The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-01-12
VOL, XVII.
UNDER THE CZAR'S RULE.
HOW THE PEASANTS OK RUSSIA ARE
KEPT IN SUBJECTION..

the Soil, Harvesting Sceues--An Interest
ing Letter on the Customs of II Remark
able Nation.
(P. S. Heath in Now York Mail and EXPRESS
ST. PETERSBURG, December 28.-
Peasant life life in Russia presents an
interesting study. III the rural portion
of tho country is found quite three
fourths of the entiro population, ST..
Petersburg and Moscow being the prin-
cipal cities, and therefore tho bono and
einew is with this class OF people. Only
about per cent. OF the peasants can
read and write, and few have the crii-
nary instincts of man and woman. They
are superstitious, ignorant and stupid.
But this is not wonder. They have
been free people scarcely longer than
the blacks of America, it being during
The tronblous slavery times in the United
States that Alexander II. Issued an usase
giving the white slaves of Russia free.
dom. They were not slaves in the sense
OF being owned, body and soul, by their
landlol The land which they ocou-
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 certain distance,
even temporarily.
No schools were provided for The
peasants 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 servi-
tude and ignorance. Their earnings on
the farms are 9auged 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 they be-
camo serfs, they have remained exactly
where they were found, and for all prac-
tical purposes they might just as we'll
have remained slaves. 1t is generally
believed that the Czar's act in emapci-
patlng them was to gain diplomatic favor
abroad.
IN PEASANTS HOME.
A peasants house is very rude
structure and contains mono Of the cle-
ments of comfort, hcalthfulness or clean
illness. Frequently the stables ore under
the same roof with the tenant. His
allowance of furniture, food and 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 ono story in height, with ono
room, generally has three or four win
dows, with one sash in each, aud thev
are protected from the outside by rude
board shutters, which when closed at
night mako complete darkness within
and ventilation miserable. The floors
arc Of logs and earth, and the beds arc
on the floor.
There are no stoves III q peasants
house. A stick and clay chimney fire
place suflices. Hcre warmth is secured,
and the food is cooked in kettles The
family meal is spread on the floor, ard
the repast is partaken of while sitting on
folded legs, tailor style. In front Of
many Of these houses, which are covered
with hay and poles-a rough sort of
thatch-the traveller frequently sees L
drosky from the city, the vehicle of the
landlord, who pays daily visits. The
peasant has very crude agricultural i'm
plcnents. He generally makes them at
Lis own furnace and gives them finish
@nd polish on his own grindstonc.
The peasants grindstone is a hugo
affair, is turned by one man, while
another, sitting up on franc above it,
manipulates the implement. Axes, plow-
shares, scythos, wagon tires, portions of
harness, horscshoes and everything used
about farm or stable are finished on
the grindstone. A crude little furnace
heated with "peat" or pine chips and the
grindstone comprise tho manufacturing
appliances of the peasant. His plow is a
simple pole with handles on a dead level
with the tongue, which has an of1shoot
downward, on which the share is nailed
oE tied.
A plowing scene i'll Russia, with the
.oQ9h old frame, the crude, triangular
IT diamond-shaped share and the tiny
.ttlo furrow made, would be Disgusting
a3 we'll as pitiable to the AmeriC an farm
er's eyes. The draught or weight of the
plow comes directly from tue high
bowed hame, which extends two feet
above the horses neck and which is fas-
tened to the collar. Instead of 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
7 tOllhLs JhC1O 10 Io SuCll UllHR uS UEaCO
straps or chains. Carriages are thus
I. drawn.
81 WOMEN THE REAL WORKERS.
The women i'll Russia do two-thirds of
\ the work in the country. There are i'm
3 mense wheat, oat and hay fields ovcry-
where, and in August there is great
activity in the country. The large MT
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
2ld-fashioned soythe, which has o two
pound snead and broad, short blade.
From the snead up to the handle there
is wooden bow something like, in ap-
pearance, the half of heavy barrel
hoop. This bow keeps the wheat, ETC.,
from falling back over the scythe handle
and scattering. [ have never yot seen q
man who would deign to gather up, bind
and stack the wheat or oats when once it
was felled. The women must do this
while the men do the "gentlemanly'
work, although 1 havo seen many women
cutting the grain with the scythe. The
neighbors club together in harvest and