New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-16
SOCIETY IN BULGARIA.
SIMPLICITY OF LIFE-THE PATMARcHAL III
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Since the assassination OF Mr.. Baltche the Finance
Minister at Sofia cable reports have been daily TO
ceived in regard to Bulgaria. On the eve Oh 'hs
important events involving the peace of Europe ana
which may suddenly occur there II Is interesting W
throw rapid glance not at the historical or pohuoa'
status OF the Balkan principally which IS already
well known, but at the domestic life OF the Buiganahs
under their new Prince. According to N. jules
Monnjer. who has lived for some time at Sofia, In
situation which permitted him to see and to observe
everything the social life Of the Bulgarian peasants
and city residents has not been changed apprecaDv
from what II fourteen years ago, before ing
Turkish war; which freed the country from the TURKS
For instance the ottoman views regarding the status
Of the woman have penetrated forcibly though NOT
TO the same extent Of cxclusivsm In the manners
and ideas OF the Bulgarian Christians Up to the
present time not single lady OF Sofia has attempted
10 initiate her sisters OF Vienna, Paris ana Berp py
opening salon and organizing society receptions.
The statesmen and officials in Bulgaria no matter NO"
amiable they really are, never invite foreigners 70
their homes Their manner OF living is tne mos'
simple and frugal The distance separating the s'ates
man. the professor, the lawyer, the military onoc'
from the peasant, is simply an anair OF eouoauoiH
Whoever knows how to read and write Is englo,e w
the National Assembly, where shepherds ciaa IN
shecpskins sit side by side with elegant po'ician'
In dress coats =,
The gsnorous liberality, says Mr. Monnier, In
IIJnivers Illustre. with which Prince Ferdinand re-
ceves at the palace forms contrast WIN the
primitive frugalty of the native society In soma hs
palace is a fine edfce, In the midst OF sarocn.
commanding charming view OF the snowy PEAKS :"
Mount yitosch on crossing the threshold, II seems
as IL one passed from semi-DarparouS f0e'o ~
full European civilization.
Attention is called immediately 10 vast ana manu-
some antechamber 1t there that Prince AeAanoer
OF Battenberg was compelled to sign his aodieauon
by band OF conspirators. The nail Is nhed WIN
stuffed bears and rare BIRDS which remind the
itor ~ Prince Ferdnands taste for natural history
The rooms on the ground floor are occupied by the
bodv servants and chamberains. Here and there are
seen guns and other accessories, which call 10 miho
the constant danger Of palace or military conspiracy
The residences of the highest class OF society never
have more than two stories, and the largest number
only have one story raised above basement They
arc all built in the same fashion. The mouse IS In
Garden or a ward with a fountain In the middle IL
Is here that additions are performed by the iamy'
for there is no apparatus for washing ara oheo nsue
the houses Whenever o guest expresses the WISH W
wash his hands a maid servant approaches with
small lug and O small washbOwl. The guest hoios
his hands over the bowl while she pours the water In
a thin stream Then she offers napkin, and the
onaration Is completed. The indifference OF tho
Oriental Christians toward the merits Oh wafer anu
soap Is kind OF reaction against the preceptS Oh ue
Koran which require the faithful to wash themselves
five times a day.
The peasants constitute four-ffths OF the whoe
RuIeorian popuation Many Of them live In common,
as they did hundreds Of years ago. even before the
conquest of tie country by the Ottomans There are
no bcggars for the needy and the old are taken care
of by the family or by the commonaty, or Zadruga'
which is a nucleus formed by the union Of some
dozen families. The members have all In common
with the exception Of their clothes There Is
common table and home, as well as provision %
grain and small treasure All submit TO the
authority of the Sareshnd, family father elected
bu a VOTE and ordinarily Of the Oldest members
OF the commonalty. The rural population In bulgaria
is frugal prosperous and industrious, the country
Is fertile and still Bulgaria is far from being an
agricultural paradise. The system OF cuivating Is
extremely simple The plough looks as IL made after
the model invented by TrIptoemus. The use OF
manure Is unknown and the only method for helping
the productive forces of nature Is TO leave the lana
untitled for one year. Moreover, there are lo3 ho-
days in the orthodox calendar and no work can %
| performed on those days. -. A..
Brigandage stl exists in Bulgaria, despite tho
vigorous efforts of the Government to suppress lt
The bands of RilO and Iako were the most famous
) and according to the testimony OF their PRISONERS
these bigands highly devoted and religious men
never forgetting to say their prayers and scrpuOusy
observing the fasts Of the Orthodox Church, which
they compelled their prisoners to observe also fako
was only twenty three years old when his romantic
the most famous brgand of the BALKANS was
| brought TO a close by sentence OF O courtmartaL
| He was hanged in June, 1859.