The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
VIENNA TO AN AMERICAN.
LlBoRERS WHO HAVE LONG HOURS
AND DO PooR WORK.

Surprise of Two Of Them at Working Ways
| Hore-women Working Rs Bricklnyers-
Twin Pests of ViennR-Lodgings of tho
| Mighty to Let-Friendly WAYS of People.
THE thing that gave me tho greatest pleas
| ure OF my entire stay aboard" said a young
| woman recently home from Europe. was GO
| ing out In the big cities and watching the peo-
pie After had grown accustomed to tho
facre. which Is driven at q reckless Rallop. ro-
| gardless OF the safety OF the pedestrians. who
| scatter before IL like frightened chickens the
| first thing that attracted my attention In
Vienna was that the people all passed to the
| left instead OF to the right. The next thing
| was the dlminutive size OF n large proper
| ton OF the walters In the gardens and
| restaurants 'Piccolo.' I believe this small
| man is called. Sometimes he does not
| seem over 8 years old. He is clad in the regu-
| lation livery for walters all day long. dress
suit with great expanse OF snowy shirt front;
| his napkin over his arm, and stands as straight
| asa ramrod and looks for all the world like
little cock sparrow. would say bantam roost-
| err. but that IL too large. Until had been a
| week In Vienna could not resist tipping every
| one OF the little fellows passed till my stock
| OF kreuzers ran low.
| Across the way from my boarding house a
| building was going up. and I watched the la
| borers Here was nv first glimpse Of the life
| OF the laborer on the Continent; In many
| places and always In some respects comparing
very fairly with that OF our own working peo-
pie. but In some respects so sad! Fancy hu-
| man beings being so cheap to be used as
| weights on ono end Of rope thrown over a
| pulley, for the purpose OF dragging up the bar
| rel OF mortar or bricks attached to the other
| end There on the scaffolding they stood. a
| whole row OF them taking turns at sitting on
tho bit Of broomhandle tied to the end Of the
| rope. and being let down as the barrel Of NOR
tar rose. sprinGing of at the end Of the trip to
let the empty barrel come down and the stick
fly up to the next man waiting. while the first
one climbed up the ladder to take his place at
| the end OF the line.
| Here. too. l saw the women brcklayers,
| wearing jacket and skirt Of calico. a kerchief
over the head or dropped back on the shout
ders and great wooden slippers, with a nat
sole and a leather tip for tho toes. on their
bare feet. The jacket was quito shape less.
sack with sleeves. and the skirt fell halfway
between knee and ankle Tanned dark brown.
the struggling hair faded to dull tan color by
the fierce sun. dirty and devoid OF every trace
| OF womanly grace. these poor creatures toiled
| away beside the men. doing. | am told. in
many instances far better work in respect OF
| neatness. accuracy and rapidty than their
| male colleagues.
But IL the life OF such laborers Is harder In
| some respects than IT is with our own, and tho
pay somewhat. though not so much as one
| would suppose, lower. the Continental work
man has many compensations that we are
totally without. The frequent and consider
able Interruptions for rest and refreshment
and the absolute abandonment OF themsel elves
to these pursuits when the time for them ar
rives Tighten the hardships OF the day in no
small degree Work begins very early. some
times as early as half past 4. The pay is by
the hour. Coffee is drunk before beginning
work and II the hour OF beginning be very
early, there Is a pause for coffee and bread and
few minutes rest at I or half past. Then
work goes until about TO- when there
Is half hours respite for the second break
fast. a heartier meal. consisting Of bread with
meat cheese or sausage. and frequently beer
or schnapps Whom resting the workmen throw
themselves prone upon the ground and are
asleep in a moment At noon there is from
one to two hours for rest. The dinners are
usually brought to the workmen by their wives
or other kin. who sit waiting while the meal Is
consumed and then go away in order not to
disturb the MONDAY nap, which s an institu-
ton in Germany and Austria among all classes,
high or low. l have seen the PAYERS lying
about on heaps OF stone. SO limp and lifeless in
their deep sleep as to be fairly uncanny. and a
few moments later there they were beating
into space the great stones that were so re-
} Gently their resting Place,
~, The workmen abroad have far greater
work slowly. talk together; one takes out his
flask, drinks and passes it on II his nelghbor
likely. over which both stand and laugh Tor d
few moments; then they slowly plcd on with
J the work. l was once talking with man from
Hanover, n master mason he was there. who
: had spent some time in the United States. He
went to contractor on hsarriva in New York
the methods in use here The contractor set
/, him at, work as a common brtcklayer, but
aft fu-N hFttr f.Nl, inn han F.,t
Keep bin as his work was ''' OF too Inferior
an order. And Of course was doing my hest
him to t give me job. where Eoried Tor moth
, Ing and learned to lay bricks as | never knew
rest no Joking and drinking at work. got an
idea OF rapid steady work then. such as had
over was so tired slept ike log, in perfect
/, stnpor. However, it was fine experience
met ,h. IN s sss Ihertrfeh IN
had been in Pennsylvania for two years. and
! when | asked him how he liked it in the states
he said: It's u nice country and you live well
there foods are cheaper there. also some kinds
, Of clothing; and you got better, pay-but. my
Of life are more expensive. but where i can
even time to breathe over there, And with
that he took few especially long deep breatht
i The ylennese have way OF smiling at you
fectIy spontaneous comments. The conductor
Of street car. passing before me 70 give me my
ticket, noticed my little chatelaine watch
Q fastened on my left shoulder. Evidently h,
had never seen such thing, for he stared at i
a while stopping nearer and nearer till his face
. was on level with my own. and then. straight.
q ening up. said aloud. to himself It's watch
o And 1t runs Then. addressing me with an
:, indulgent smile. he said: But not on the let
y shoulder-that is always reserved for orders.
u 1T was in this street ca that l first noticed
the one thing that marred the happy impress
4 sion had Of Vienna. saw adark speck NOV
u ing along the floor. looked at 1t more closely
Good heavens" exclaimed. and left the car
taking an omnibus instead. and climbing ID t.
the roof rather than go inside. ] sat direct
behind the driver. who wore The big uniform
. coat OF the omnibus drivers. His coat was oil,
o and dapdated. and as ! sat looking AT on'
great rip on the shoulderI saw another mOvinI
. speck | sat staring at It. fascinated; il wa
= followed by another. and vet another. and b
'e the time We reached the next hating place an
n could dismount there were five big health
/, hedbugs crawling over that mans back.
i had wondered what was the matter with IN
70 to have such red. itching blotches on my kir
/. As walked home I fecalled the story of tn
a woman newly arrived In California, who con
D 6ultad n DhySlrian about a RiIninr Ailnlant