The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-06-02

~ &c peasants. VINO erect TAI pos In
front of the houses ard hang boxes on
them to accommodate the birds. The in
tcriors of village houses are plainly fur
nished, and a practice prevails of keeping
great stoves in the parlor and using the
tops for beds. There is usually one large
bed in the house Children sleep on tho
floor, using thick counterpanes for mat
tresses. Medical attendance in the village
is usually furnished by some retired SOL
dier supposed to understand the art OF
dressing wounds and preparing physic He
is called ..feldsher, and he is often su-
perseded by another kind OF doctor in the
shape of an old woman, whose cures ara
effected partly by the aid of charms. This
is the .'znakhsrka, or ''babousha-" a
Russian peasant will hold out to the last
before admitting that he is ILL., The cere-
monies of marriage and christening ara
very elaborate and formal. I have no space
to describe them An infant, curi0usly
enough, has no generic term to describe 1t,
such as .sbaby" Marriage is an intricate
affair from the very commencement OF the
courtship to the ceremonial at the altar
when the dobry molOdeto (brave youth
weds the krasnaya dyevitsa lfair maiden).
Marriages used TO be contracted so early
that the government had TO prohibit IL
under a certain age.
Scenes Along the River.
The Volga districts are the great grain
raising section of Russia. The Slav and
Tartar races people it and are engaged in
agriculture, manufactures and fishing.
Among the Slavs the women work as
much as il not more than the men and re-
ceive just one-half the pay. A man can
command 10 kopeks, but a woman for the
same amount Of work, receives 90 kopeks.
The grain is stored at various points along
the river, considerable quantities being
deposited in the flour mills for grinding.
These mills as well as the numerous soap,
candle and tobacco factories employ a
great number of persons. Close on ,00O
steamers, engaged in the transportation OF
grain and merchandise, ply on the Volga
during the raviSable months. At the
principal landing places the Nolga roust-
about may be seen, generally engaged In
freight handling. He can live almost any
where and carries his effects and commits
sariat on his back in a sort Of knapsack.
He dwells chiefly along the wharves and in
grain hosts and is a somewhat picturesque
object, always over feet high and OF
muscular frame His unkempt masses OF
long. shaggy hair toss in the wind as he
plies his trade along the breezy piers and
lend to his strongly marked features an
expression OF romantic savagery. His cx-
istence is as careless and romantic as that
of the wharf rats of New York. The grain
boats are q familiar sight upon the Volga.
They would bring a smile to the face OF
the Hudson river navigator. Built in the
style of the ordinary barge, their actual
construction is rude, though much inge-
nuity is displayed in the manner in which
every inch of space is utilized for the stor-
age OF freight The tall mast is provided
with rather odd looking square main
sail. The corn trade being the backbone
of commerce II these parts when it is in
terfered with by crop failure the results
are naturally terrible for in addition to
the scarcity of grain for food purposes the
opportunities Tor employment arc greatly
lessened.
The Fishery Industry.
The fisheries in the Volga and its delta
constitute a further mainstay of the dwell
ers on the soil. The principal yields are
of sturgeon, stcrlet, salmon, pike and shad.
Though the sturgeon is said to be falling
OF latte,ly, 1e,O00 900 pools of fish have
been secured in one year, which represents
q considerable quantity, as pood contains
SO POUNDS. The annual value of the fish
cries has: averaged 10, 900, 900 rubles, but
the fishing grounds of the Volga have not
been turned TO the fullest advantage The
mechanical contrivances for catching the
fish are not of the most improved nature.
All the fish caught here are consumed in
Russia except the caviar, which is largely
exported. The Greek church imposes 226
fast days during the year, and this fact ex-
plains why it takes SO many fish to go
round. Both Tartars and Russians engage
in the fisheries, but the latter are always
the bosses. the Tartars working in the
lower grades. Neither race is fond of farm
ing and prefers taking chances in the COM
mercial centers in place of drudging be-
hind pillow, though both are capable of
doing good agricultural work 1t should
be understood that class distinctions are
quite strongly marked in this part of Rus
STA, and there are Tartar families of wealth
as polished in their manners as any of New
York's Four Hundred.
V. GRIBAYEpOFF.