Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-06
THE RUSSIAN PEASANTRY.
An American Impressed with Their
remarkable Ignorance and Super
StitiGn.
Sketches OF Their Homes and Their
Daily LiyeS-Tilling the Soil.
Some Strange Customs.

Seasans life IN Russia presents an IN
terestlng study, writes 2. s. Heath from
St. Petersburg 70 the Omaha Bee. In the
rural portion Of the country is found
quite three-fourths of the population. st.
Petersburg and Moscow being the priu-
cipai cities and therefore the bone and
slnew IS with this class of people Only
about per cent. of the peasants can
read and write, and few have the ordin-
airy Instincts of man and woman
They are superstitious, ignorant and stu
pId. But this is not wonder. Tnev
have been free people scarcely longer
than the blacks of America, il being dur
ing the troublous slavery times In the
United States that Alexander II issued an
ukase giving the white slaves of Russia
freedom. They were not slaves in the
sense of being owned, body and soul, by
their landlords. The land which they oc-
cupied was the property of the nobility,
and none were permitted, when once To-
Gated on farm, to leave it permanently
or TO go beyond g certain distance, even
temporarily.
No schools were provided for the peas
ants during the time OF slavery, none are
provided now, and then, as at the present
time, the design of the czar, Influenced by
the mobiles, was TO keep them in the
densest condition of servitude and ignor-
anca. Their earnings on the farm are
gauged by the landlords, so they have
just enough on which tn live. As no
means were provided for the elevation CT
the slaves when they became serfs,
they have remain ed exactly where they
we're found, and for all practical pur-
poses they might just as well have re-
I ia hall
that the cars act IN emancipating them
was to gain diplomatic favor abroad.
PEASANTS HOUSE
is very rude structure and contains
none Of the elements of comfort, health
fulness, or cleanliness. Frequently the
stables are under the same roof with the
tenant. His anowar &c of furniture, food,
and clothing being fixed by the landlord,
he lives soantily. 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 and ven.
tiletion miserable. The floor are of logs
or earth, and the beds are on the floor.
There are no stoves in a peasants
house. stick and-clay chimney fire.
place suffices. Here warmth is secured
and the food is cooked in kettles. The
faT1ily meal is spread on the floor, and
the repast is partaken OF while sitting on
folded legs, tailor style. IL. front OF
many of these houses, which are covered
with hay and poles-a rough sort OF
| thatch-the. traveller frequently SEES
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 own furnace, and gives them finish
and polish on his own grindstope.
The peasants grindstone is huge af-
fair, is turned by one man, while another,
sitting up on frame almost above it,
manipulates the implement. Axes, pIow
shares, scythes, wagon tires, portions OF
harness, horseshoes, and everything used
about far.l or stable is finished on
the grindstone. A crude little furnace
heated with peat or pine chips and the
grin istone comprise the manufacturing
appliances of the peasant. His plow is
simple pole with handles On DEAD level
with the tongue, which has an offshoot
downward on which the share is nailed or
tied.
FLOWING SCENE IN RUSSIA,
with the rough old frame, the crude tri-
angular or diamond shaped share, and
the tiRy little furrow made, would be dis
gushing as we'll as pitiable to the Ameri
can farmers eyes The draft or weight
of the pillow comes directly from the high
5oh
ebove tho borse's neck, and which is
fastened to the collar. Instead or tracss
the tongue or shafts do the pulling. The
Russian in no walk OF life has yet learned
the philosophy of direct draft from the
collar of the horse. All vehicles are
drawn by the shafts or tongue, and these
are fastened to the high hame or bow,
which in turn are fastened to the collar.
There is no sucn thing as trace straps or
chains. Carriages are thus drawn.
The women in Russia do two thirds of
the work in the country. There are i'm
menss wheat, oats, and hay fields every
where, and in August there is great &C
tivity in the country. The large majority
of persons at work are women. They
wear short dresses, plain aud straight, and
a long piece of cloth over their heads like
if not cut by the women with sickIes is
harvested with the old-fashioned scythe,
which has a two pound snead and a
broad, short handle. From the snead up
to the handle there is a wooden bow
something like, in appearance, the half
of heavy barrel-hooP. This bow keeps
the wheat ETC., from falling back over
the scythe handle and scattering. l have
never yet seen man who would deign to
gather up, bind, and stack the wheat or
oats when onceit was felled. The women
must do this while the men do the 'gep
tIemanly" work, although 1 have seen
many women cutting grain with the |
scythe. The neighbors club together il |
harvest and help one another.
RUSSIAN HARVESTING RENDEZVOUS
is quite lively, and is the scene of a |
motsIy crowd. The old men and young, /
boys and girls, With their mothers, grand
mothers and aged women, assemble at
daybreak. There are number of horses, /
on which are carried water, food and ex |
ira implements. The horses the boys and |
men ride, while the old WON en- walk. |
They always carry the scythes, forks ana |
rakes back and forth every daY, and work |
as long as there is daylight; and since it
is daybreak at 8 q. m. and not dark until |
$50 o. m. the hours of labor are long |
ones.
The forks used in the fields arc made |
of the prongs of tree branches. A limb |
is selected which has at least thirteen off
shoots, and from this hay or wheat fork
is made The wheat is stacked at first
Aery like that of America, except in the