The morning call., 1892-05-01
VAKEMAN'S FANDERINGO.
The Petroleum Fields Of Austrian
" Poland.
Zones and Ecms Life Of the eaIioisns The
Estate Lab,rers No Better
Than ssrfs.
written for THE MORNING CALL.

My original purpose in.yisting Austrian
Poland was to Inspect, at the invitation OF
4 friend, :the new petroleum fields of North
eastern Austria, and incidentally to study
the Galician lowly.
- On first reaching Cracow hasty trip by
rail to Kolomea, in the southeas tern corner
/ OF *Galicia,. haf-day's walk from the
| frontier of barbaric Bessaral,ia, demon
strated that there was nothing Of very great
interest TO write of these Industrial deYei-
I opments. <:~:.. 81"
|. An oil belt 300 miles in length and about
% miles wide extends southeast from near
+ Sanok. in Galieia, along the Carpathian
range of mountains. 1t then passes be-
tween BukoVlna 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 geog-
/ raphy Of petroleum: as the .Galican de-.
T posits" and territory of the ""Austro-Rou-
| :manian rein cries. -. !: E.;.:.
E."..JJntif 1881 the operations were of the most
/ primitive character. con sisting almost eX-
+ clusiVely 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 deyel-
| opment, backed by: English. capital aud
Operated by Galician-P Polish. companies, re-
L suited: All the: steam-p0Wer. machinery: IS
imported from England Engineers and
|: superlntendents have been brought from
the Canadian oil fields, and the tools. for
T mery supplied from Hanover are now made
|. in Galicia: !; ~: :: - =. ::
-: :: =. THE FLOW OF OIL; .: n.
The-fow of oil IS not to be compared with
|: that of the average Pennsylvania districts
II" becomes most insignificant when the
|: .greattRussian wells of Baku are taken into
/ account. yet tits. fairly profitable source
|: Of Unemployment to thousands Of Polls and
Ruthenian. PEASANTS, whose wages: are: 80
l"kreutzers, or about So. cents per day. with a
l. daily allowance of two sticks OF .cQrdW0od
for fuel; and md the: entire: annual pro
l:ducti0n of the .Galician petroleum fields
|. equals two-thirds of. the otal.eOn sumption
/ by all Austria. ~ '=:= 5: 49,. -
=: In SO far as these peasant employees, who
were recently agricuturists, woodsmen and
.mountaineers. to>have lost any of their her.
+ :editary. customs :and: characteristics, gave
opportunity to- sturdy the; Galician peas
antry. the large groupings of such: WHY
had interest. 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 ais
guest at the. homes. OF. two no Diemen and
zone rich gentleman farmer furnished Oppor-
tunity to know slightly the aristocratic
| country landlords. and to really see their
kinds. or laborers and house. servants as
they are. The latter differ in: no important:
respect from: the laboring peasantry of the:
villages, save that to: me they: seem even
more s0ddeny stupid and serVife. :Atthis.
time of the year the outdoor lab0rer still
retains his winter clothing. He is curious
looking fellow His harris cut: either
straight across his forehead,:or to q spear.
like point upon" it, and grows like a:lion's
name about his shoulders and neck. .>:: <
His head covering is:a NANCY fur hood,
often OF squirrel skin, with. the tail dang
/ ling loosely upon his shoulders, or Of sheep
or goatSkin. with the fleece side next his:
head. A sort. of greateoat:or robe hangs
I#loosey from his shoulders; to- below his:
knees This is OF the skin of some animal,
with thefur or hair nextthe body. The re-
*yersed exposed side Is covered with ancient
l. layers of grease for protection against the.
I snow and rain: If. he possesses nndergar-
ments of any sort. they: are shreds of rags
stuffed with ehaff and straw" - i: !: =
-; =" THE DRESS. OF. THE: PEAS ANT =. :: !:
L:.:.:- he usually wears stockings.0f the heay-
lest and~cOarsest material, and -hgh-legged,
pointed shoes of huge proportions. For
not .only are the precious hose protected
L by ropes of straw wound from: above
1.-THE knee TO the ankle, but:enough chaff
and. wisps. Of straw participate: in -oc-
sufficient warmth. Aside from this unique,
gaTb, his beard stands out *from his face
zmassy, = wiry -.cheYauX-de-fr ise,.~ In which:
enough straw and chatf have lodged to pro-,
Evidean> adequate comforter" for his:face
and neck. - : -:
|: From dozen to score Of these peasant
| animals seem to be attached to every large
|: estate. If they have quarters-eXeept those
wh0 are married; who are provided with
low. matched wooden hqts, sqnalid and
|: filthy beyond deseription-l was not able to-
find them. They are: messed" like hogs
from the great house Kitchen in the corners
of the stables, and lie: down at night among
the other animals, with their straw ropes
land hide coats for bedding, wherever they
are able to find most congenial Land comfort
able stabling.>.:- H.. -: =:
= Serfdom is not supposed to exist in:this
land" but have a we'll founded. suspicion
that something very like it Is ::in..Yogue.
The wages Of such. labOrerS do:not exceed
an average or thirty kreutzeEs per day. per-
haDs twelve cents, although they are glad.
enough. t0cget this. Each estate Is provided,
with: d steward or oYerSeeT,. who, like .:the
Irish agent, adjusts matters so that:human'
effort IS not permitted: TO produce more
than this kind:of human lfe.rS supposed to.
require. He has: stOrehouss filed with
the rude requirements of these. estate
lahorers-cOats, shoes, hose, BELTS. some
thing that is called tobacco and snuff,
cayiare and vile brandy. These are issued
after. the manner of our Own.:exquisitely
devilish truck" system with miners, with
such discretion that the estate: laborer is In
life long debt, and is subject to the prison:
and lash If he attempts to escape his master
and his obligation. =. i. - - =:
=. -: :: SERENE HOUSEHOLDS: -:
" And yet the households sustained by this
lovely adjustment of human equities and
ethics are as serene and sweet as. | have
ever found. Whenever my host and Imoved
/ about the estates these white slaves" first
| bent and kissed the hens of our greatcoats
and then stood with barred heads in -siIence
| until we had passed. No doubt this sort of
thing gives the masters a grand cZarlike
| feeling, and it is lordlng it cheaply besides.
|. $50. too, within the mansions where the
| servants are few in comparison with similar
! establishments mother European countries,
when the somewhat better conditioned white
slaves, because better housed and fed only;.
are not eternally grabbing at ones sleeve or
| coat skirts to performthis oSeuIatory reyer-
| ence they are continually, when entering or
| leaving any apartment, or receiving an
| order or. serving you. calculating, with
| with dueked heads, 'Ieh kuess, die handi"
There are no schools or colleges for the
! better class of girls, and at nearly all these