The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-01

mentation. 1 have counted more than a
score Of brass rings on the fingers of her
two hands. Her earrings OF hollow brass
would hold enough oil TO light the family
tireside for an evening; and her necklace OF
glass or imitation coral beads, Coilet half
dozen times about her by no means charm
ing neck, is always yards In length.
The Ruthsnian stove is nothing more
nor less than q wigwam fire, which smol-
ders continually upon clay floor In the
center of the hut 1t is never allowed to
die out. A space about forty feet square is
laid with well-kneaded clay. The edges
are slightly raised. In the center of this
the fire is lighted. All cooking utensils are
ranged about the fire and have no other
place. They are not many, for the food of
these Rutheniens consists almost wholly of
corn meal boiled in porridge or baked in a
cake resembling the southern corn "pone."
and they rarely use other condiment than
salt
The appearance and regimen of the Polish
peasantry, whether laborers about the oil
fields, woodsmen or agriculturists, are very
different The men are OF slower action.
dark, unRainly, and wear mustachois of
great size and ferceness of appearance.
The women are bony, hard featured, save
among the very youthful maidens. with
black, beady and restless eyes. Neither
men nor woman are pleasant In appearance
or temper.
They have no distinctive dress, unless rags
may become by their universal use dis
| tlnctiye. They are the most uncouth and
forbidding lowly folk In their homes or at
labor ever met. But none are so poor as
| to not possess neat suits for Sundays, feast
| days and market time diversion. On these
| occasions tne women appear in cottons of
the most striking colors. Like the Ruthenian
women, they are loaded down with Bruma-
gem jewelry, and a green. yellow or red
! kerchief tur bans their beads, while the men
Invariably appear in black.
Often five or ten families live under one
/ roof but usually the donna or house, which
| the Ruthenian calls his budd, is a tiny hut
| Of one room. ALI the furniture in this
cots, stools, tables and chests-are hand
made and almost always made by the
peasant himself. There is invariably one
| box on which he has lavisbed his most
loving art. It contains his keepsakes and
treasures aud all his kreutzers aud Ruden.
| He never relinquishes the key TO this, and
not even his wife knows how little or great
is the store it contains.
The Polish PEASANTS stove is a square box
OF stone or brick, With a square hole in
front and another square hole on top. As
bis stove IL more modern than the Rutheni-
ans, his food is more varied and better. He
10 a lover of all vegetables, aud cabbage il
almost q staple Of food. This il varied by
his bdrsz soup, or a vegetable soup contain
ing chunks Of pork. and each Polish peasant
is said to consume half ton Of gOrken, OF
cucumbers preserved with bay leaves and
salt, every year. Another meal of whict
he is very fond is potatoes and sour milk
The latter costs but ) kreutzers per quart
or cents per gallon. He is a slave to spir.
its, and the average Polish peasant con.
sumes one gallon OF vile German schnGpp!
every week.
The houses of both Ruthenian and Polish
peasants are but one story high, with on
room open to the roof, They are made o
slabs and bits Of refuse timber from tn,
mountain mills. These bits are rudely NOR
tised together. When the inner structure
completed pegs are driven into the sides
Clay mortar Is then thrown upon the peg