Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26

PITTSBURG, SUNDAY,
near which he lives OF course he takes
rank above the tradesman, because OF the
old aristocIatic idea that land and servants,
or slaves in the far-off time, are the badges
of position As things never change In this
land where all is complete, the gentleman
farmer takes his place IN the great range OF
classes as an interesting figure OF everyday
existence.
WAGES AND HOURS.
|, In this particular community the regular
farm hand receives from So to 30 week,
the average being about S4, with extra pay
during harvest and haying time, when not
only the peasant, but his whole family ADD
to the economy of his household by earning
money in the field. Wages are graded from
the shepherd, whose work is never done, to
the dairymen, the men who look after the
stock and the land man, who is supposed 10
know all about preparing the ground ior
planting and reaping the crops. THESE, OF
course, are the highest-priced workers, ana
besides their wages, frequently get rent
free, not only for the houses In which they
live, but for half acre or more OF ground
for garden or pasture. In LOCALITIES ike
this, where gardening for the London mar
ket is carried on, laborers by the piece Will
make from 81 so to $40 week, but this
takes long hours and hard labor.
Except in harvest time, when extra pay is
given and extra work is exacted, the ordl-
nary hours are ten, but in the winter months
eight, and even seven hours labor IS the
rule. The English peasant, like the lord,
will have his time for rest and to eat, no
matter what comes or goes, and nap in the
middle of the day is not unknown, especially
if they are doing work by the job, which is
frequently the way it is let out in this
country.
THE COST OF LIVING.
The average wages here is, saw, S4 week.
but rent is low. The laborers get from
five to a seven-room house, with garden
enough to raise vegetables for his family,
for from so to rs cents week, and in some
localities as low as 80 cents week, and in >
few as high as 81. In fact, rents are so
cheap that l cannot see where the landlord
gets his return for his investment, but he
undoubtedly does.
Taking this as perfectly fair sample of
the higher agricultural communities of En-
gland, it is but fair to look at the less
favored localities Going south from here
80 miles, ! find that the wages run from
81 IS week to So 30, while mechanics labor
for 81 But in those places the cost of living
is again lowered, and the rental OF house
with garden runs from 36 cents to 30 cents
week, which about makes the score even.
Both in these favored agricultural communi-
ties, or in the darker places, such as may be
found In our country in greater abundance
than here, the economies practiced in the
peasants household are entirely unknown
to our working people. At many, if not
most, seasons of the year the family are all
producers.
THEY TAKE LIFE EASY.
A national habit affects the rich and the
poor alike, and one OF the most interesting
things about a peasants career is the man
ner in which he follows as nearly as possi-
BILE in the customs of those who can live at
their leisure. No one here likes to get up
early in the morning, and no one cares
about breakfast. The peasant is no excep-
tion to the rule He gets up early In the
morning, leaving the folks in bed, takes a
piece of bread, glass of beer or milk or
cold tea and goes off to his toll. If be is
far away he takes his breakfast and lunch
with him, consisting of bread, bacon, bot
tie of beer or something else to drink.
Between 9 and 10 he stops a halt hour,
eats and drinks whatever he has, and this
to him is the same as the rich peoples
late breakfast About l he stops again,
eats the balance of what he has with him,
if too far away from home for his wife to
send one OF the children to the fields with |
something fresh. He then quietly resumes !
his work, to return home at night to find |
ready for hlm substantial meal of meat, q
vegetables, bread, and, as a rule, all the |
beer he needs. In fact, beer seems to be the
maInstay of the laboring classes wherever
you 60.
TALKS WITH THE PEOPLE.
The other day L found a peasant in the
field eating his lunch, and taking things
exceedingly easy. When I suggested that |
one of our laborers would think his diet
a very light one, he said: eyes, NV brother
who has gone to America says that a man |
will not 20 to work there in the morning |
until he has shilling's worth of meat in |
his stomach"
An hour after left him, stopped at the |
home OF a cottager by the roadside Tor |
glass of milk, which was only an excuse to |
talk with the good woman who presided |
over the place in her husbands absence, |
and probably quite frequently when he was |
at hom:. She said: Good girls about the |
house usually get from Els ($75) to 925
(S125) year, according to the work they |
do and how smart they are Cooks get ESQ |
year (S15O) according to how they please.
A servant who is fit, and wants to work, can |
get good home and good wages as rule,
but many of the young women are wild to
get off to the city where they get harder |
work and less wages than at home
But the picture is not all rosy one. l |
have always found that hired labor is under |
the most favorable conditions now and then |
harshly treated. Many of the peasants
houses are oyercrowded where the families
are large, but they are never so overfowing |
thaE the homes are not pleasant, even if |
the depths of the household reveal unpleas-
ant truths. Another thing OF interest is |
that you can find very few of them who |
would even consider the question of trip |
to the New World, where such golden prom |
ises are made to the ear to be harshly broken |