The Wilmingtonian., 1885-07-25
RUSSIA.

United States Consul Eigar Stanton of
st. Petersburg, in his report for June, 1885
to our government upon the commerce of
Russia gives some very interesting
facts.
He says Russian Industries take three
forms, viz: domestic or house industries,
trades, and manufactures. Domestic in
dustry is a characteristic of Russian peas
ant life. The long winter in which all agri-
cultural work is necessarily suspended leads
the peasant to seek some supplementary oc-
cupation as a means of living. The de-
mands of a market and often pure accident
determine the choice of the industry to be
followed.
Thus the art of the italian silver-workers
of Nini-Norgorod was inherited by the
peasants, and their product is priced to this
day. After the burning of Moscow in 1912,
by the First Napoleon, Or through his at
tempt at its capture, many trades were
spread over the country.
The peasant and his wife SOW, reap, beat,
spin and bleach the flax, even dye the yarn
for the figures which are woven or embroid-
ered-mostly after ancient pattern-with un-
usually good taste. With uncommon iudg
ment the peasant chooses the wood he needs
for carving, shapes it into classic forms,
paints it exeellenty, and all this is done
with the most primitive tools inherited from
generations long since extinct. The same
trade is transmitted from father to son-the
remote ancestor blacksmith, the same is
the scion's trade to-day.
Work begins in the middle of October, at
the close of the harvest, and ends in the
middle of May, In some villages the head
of the family cultivates the soil, the other
members assisting him only duling harvest,
being occupied by their trade during the rest
of the year, The chief home industries or
trades are weaving, wood working, metal
working, and leather-workng. A worker
in felt makes $25 annually! Lace makers
earn $3.50 in six months, working sixteen
hours day! Wagon builders earn about
$21 annually. The workers of mats and
sacks for which linden bast is used do not
earn more than $3.50 for the whole winters
work! nail maker earns $45 annually,
and wire maker SIS for the same time.
The proficient tanner, who can tan 400 horse
hides during the year earns the afauent in
come of S10O A shoemaker earns $40 a
year.
In 1879 there were 191, 100000 gallons Of
beer brewed in Russia, and 10000, 900 gal
Ions of raw spiriIs-5 per cent of the grain
crop of the country, and per cent of the
potato crop, are used in the distillation of
the latter. There are "a spinning mills, 81 lin
en- mills, so hacking factories, and 324 hemp
factory establishments.
There are IA cotton spinning mills, 647
weaving mills, 101 chintz pills, "a wool
sPihhlHB nuns 700 cloJu HlllS anu 10 telt
factories. The cotton mills are more than
able to satisfy the home demand and only
the very finest articles are imported. Rus
sia exports plush, calico, and nankn, to
Asia. The demands of the large army have
given the wool trade its prominent position
among Russian industries The value of
the furniture made in Russia is only 81 ,600-
900. There are 3,544 tanneries employing
1000 people who work up 100000
hides.
Foundries and iron mills for rails are scat
| tered about the empire. There are 26 es-
Establishments for making small arms, and
there are also 253 machine shops, which, in
1879, earned $3O,OOO,OOO. Russia las 5,378
flour mills, most of them being of print
tive nature The great fairs are a notable
feature in connection with Russian com
merce. That of Mini is very ancient and
lasts for several months, business to the ex-
tent of Ss5, ,OO0, 900 being transacted, Rus
sia's trade with Western Europe forms "a
per cent of her foreign commerce, the trade
ofIss1 amounting to $500 OOO,OO
The greater part of the import trade con-
sists of raw materials and half manufactur
ed goods. Her trade with Asia is not max
ing any great strides, as it was greater 25
years ago than it is to-day. Notwith-
standing the great increase in railway trans
port, So per cent of all merchandise exported
from or imported to Russia takes the water
route
Minister Phelps not a DiplOmatist.
From the York World
friend of L. j. Phelps, the new Minister
to England, received letter from him
! few DAYS ano giving a little account of how