Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-09-25
In HUTS LIKE SAVAGES
AN ITALIAN SETTLEMENT AND
ITS WICWAMS.
How the LabOrers Employed on Il Rail-
road Cut In Pennsylvania Housed
Themselves-A Very Jeal-
Gus Husband.

Incidentally, recently, the Philadel-
phia Times learned that colony of
Italian emigrant laborers, mostly from
part of that city called Little
Italy, employed by the Pennsylvania
Railroad company had settled in the
eastern portion of Chester county
near Berwyn station, and had there
erected series of habitations. some
what of the picturesqueness of Indian
wigwams or of the huts OF the Esqui-
maux in the frozen north.
Accordingly one pleasant day Rud-
iniville was investigated. As the
train whirls through smiling Chester
county all variety of residences can be
seen from the car windows, ranging
from the handsome country homes of
wealthy Philadelphians to the primi-
tive log cabins erected couple of
hundred years ago by the first settlers.
But the like OF the Italian dwellings
has not been seen before.
After arriving at Berwyn, a pretty
| little station in the Chester valley, you
must cross the South Valley hill, from
the summit of which q beautiful view
is obtained Of the panorama of the
Chester valley. Reaching at last the
base of the north slope of the hill you
find Rudiniville, situated on level
plain just at the spot where the road
from Berwyn intersects new railroad
in the course of construction by the
Pennsylvania railroad. and intended
I to make a shorter cut on the Pittsburg
division. The residents of Rudini-
vile are employed upon the construc-
ton of this road, and it was their. en-
| forced residence in this neighborhood
that caused them TO construct their
settlement.
The village has a population of
about fifty persons, all Of them Italians,
except several SlavS who live in "a
board sbanty apart from the
rest OF the settlement. Altogether
there are eleven residences in the viii
lage, and all Of them differ in design
and style of architecture from any
house ever seen within the confines OF
| Pennsylvania. and. in fact, unlike any
dwellings this side of the South Sea
| Islands.
All the dwellings face towards the
south. When the reporter arrived at
| the settlement the inhabitants were
all at work except one, who seemed
at first inclined TO eject the reporter
from the premises but was consider
ably appeased by small gift Of money.
He kindly volunteered to show tho
town and point out the various objects
of interest which he did with much
pride. He stated that the dwellings,
regarding which the reporter expressed
considerable curiosity, consumed but
little time in the course OF construc-
ton and were exceedingly easy TO
erect.
The ground plan for each structure
is about ten feet After this was
mar6ed off the ground was excavated
to the depth of about n foot. The
frame work of the structure. composed
OF saplings or fence rails whichever
came handiest, was then raised the
butts stuck in the ground and then
| joined at the top with ridge pole.
The whole structure was then covered
with two thick layers OF sods cut from
/ the surrounding meadows
Thus the house was finished except
that in the centre a sort of a rude fire
place with stones was put up and here
fire is kept burning, the smoke es-
Gaping as best it can from hole in
the top OF the structure.
BY large odds the most pretentious
house in the settlements one occupied
by newly married couple. This
dwelling has actually door and is
matched with straw. In connection
with the door of this house il was said
that the young husband was of such a
! jealous disposition that before going
to work every morning he took the
precaution to shut and paddock it, fear
ing that his wife might elope or be
stolen during his absence. Ono of the
houses was decorated with a number
of slaves and barrel heads, secured
by an old shirt, and intended TO block
up leak in the roof In front of this
house is what might be called tessel-
lated pavement, being several feet in
extent and composed of native marble
Besides the young married couple
there is another family in the settle
ment but the great majority of the in
habitaDts are men, and usually about
half dozen natives OF sunny Italy oc-
cupied each one of these houses. In
these dwellings they live during the
winter, and yet it hardly seems pos
sible that man could exist for twenty
four hours in such novels, alongside OF
which the tepee OF the Indian and the
hut of the Esquimau are palatial and
the burrows of the foxes and wild ami
mails in the South Valley hill were
oleanly and comfortable.
Devoted Els Life 60 spiders.
saOna of the cnriolla thinnra Of thin