The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-19

| ne asked:
"Wusent aw gimme sumpn for thu feer,
my son?"
He got sixpence for the fair, for which
all Cornish boys endesvor to secure "box"
or bit OK money. and my apologies for not
recognizing his honest right in the matter.
| Cornish folk, big and little, have no trucu-
lency In asking for their just due. This
Rialnness of speech is everywhere met with
The lads expression, MY son." had no
levity or taunt in it. 1t is every where here
term of friendship and respect.
Between Saltash and Truro made appli-
cation at the houses of many farmers for
food and lodging. The food could always
Dc had by paying for it before it was eaten
But the latter could not be got for any
,Wheedllng or sum of money. They would
oluntly tell me to find an inn. II l pro-
fessed ignorance of the locality of one they
would go or send one with me- | always
dismissed my escort before the place was
reached, determined to pass the nights in
the homes of the lowly
| Ihls sort OF procedure and conversation
| with others than farmers upon the subject,
gradually developed the tact that Cornish
farmers have nothing in common with the
great body of Cornish people. They are a
species of gentry In the minds of the lat
ter. Though only tenant farmers, their
holdings are large for Eogland, from 20 to
100 acres, and have been occupied for gem
erations by the same families on ninety-nine
years leases. They often go to "Luanon,"
and their children are sent to Truro for
schooling. They are stanch supporters Of
the established church, while the masses
are WesleyAns.
But the fisher and miniag folk are I'M
| equivocally hospitable. The fisherman will
take care of you in his little cottage with
out question, without locking q thing in his
! habltatlon against you, but still with a
| dumb sort Of quiescence. The miner is a
more rough and ready fellow, aad if not
always hearty about it, settles the matter
for or against you at once. All this the
literary tramp will quickly discover; and l
| shortly began directing my diplomacy to-
ward the ordinary homo in the mining
| villages.
You will find them through nearly all
| the length of Cornwall from Liskeard to
| Pea2ance, and they are seldom clustered in
dirty villages contiguous to the mines, as in
cur country. l do not recall single in-
stance OF this sort during my entire jour
neTlng Two, three, four, a half dozen,
and sometimes score, may be found to-
geLher. They are in all sorts of odd and
out-of-the way places, on the roads and off.
Like the Irish cabins, they are ofteuest at
the back, instead of at the front, Of some
| where or anywhere Nearness TO a mine
seems to possess no advantage.
Few are as near as half a mile; thou
sands are miles away. "Pairdnersn in a
core" corps who combine their labors, and
work one of the three S-hour shifts" of
each day, may live in as many different
| directions from the "baln or pit; Jack Jem
or Jan often occupying homes from six to
ten miles apart. But wherever these
little miners hamlets are, their walls
are all Of everlasting stone, en-
powered in brilliant Cornish roses and
crsepers, with cement floors and matched
roofs; every one subject TO interminable re-
pairs from onslaughts of vivacious spar
| rows, themselves tiny miners, endlessly
sinking shafts and drilling ''cross-cuts" and
"lsvels" in the soft yielding straw.
l was soon able to march squarely up to
Jack and Jenny at their cottage doors and
| boldly ask for Accommodations for the night
There was no hating in the negotiations on
either side.
"Wass say, Jenny?" the burly fellow
would PLEASANTLY ask Of his honest wife
shall aw lay un oopM
Lay un oop," it should be explained, did
not mean that the stranger should be
attacked or hustled. 1t is Cornish for en-
tertaining, caring for. or housing him.
eff tina thee, thoug Gun stan un, Jack"
the wife would reply.
"All right, un son." would be the re-
Joinder, addressed to me. IF thd cum stan
un, maak a sci (yourself) thoam"
There was no further ceremony about the
matter. always slept in the half-story
garrett beneath the thasch. There is one
room below; sometimes two. One door, the
front one, is found sufficient. A window Is at
either side of this, and often directly above
these are tiny lights for the garrett. Each
cottage is provided, at one end or at the
back with an open fireplace In the center of
the wall. 1t has q SORT of range at one
end covered with outlandish brass orna-
ments at which the Cornish housewife is
endlessly polishing. at the other side is the
"ungconer.n This has "hsps" or upper and
under doors, behind which are stored furze
fagots or other fuel.
The furniture of the "Cousin Jaok'sn
home, though scant, is honest and useful,
At the fireplace Is the "brandes,n triaugu-
lar iron on legs, on which usually over
furze fires the kettles boil, the circular cast
iron baker" and cover are set. and the fish
or meat, when they oan be INDUCED in, Ia
"scrowled" or Rrillsd. There are, perhaps,
four chairs. These will have solid ma
hogany frames, but the seats are of painted
pine, and are waxed weekly. These four
are "best," and are all the best. For every
dny use one or two firms or rude benches
are provided.
The single table is of pine, one top COM
ing flush with the sides, the other detached,
two inches thick, one side implanted and
secured snowy white daily with '&fOWuer, "
a rotten granite which lathers like soap,
and the other side painted for Sunday or
company" use, aud drawer beneath for
rude cutlery. The tableware Is something
startling in cheap goods and each member
of the family is provided with real "chany'
cup and saucer with a gorgeous gilt baad
Two or three rude engraving, generally Of
scriptursl subjects, in cheap oaken frames
such as the village carpenter may make,
with the beds and bedding under the
thatch, complete the furniture of the
miners cottage.
For his class and means he is a generous
liver. Soups and stews are consumed by
the gallon. For his breakfast, il be is out
of the mine. "mawther," the wife. will pro-
vide the usually villainous "tay" consumed
by the English and Irish working classes,
infrequentlY an egg, perhaps a bit of saff
ron cake, Cornish favorite, apparently
devoid of everything but sweet and color,
and maybe, bread without butter and
treacIe. Sometimes this is varied with
butter -sops," stale bread scalded and
seasoned meagerlY. At noon, or for the
mine "croust" or lunch, there are "taty
pasties,n or potatoes and vagrant meat
scrsps iuclosed in a orescent-shaped crust
interchangeable with 'hggy pas
ties" the same as "taty pastles, "
with a few raisins added
"hoggansn or round pork pies, and rag
Rans. tough crust cakes 80 bard, at least in
Cornish renown, that they would not break
If hurled down 900 fathom mine shaft
| - that ia lunch of anV