Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-05-05

Special Correspondence OF Gazette and journal
LEMBERo, GALcIA, April 10.-My origi-
nal purpose in visiting Austrian Poland
was to inspect at the invitation of friend
the new petroleum fields of northeastern
Austria, and incidentally to study the
Galicia lowly.
On first reaching Cracow a hasty trip by
rail to kolomea, in the southeastern
corner of Galicia, half days walk from
the frontier of barbaric Bessarabia, demon
strated that there was nothing of very
great interest to write of these industrial
developments.
An oil belt 800 miles in length and about
.25 miles wide extends southeast from near
Sanok, in Galicia, along the Carpathian
range of mountains. II then passes be-
tween Bukovina and Hungary, and thence
breaks away into the Roumanian oil fields
in detached spurs of the Carpathians. 1t is
perhaps 1000 miles in length, and alto
gether forms what is known in the
geography of PETROLEUM us the "Galician
deposits and territory of the "Austro-
Roumanian refineres."
Until 1881 the operations were of the
most primitive character, consisting almost
exclusively of shand digging" and the
free fall" systems of sinking wells. AT
the date named the Canadian system of
pole tool drilling was introduced, and
rapid development backed by English
companies, resulted. All the steam power
machinery is imported from England,
Engineers and superintendent have been
brought from the Canadian oil fields. and
the tools, formerly supplied from Hanover,
are now made in Galicia.
The How of oil is not To be compared
with that Of the average Pennsylvania dis
tricts. 1t becomes most insignificant when
the great Russian wells of Baku are taken
into account yet il is u fairly profitable
source OF supply; has given employment
to thousands of Polish and Ruthenian
peasants, whose wages are 80 kreutzers, or
about ~ cents per day, with a daily allow
ance of two sticks of cordwood for fuel;
and find the entire annual production Of
the 6nlician petroleum fields equals two
thirds of the total consumption by all
Austria.
In so lar ms these peasant employees, who
were too recently agricultnrsts. wuodsmen
and mountaineers TO have lost any Of their
hereditary customs and characteristics,
gave opportunity Of study of the Galcan
pcasantry, the large groupings of such
among the peasant class were chiefly car
rled on upon the large estates and in the
purely peasant villages.
The acceptance of three invitations MS
guest at the homes of two noblcmen and
one rich gentleman farmer furnished OPP
l'ortnnily to know slightly the aristocratic
country landlords and to really see their
llinds or laborers and house servants rs
they arc. The latter differ IN no import
nnt respect from the laboring peasantry Of
the villages, save hat to me they seem
even more soddenly stupid and servile. AT
this time of the year the outdoor aborer
Sill retains his winter clothing. He is q
curious looking fellow. His hair is cut
cither straight across his forehead or to a
"a a
lion s name about his shoulders and neck
Ills head covering is Il NANCY fur hood
often uf squirrel skin with the tail dang
bug loosely upon his shoulders, or of sheep
goatskin with the fleece side next his
H.; \ sort Of great cont or robe hangs
eely from his shoulders tn below his
rs. This is of the skin os some animal
"A the fur or hair next the body. The
t ersed expused side is covered with
miGlent layers of grease for protection
against the snow and rain. II he possesses
heterogeneous OF any sort. they are sllreds
Of rags, stuffed with chatf and straw.
lie usually wears stockings of the heav.
lest and coarsest material, and high legged
pointed shoes OF huge proportions. Fol-
not only are the precious nose protected
by ropes of straw wound from above tn,
knee to the ankle, but enough chalf anc
wlsl's Of straw participate in occupancy oil
his civernous shoes 10 provide sufficient
warmth. Aside from this unique garb, hi.
beard stands out from his face massy
wiry chevauX-de-fTise. in which enough
straw and chaif have lodged to provide az
adequate comforter" for his face and
neck.
From a dozen TO a score of these peas
mt animals seem 10 he attached to every
large estate. If they have quarters-ex
cept those who are married, who are pro
vided with low. matched wooden huts
as.I l..th a
was not able to find them. They ar
messed like hogs from the great nous
kitchen i'll corners of the stables, and Ii
down at night among tho other animals
with their straw ropes and hide coats 70
bedding. wherever they are able to fin
most congenial and comfortable stabline
Serfdom is not supposed to exist in thi
land, but have a well.founded suspicion
that something very like it is in vogue
The wages of such laborers do not excee
AN average of 30 kreut2ers per day, pei
haps II cents, although they are gla
enough to get this. Each estate is pre-
vided with Il steward or overseer, who
Nike the Irish agent, adjusts matters $
that human effort is not permitted to pro
duce more than this kind of human life
supposed to require. lie has a storehous
filled with the rude requirements of thes
estate laborers--coats, shoes, hose, belt
something that is called tobacco an
snuff, caviare and vile brandy. These ~
issued, after the manner of our own e,
quisitely devilish truck system wit
miners, with such discretion that the e
tate laborer is in lifelong debt, and
subject to the prison and lash if he a
tempts to escape his master and his obi
CATION.
And yet the households sustained b
this lovely adjustment of human equitit
and ethics are us serene end sweet as
4 .ut.,,
l moved about the estates these whit
slaves first bent and kissed the hens {
var xreatcoats and then stood with bare
heads in silence until we had passed.
doubt this sort of thing gives the master
grand czarlike feeling, and it is lording
cheaply besides.
So, too, within the mansions where Il
servants are few in comparison with sim
lar establishments in other Europea
countries, when the somewhat better col
ditioned white slaves, because bett
housed and fed only, are not eternal
grabbing at ones sleeve or coat skirts
perform this osculatory reverence, the
are continually, when entering or leav1
any apartment, or receiving an order
serving you, calculating, with duck,
heads, Itch kust die hand"
There are no schools or colleges for Il
better class of girls and at nearly all the
Polish aristocratic homes found bonn
an English goyerness, or both, and
French tutor. They receive excellent, 81
aries. live on something like terms
equality with their employers, are usual
broken down gentlemen or gentlewom,
with "a literary turn" like provident NJ
Wegg, and are the most glad and gratef
people on earth when chance brings
traveller like myself from the outer wor
of glowing activities among them.
do not know whether to pity them
the manual servants of the househo