The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-01-11
UNDER THE CARS RULE.
HOW THE PEASANTS OF RUSSIA ARE
KEPT IN SUBJECTION.

HOW THE PEASANTS OF RUSSIA ARE
KEPT IN SUBJECTIoN.
Long Hours oc Duty-Their Homes. Tiliins
the Soil, Harvesting Sce2es--An Interest
ing Letter on the Customs of 4 Remark.
able Nation.
(P. 5. Heath IN New York Mail and ENpress.)
ST.. PETERSBURG, December Is
Peasant life life in Russia presents an
interesting study. In the rural portion
of the county Is found quite three
fourths of the entire population, St.
Petersburg and Moscow being the prin-
cipsl cities, and therefore the bone and
sinew is with this class Of people. Only
about 5 per cent. OF the peasants call
read and write, and few have the ordi-
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 troublous slavery times in the United
States that Alexander II. Issued an ukase
giving the white slaves Of Russia free
dom. They were not slaves in the sense
of being owned, body anG 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.
" or to go beyond a 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 Car,
influenced by the mobiles, was to keep
them in the densest condition of servi-
tude and Ignorance. Their earnings on
the farms are gauged 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-
came serfs, they have remained exactly
where they were found, and for all prac-
ticsl purposes they might just SIS well
have remained slaves. It is generally
believed that the Czsr's act in emanei-
pating them was to gain diplomatic favor
abroad.
INA PEASANTS HOME.
a peasants house IS very rnde
structure and contains none OF the ele-
ments of comfort, healthfulness or clean
liness. frequently the stables are 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.
IL is of one story in height, with one
room, generally h2s 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 ventilation miserable. The floors
are of logs and earth, and the beds are
on the floor.
There are no stoves in 8 peasants
house. 4 stick and clay chimney fire.
plsce sufices. Here warmth is secured,
and the food is cooked In kettles. The
family meal is spread on the floor, and
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 8
drosky from the city, the vehicle Of the
landlord, who pays daily visits. The
peasant has very crude agricultural I'M
elements. He generally makes them at
his OWL furnace and gives them finish
and polish on MS own grindstone.
The peasants grindstone is huge
affair, is turned by one man, while
another, sitting up on frame above it,
manipulates the implement. Axes, plow-
shares, scythes, wagon tires, portions Of
harness, borseshoes and everything used
about farm or stable are finished on
the grindstone. A crude little furnace
heated with s'peat" OF pine chips and the
grindstone comprise the manufacturing
appliances of the peasant. His plow is a
simple pole with handles on dead level
with the tongue, which has an ofshoot
downward, on which the share is nailed
or tied.
a plowing scene in Russia, with the
GOuSA OlS 1AsIS, lAS VI GS1O, S1Ie--IS5 o!ts~
or diamond-shaped share and the tiny
little furrow made, would be disgusting
IS well as pitiable to the American farm
er's eyes. The oraught 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 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 hame OF
bow, which in turn is fastened to the
:. collar. There is 10 such thing as trace
straps or chains. Carriages are thus
drawn.
WOMEN TER REAL WORKERS,
The women in Russia do tTo-thirds of
the work in the country. There are i'm
merse wheat, oat and hay fields every
where, and il August there Is great
activity in the country. The large ma-
joriSy Of persons at work are women.
They wear short dresses, plain and
straight, and long piece Of cloth over
their hesds like the Arabs. The wheat
IS sown broadcast, and if not cut by the
women with sicklss is harvested with the
old-fashioned scythe, which has two
pound snead and g broad, short blade.
From the snead up to the handle the.e
is wooden bow something Ike, in ap-