least astonished to find them there, as it be.
comes customary affair in the history OF
Russian convict transportation. Many a
man has been found to have been in Siberia
thirty or forty times, and as many times
succeeded in escaping from his dreary con-
| tinement in the summer season.
The life of the convicts in the mines is
not SO desperately insupportable as many
of the newspapers have tried to paint.
Those who possess material means are es-
pecially we'll treated and cared for. Their
food is more substantial, their under gar
weakened. The "ruble" affects everything,
beginning with the orderly, and gradually
ascending to the higher quarters. Bribery
is common, and cOnvicts may be found who
are doomed to hard labor leading a most
comfortable life, under the shelter of the
warm-hearted governor, and declaring that
he never felt so deeply the benefits of free
dom as he does now. There is a government
factory near Irkoutsk called "AleXsandrov-
ski Zawod," where some of the convicts are
appointed to work out the term of contne-
ment. They also lead an easy life.
GAMBLED INTOSLAvERY.-T There are ten
kinds of legalized gambling in Siam, and so
absorbed do the Siamese become in gaming
that when their money and personal effects
are gone they will stake their own bodies