New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-13

however, thanks to the numerous State ana
Church holidays there are only pa working
days, and this makes the lot OF the workngnah
much easier than his long workday would indl-
cate While the work lasts, however, he has
the least time for anything but mere body
gra;lhcati0ns Of any worldngman known 10
mo, and when tho night whistle blew we were
all glad enough TO get our mcagrc suppers ana
tumble INTO bed There ara two methods in Rus
STA by which the WorkIngnan lives. lie can
either have his employer find him and thus live
under The old patrarchal system or he can find
himself and receive all his wages. The tendency
nov adays IS Cor the rubotnh 20 find them
selves, but IN our mill there were some who
were still housed and fe1 by the employer. They
were divided M into barracks according 70
trades. carpenters having one room for example,
machinists another. and so on Families Were
allowed to live together, but there was 4 separa-
ton Of the single men and women The chill
dren-over hundred were employed in the mill
generally returned TO their parents at night,
but a few beorgc3 to families living IN the bar
racks
LIVING OH TEE OUTSIDE SYSTEM.
chose tho Outside" system for my bed and
board. Families living In this way generally
conereeate IN cellars. as many az ten persons
occupying one room, but the unmarried en-
ployes go to lodeinghouses, Of which 81. Peters
burg has a great many. The lodging house
lived in was pa;roni4ed by nearly three thou
sand people, and in my particular ward had
I for companions truckmcn, huckSters, mill hands
professional and religious begGars, and, have
no doubt, thieves. We were al jumbed up to-
getner, men, women and children, ana more
cherries and filthy workngman's hosiery /
have never been IN. The monthly inspection OF
our health at the mil BY Government official
did not scem 20 me so peculiar after had slept
a few nights In this place The only luxury
we enjoyed a Russian bath, which cost US
p third % days wage every time we took H.
For beds many of US had mere boards and we
were corraled al night into our wards by the
gatenon and the police Il we were runaway
convicts from Siberia
The price OF these accommodations was about
five cents night. Our food was the simplest
possible. We ate IN ;raklir. low restaurant
operated by the lodging house company, and
our three meals consisted, a rue OF tea,
bread and kind OF porTidse or soup. once
week INDUCED II q piece Of tough meat, but
many Of my companions preferred to spend the
money put by FOR meat in drink. The drink
habit Was strong among nearly all the mill
hands, not excepting the women. Once month
almost a tenth Of them let work for drunk on
vodka and they frequently stayed away for two
and three day. A few were suspended or dis
charged from time to time on account OF this
conduct. bat the majority were taken back Il
they came 10 the mill sober.
Oar employer had a peculiar theory about
these periodical debauches OF his men, and his
clemency toward them mas a result Of it. In
;alk that had with him about this matter he
said tina. as . general thing he found that the
men worked better after drunk than az any
other time during the month, and that the in
tensfed activity offset the disadvantage OF
their temporary absence from the mill. An
require Of them" he went on is that they do
not lie around ;hc mil drunk FOR that usually
discharge them"
Another director of q mill had al even more
charitable View OF ,his mater.
II were in thclr places" he said. 81 think
Ia do The same thing It's their only reaxa-
ton from a life that q; the best. and save as
they viii, can never bring them more than
brute existence When they get drunk they for
get al about tho.r fyrlo-n position IN tho world,
and Tor The molnon; ,hiak they arc just a. big
and mighty ! an. Irdoed. have known
thoia when "a tnoir cuIa TO think that thoy
were IN, us: himself J; doesn't hurt any
body 20 have hon :hink So and So J say, Why
deny them this one p'casur' tina; They have? In
your country I understand that your nhlan-
thropists bu.d Il'asgrc palace FOR the work
!nsnlcn: in Russia, viii he help OF vodka
let The Workin -iuan magma lively Duiid his own
'plcasl-c palacs' Your method IS doubtless the
bcttor one. but our ruho;niIl are not yet tit
ror The bone'actious Of phiianthrops;s. They