The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-10-23
In THE sSPREE VALID
"a Colony of the Last Remnant
Of Once Sturdy Race.
Chs vends, Their Customs and Tradi.
tions-An Odd settlement of Odd Poo
pie I'm an Odd Place-The Pur-
chase of n Bride.
[snccial Foreign Lctter.l


4 Not many miles south of Berlin, n
city where modernism is carried on at
an altitude which gives the world in gen
crala sensation of vertigo, the traveller in
search of the curious finds himself sud-
denly in the midst of that last remnant
of that once powerful Slavonic people
who held this country from the Baltic
Ito the south of SaXony-the Wends,
lwho were gradually conquered, sub
lducd, crushed and absorbed by the Ger
mans The language, tho traditions
land the customs of the tenth century
lforefathcrs are yet preserved in the
households of the few remaining people
lof this practically defunct nation, modi-
flied however, by the influences of
christianity and the frequent CONNER
lcial intercourse with the busy world
This colony of Wends is located in a
singular REGION known as the 'sSprce
Valid" The river Spree, which finds its
source among the hills of northern
ISaxony, comes hcadlong to Cottbus, in
4 Brandenburg, where it suddenly di-
|vides itself into fifteen narrow, shallow
lcanals, which course through n marshy
Rowland, forming a network of long,
marrow islands, and unite again at
Lubben. The "Spree Waldo is the
Venice of the north, and travel is
carried on by means of fiat-bottomed
boat, which the Wends slsillfully pro-
Ipel and steer with n single oar. 'tWald"
is misnomer here now, for the forest
has given way to the meadow and to
the turnip field. The land is fiat and
leven, and there is often no more indica-
!tion of a watcr-course than there is of
an irrigation ditch on a Colorado
Iprairie. 1t is therefore an odd spectacle
Ito view from distance procession of
Ithc native gondolas, loaded high with
HAY, and gliding softly through the
open country. The canals are spanned
lat intervals by ludicrous. though prac-
ltical, bridges of rustic construction.
There. being no banks high enough to
Swing bridge that would permit the
passage of his boat, the Wend has met
the emergency by building u trcstlc ON
leithcr side of the canal, hung plat
form to this framework and attached n
steep pair of steps for approaches.
1t is n homely but substantial little
house which the Wend occupies, built
lof carefully selected logs, plastered Sc
lcurcly on the outer side with clay, and
Idecked with thntch. He has taste
for coloring, and does it with an I'M
stinting hand he paints his house and
outhouses high and gaudy with lam
bent yellow and with blue that dnz-
zles the armament. The interior of the
lhousc has one main room, which serves
as kitchen, dining-room and family
room. Curtained Off are several al
covcs from which lazily gapcs the
Feather bed of fair round proportions SO
necessary the robust Wend's repose.
The alcove. beds are occupied by tho
father, mother and grown daughters of
the family, the sons being quartercd in
the stables. These stables are clean,
however, and their sanitary condition
is brought to degree which the Amer
can farmer cannot comprehend. Men
and women work alike in the fields and
meadows, hay being the principal prod
iuct, though many of tho vegetable
markets of Berlin are supplied from
this region.
Cleanliness is one of tho principal
characteristics of the Wendish people.
THE "Wendin," as the women are
called, is picturesque dresser, and she