The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-05
LIFE OF RUSSIAN PEASANTS.
Poor Food and Clothing Ever Their
I.of
(From the Chicago Chronicle. J


An Englishman in the government of
smolensk. Russia. thus writes of the peas
ants of that country:
The Russian village consists OF from
fifteen to forty log cabins, each TWEEN. y-fivs
TO thirty feet square, and about seven feet
high to fthe square They are heated by
a large brick stove about six feet square
in the centre OF the hut, and on three sides
of the stove there are wood benches about
three feet from the floor. On these the Rus
sian sleeps, and under this bed or bench.
the pig sleeps and the hens roost. The only
other furniture Is a table about three feet
square and plank on the side of the hur
to sit upon. In one corner you will see the
store of onions and potatoes and overhead
are sheep and calf skins being dried and
prepared ready to make the winter coat In
one of these huts three. four, or FIVE FAM
lilies huddle together. THIS villagers work
the land together. blowing. sowing. tiIiins,
and reaping and moving in body and
they divide the produce, not equally Their
focks Craze in one lot and are attended hy
herders, usually couple OF boys or Iris.
They have plots of ground for eabhaSss
and potatoes, and some villages have a few
fruit trees-apples. pears, plums, and cher
ries. The crops they raise in this district
are nay, rye 1.-THE staple food OF the peas-
ants), barley, miiiet. and oats, fax. beans.
and peas. There is either a windmill or a
horse mill in most villages to grind the
rye.
THE whole of the peasants work lies
in attending to his cattle and land. cut
ting his wood for fuel and earting any sur
plus he may have to the nearest town to
sell, so that he may be able to buy any
of the iron tools he requires, such as plow,
spade, axe. saw or stew pot of iron this
only cooking utensil most of them have
In addition he may buy a little tea. sugar,
tobacco. gin or some sailed herrings a
piece OF gaudy cotton print FOR a Sunday
dress for his wife or print handkerchief
for her head These are about all the
. things the peasant wishes for that he does
not produce himself.
They spin and weave by hand their own
wool and fax and make their own cloth
ing out of the cloth. Their feet they cover
with strips OF the homemade cloth, and
they make sandals from birch bark. He
Is thought a rich peasant who can afford
a pair of leather boots for Sunday and
holidays. His winter coat consists of
home-eured or tanned skins of sheep or
calf, and his dress in winter consists of
shirt, a coat Of skin. a pair of home
spun trousers rags for his feet and skin
cap. They make their own wooden carts
and sledges. Some of them have iron
hoops on their cart wheels. and that is all
the iron on them; many have not even
tnat. me HnOle OF lne Iuei Is NOOu, dHu
the artificial light is furnished by a pine
stick or spill. lit and stuck in 4 creyice
of the hut. when burnt out to be replaced
by another.
They seldom get meat, and their food is
mostly rye bread. cabbage. and onion and
potato soup. fat bacon and millet porridge
and SKINNED milk. The butter they make
they sell in the towns. Few of them can
read or write. and few can tell the time
from a watch or clock. Many villages
have TO clock or watch at ALL The people
are about in the same stage OF civilization
that the English attained in the seven
teenth century, although. of course, they
are rapidly being transformed by means OF
the railway. Another thirty years will
completely change the whole tenor Of tn =ir
lives, and the change will increase their
wants. and in this way find markets to alb
sorb the goods which their own mills and
workshops produce. OF course, there is 70
opening for foreign textile goods. because
the protective tariffs are too heavy. IL
these tariffs were abolished the Russian
mills would get their machinery for IS
per cent less money. and this is no little
item when the interest on money rang-s
from to u per cent"