The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-01-11
UNDER rlIE CZAR'S RULE.
NOW THE PEASANTS OF RUSSIA ARR
<ErT IN SUBJECrION.

able Nation.
P' s. Heath in New York Mail aud Exprcss.)
ST. PETERSBURG, December %. -
Peasant life life in Russia presents an
interesting study. in the rural portion
OF the country is found quite three
fourths of the entire population, St.
Petersburg and Moscow being tho prin-
cipal cities, and therefore the bone and
sincw is with this class Of people Only
about per cent. of the peasants can
read and write, and few have the ordi-
nary instincts of man and woman. They
are supcrstitious, ignorant and stupid.
But this is not Il wonder. They have
been free people scarcely longer than
the blacks of America, it being during
the troublous slavery times in the United
States that Alexander II. issued al ukasc
giving the white slaves of Russia FREQ.
dom. They were not slaves in tho sense
OF being owned, body and soul, by their
landlords. The land which they occu-
pied was the property of The nobility,
and none were permitted, when once
located on farm, to leave it permanent.
ly or to go beyond Il certain distance,
oven temporarily.
No schools were provided for the
peasants during the time of slavery,
none are provided now, and then, as at
the present timo, the design Of tic Gar,
influenced by the mobiles, was to keep
them i'll the denscst condition of srrvi-
tudo and ignorance. Their earnings on
the farms are Cauged by the landlords so
that they have just enough on which to
live. AS no means were provided for
the elevation of the slaves when thoy be-
came serfs, they have remained exactly
whore they were found, and for al prac-
tical purposes they might Just rs well
have remained slaves. 1t is generally
beloved that the Cars act in cmuncl.
pating them was to gain diplomatic favor
abroad.
IN PEASANTS HOME.
\ peasants house is very rude
structure and contains none of the ele-
nlents OF comfort, hcalthiulness or clean
iincss. Frequently tho stables are under
the samo roof with the tenant. His
allowance Of furniture, food apsS cloth
ing being fixed by his landlord, he lives
scantily. The building is usually of
pine or cedar logs about ten inches in
diameter, barked and set neatly together
1t is Of one story in height, with one
room, generally has three or four win
dows, with one sash in each, and they
are protected from the outside by rude
board shutters, which when closed at
night make complete darkness within
md ventilation miserable. The doors
are of logs and earth, and the beds are
on the floor.
There are no stoves in peasant s
iIouse. y stick and clay chimney fire
place suilces. Here warmth is secured,
and the food is cooked in kettles. The
family meal is spread on the floor, and
the repast is pnrtnkcn of while sitting on
folded legs, tailor style. In front Of
ral y of these houses, which are covered
vii. hay and poles rough sort of
thItch-the traveller frequently secs "a
drosky from the city, the vehicle of the
landlord, who pays daily visits The
peasant has very crude agricultural i'm
plements. He generally makes them at
his OWL furnace and gives them finish
and polish on his own grindstone.
The peasants grindstonc is huge
affair, is turned by one man, while
another, sitting up on frame above it,
manipulates the implement. Axes. pillow.
shares, scythes, wagon tires, portions of
harness, horscshoes and every thing used
about farm or stable are finished on
the grindstone. A crude little furnace
heated with "pcat' or pine chips and the
grindstone comprise the manufacturing
appliances OF tho peasant. His p!ow is a
simple pole with handles on II dead level
with the tongue, which has an oilshoot
downward, on which the share is nailed
or tied.
A plowing scene in Russia, with tho
rough old frame, the crude, triangular
or diamond-shaped share and the tiny
little furroW made, would be disgusting
rs well as pitiablo to the Amerit an farm
er's eyes. The druught or weight of the
plow comes directly from the high
bowed hame, which extends two feet
above the horses neck and which is fas-
tened to the collar. Instead o! traces
the tongue or shafts do the pulling The
Russian in no walk OF life has yet learned
the philosophy Of direct draught from
the collar of the horse. All vehicles are
drawn by the shafts and tongues, and
these are fastened to the high hamc or
bow, which in turn is fastened to the
collar. There is no such thing as trace
straps or chains. Carriages are thus
drawn.
WOMEN THE REAL WORKERS.
The women in Russia do tWo-thirds OF
the work in the country. There arc im.
mense wheat, oat and hay fields every.
where, and in August there is great
actiyity in the country. The large ma
jority OF persons at work are women.
They wear short dresses, plain and
straight, and long piece of cloth over
their heads like the Arabs. The wheat
is sown broadcast, and if not cut by the
women with sickles is harvested with the
old.fashioned scythe, which has two.
pound snead and broad, short blade.
From the snead up to the handle there
is q wooden bow something like, in up.
peaYance, the half Of heavy barrel
hoop. This bow keeps the wheat, etc,
from falling back over the scytho handle
and scattering. have never yet seen q
man who would deign TO gather up, bind
and stack the wheat or oats when once il
was felled. The women must do this
4 IL Il =