Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-17

In Central Gallcla, anotner, starting dt
Lemberg, passes south, cutting through the
Carpathian range, to Munkacs, in Hungary.
The third zigzags southwark from this city,
passing into Hungary, through the valley
of the Arva, at the western base OF the
Tatra Mountains; and on this mountain
Swallowed, forest-fringed, clif-hung and
cascade-tremulous highway, I tramped with
cartmen and packmen, soldiers and pill
grims, beggars and Gipsies, to the Tatra
Mountains to know their strange and un-
known peasantrv.
I am thus explicit regarding the thorough
fares of Galicia, because without this, those
who travel with me can hardly know Cali
clan folk and their ways Their roads fur
nish the outward seeming of their lives and
affairs. Upon these roads every form of
traffic, threading to and from score of
countries and sharply defined peoples, is
seen. From them every variation in out
door daily life. aspect of quaint husbandry,
ceremonial between classes, and hint and
tint of popularity and color in national
fact and feeling, comes close and clear to
the traveller upon his legs. And have no
where else in Europe seen such q variety
and wealth Of roadside shrines
A Cross Set Up Every Half Mile.
should think that in the 9, 200 or 5000
miles of the great stone roads of Galicia
huge wooden or stone crucifx, or o tinv
brick or stone shrine, might be found on
the average at the distance of every half an
English mile. Most of the crucifxes are of
wood hewn out of beech or oaken logs.
Whether of wood or stone as if from some
great burden, every one leans, and this very
leaning lends strangely suggestive sad
ness and loneliness to the landscape.
They are most frequent in districts near
est the Carpathians which form the Hun
garian boundary. The Ruthenian peasants
being Of the Russian stock are all Greek
Catholics, and the Polish Galicians are
are equally pious, and you can never pass
crucifx or shrine without witnessing q
group OF both in rapt devotion, many Of
whom are groveling PROSTATE upon the
earth before the sacred reminders of Cal
vary. At Whitsuntide one will see crowds
OF these simple and pious devotees crawling
upon all fours, while trailing huge wooden
crosses from their necks and shoulders,
around every roadside shrine in all Galicia.
At theaittle inn where tarry in Cracow,
made the acquaintance of youth of 20
who had tired of Tatras peasant life, and
had come to the great city to seek his for
tune as kellner or servitor. He had led
the dogs life of the city inn long enough to
alterable longing. bought his freedom of
his landlord master for 80 marks, and thus
secured the most devoted guide traveller
ever knew to the shepherd hut homes of the
wild and almost untraversed Tatra Mount
aims
Glories Of Mountain Journey.
The glories Of this mountain journey were
unrivaled. Wild, rugged, grand nature,
unchanged from creation by the hand Of
man, was mine for complete enjoyment.
This, too, was entrancingly varied by occa-
sional simultaneous views of marvellous
character. Our way led mainly along the
southern or Hungarian slopes. But now
and then my guide, Ludwig, who seemed to
move straight as the flight of mountain
bird to his own eerie, brought me to the
very peaks of the dividing heights.
To the north the country sloped across
Russian Poland. Winter still held all this
land of terror and famine in its steely grasp.
Only in Galicia, and especially in some of
the sheltered southern valleys beside the
Carpathians, were the greens and gladuess
of spring beginning to be manifest. To the
south another clime-indeed another world.
Hungary, land of wine and dance and song,
encircled by its mighty wreath of noun
tains, and, visible as far as Buda-Pesth, lay
spread before our gaze disk OF throbbing
green and bloom.
That night we came to Ludvig's people.
The reunion was touching and joyful. Be-
tween 200 and 400 souls comprised this one
mountain side band. Phere are 100000
folk of the same sort in the Tatra range.
They are all shepherds, principally goat
herds, and the number of animals they care
for must reach millions. For about four
months of the winter they retire to such
towns as Niedzwiec, Jablonka, Neumarkt,
Thurdorin, Dunajec, Mdgura, Repisko and
many remain in their
huts upon the mountains profnng by wood
craft in trapping and snaring animals and
birds-so filling up and overcrowding the
villages that they become winter cities
Grand Physiques Without Alcohol
They call themselves Podhaliana Their
language is mixture or dialect of the an
cient Magyar and the Germanic tongue.
Their food is simply oats, either boiled into
a thick porridge or made into thin bread
of oatmeal and salt, baked before the Goals
like the Scotch ''bannock, "goat-milk whey,
the wild mountain fruits and such small
game as they can secure in the mountain
forests They neither have nor wish any
other Unlike the Galician peasant, who is
a slave to brandy, and the Hungarian
cheap wine, they drink no liquor of any
sort whatever. and are huge in frame, hand
some in face and physique, robust and
powerful, and live to an extraordinary old
age.
The band which I visited was fair ex-
ample of them all. 1t had just come upon
the southern slopes of the mountains from |
the valleys with its herds, but its members |
had already built a mountain village of 80 |
huts. These were of tree limbs, bark and |
leaves, large and comfortable. but all OPEN
ing to the south. All the band, including
women, were dressed in the untanned skins |
of the goat, with hoods and sandals of the
same material. They do not remain long in
these sylvan huts, but, as the summer ad-
vances, leave them, never to return to the
'ame structures, for the higher grazing
ands, where new homes are built with
Zach change of location. Each band really
comprises one immense family, patriarchal
n system, and, as nearly as could judge,
% a great extent communal in regard to
heir little gainings. By nature they are
ull of sentiment, and are rude poets and
rtists of no mean quality. The mountain
liens around them constantly re-echo their
Wild and endless vocal melodies, and the
xultant notes of the cziganok and the
plendid enthusiasm of their movements
brill one when on an evening they engage
n the czardas, as only these strong-legged
can whirl and leap in this
Yeird Hungarian national dance. They are
Arcadians pure and simple; simple, good
nd pure. EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.