The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-30
.WAKEMAN'S TRAVELS.
The Poet Wanderor Still in the
Land of Gallcia.
SOMETHING OF LOCAL INTEREST
To lntellIgencer Itoadcrs-..ilc Writes
\ About'thc Petroleum Fields orGall.
cin..IIomes and Servants OF tho
Polish Nobility Laborcrs no
Better Than Scrfs-..Tlic Lowiy Folk.
~IcorrRiaItr. 1897, ny rDaAn l. wAKraAs.l

NJ. t<NAtNh w " ANth
%IcorTRiGIIr. 1892, ny EDGAR l. wAKINAS.l
Special Correspondence Of hs %hAoiiimrneer.S
LE,IDERo, GAI.tciA, April My ori.
ginal purpose in visiting Austrian P9-
land was to inspect, at tho invitation Of
II friend, tho now petroleum fields Of
northeastern Austria, aud incidentally
to study tho Galician lowly.
On first reaching Cracow u lasty trip
by rail to Kolomea, In tho southeastern
corner OF Galicia, u half days walk from
the frontier OF barbaric Bessarabla, de-
monstrated that there was nothing Of
very great interest to write OF these in
dustrial developments.
An oil belt 800 mlles in length nnd
about 90 miles wide extends southeast
from near sanok, in Galicla; along the
Carpathian range OF mountains. 1t then.
passes between Bukovina and Hungary,
and thence breaks away into tho Rou-
manian oil fields in detached spurs OF
tho Carpathians. IT Is perhaps 1000
miles in length, aud altogether forms
what is known in the geography OF
petroleum as the ''Galician deposits"
and territoryo Of the "Austro-Roumunian
Teilneries."
Until 1881 tho operations were OF the
most primitive character, consisting al
most exclusively OF "hand digging" and
tho "free full" systems OF sinking wells.
At tho date named the Canadian system
Of 'pole tool drilling was introduced,
and rapid development, backed by Eng.
lish capital and operated by Calcium
Polish companies, resulted. All tho
steam power machinery is imported
from England. Engineers and superin.
tendents have been brought from tho
Canadian oil fields, and the tools, for.
merly supplied from Hanover. are now
made in Galicia.
The flow of'oil is not to be compared
with that OF the average Pennsylvania
districts. 1t becomes most insignificant
when tho great Russian wells OF Baku
are taken into account, yet It is n fairly
profitable sourco OF supply; has given
employment,to thousands of Polish and
Ruthenian peasants, whose wages are
ninty kreutzers, or about thirty-six
cents per day, with u daily allowance OF
two sticks OF cordwood for fuel; and |
find the entire annual production OF tho
Ga!ician petroleum fields equals two.
thirds Of the total consumption by all
Austria.
HOMES AND SERVANTS.
In SO far us these peasant employees,
who were too recently as%riculturists,
woodsmen and mo~unt9ineers to have
lost any OF their hereditary customs and
characteristics, gave opportunity Of
study OF the Galician peasantry, the
large groupings OF such lowly had in
terest. But my researches among the
peasant class were chiefly carried on
upon the large estates and in the purely
peasant villages.
The acceptance Of three invitations ms
guest Mt tho homes OF two noblemen
and n rich gentlemen farmer iuT-
nished opportunity to know slightly
the aristocratic country landlords and
to really sec their binds orlaborers and
house servants as they are. The latter
diiler in no important respect from the
laboring peasantry OF the villages, save
that to me they seem even more sod
denly stupid and servile. At this time
OF the year the outdoor laborer still re-.
tains his winter clothing. He is a Curl
GUS looking fellow. His hair is cut
either straight across his forehead, or
to n spear-like point upon it, and grows
like a lions name about his shoulders
and neck.
His head covering is d NANCY fur
hood, often OF squirrel skin with the tail
dangling loosely upon his shoulders, or
OF sheep or goatskin with the fleece side
noxt his head. AZ sort OF greatcoat or
robe hangs loosely from his shoulders
to below his knees. This is the skin OF
some animal, with the fur: or hair next
the body. Tho reversed exposed side is
covered with ancient layers OF greese
for protection against the snowand rain.
II he possesses u%ndergarments of II
sort, they are shreds OF rags stuffed with
chatf and straw.
He usually wears stockings OF tho
heaviest and coarsest material and high.
legged, pointed shoes Of hugo proper
tions. For not only arc the precious
hose protected by ropes OF straw wound
from above tho knee to the ankle, but
enough chatf and wisps OF straw partici-
pate in occupancy Of his cavernous
shoes to provide sufficient warmth.
Aside from this unique garb, his beard
stands out from his face q massy, wiry
cheraur-dsJrf.t, in which enough straw
and chatf have lodged TO provide an
adequate Comforter" for his face and
mock.
From a dozen TO a score Of these
peasant animals seem to be attached TO
every large estate. Ii they have quar-
t~ers--except those who are married,
who arc provided with low, matched,
wooden huts, squalid and filthy beyond
descriptions was not able to find
them. They arc messed" like hogs
from the great house kitchen in the
corners OF the stables, and lie down Mt
night among the other animals, with
their straw ropes md hide coats for
bedding, wherever they are able to find
most congenial and comfortable sta
bling.
Serfdom Is no. supposed to exist in
this land, but ! have a well founded
suspicion that something very like it is
in vogue. Tho wages OF such laborers
do not exceed an average OF thirty
kreutzers por day, perhaps twelve cents,
although they are glad enough to get
this. Each estate is provided with q
steward or overseer, who, like the Irish
agent, adjusts matters so that human
effort is not permitted to produce more
than this kind Of human Lie is supposed
70 require. He has n storehouse hllcd
with tho rude requirements OF these
estate laborers-Coats. shoes. hose