The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-23

vice, and it is not confined to kidnap-
ing, which has called the attention OF
the civilized world to the Bulgarian,
nor can political intrigue on the part
of the Russians or Turks be alleged
the reason. Travellers advise the tour
list to go in a private carriage, for the
reason that the post coaches are sys-
tematically held up and the passen-
gers, as we'll as the mails. are robbed.
Even the apologists admit that the
petty brigandage of highway robbery
is general throughout the country.
A sitting of the evidence adduced by
the best authorities seems to lead to
the Judgment that they are an inter-
mixture of Mongolian and Finnish
stocks with old Turkish blood.
The force of this conclusion is aug
mented by the innate enmity Of the
Bulgarians to the Russians, notwith-
standing that each is usually regarded
as branch of the Pan-Slavic race and
that their names seem to point to a
Slavic source.
The fact is that a sort of coalescence
has finally resulted like that of the Nor
mans and Saxons in England, which
formed ultimately one people.
The Bulgarians, in fact claim up
ward of 1000 years of distinct nation
aIity, and If this claim is not sufficient
TO constitute a nation few of the peo-
pies of Europe have any ground to con-
slider themselves a historic nationality.
The Bulgarians have always been a
high-spirited, impressive and warlike
race and the famous battle of Nicopo-
lie in the fourteenth century, which de-
cided not only the fate of Bulgaria,
but of all the Christian states of South
eastern Europe, was decided favorably
to Islam by the Janissaries of the
Turkish army who were largely re-
cruited from the Bulgarians. every
fifth one of their male children being
forced into service of the Sultan.
According to the best accounts the
Rulgarians appear to be divided almost
equally between the dwellers of the
plains, whose peaceful virtues and in
dustrious, persevering and temperate
manners have not debased them, and
the inhabitants Of the mountain ranges
Their honesty is such" says one,
that a Bulgarian may be trusted with
large sums Of money with perfect Sc
curity."
AS race they are far less excitable
than their Slav fellow kinsmen; their
religion is not fanatical, their minds
are mainly taken up with tillage of the
farms, and their great desire is to be
Take It altogether, the lot OF Bull
garian peasantry is a happy one. They
live very roughly, and one might say
very sordidly. but they have sufficient
TO eat, and enjoy generally a certain
amount Of rude comfort Poverty in
our sense of the word does not exist
There is no need to make any public
provisions for the relief of the poor
strikes and trades unions are alike I'M
known.
Making allowance for a difference Of
site, one Bulgarian village is the very
counterpart Of every other One has
only 10 drive in any direction from
Sofia 10 find village after village, gem
orally buried In the valleys at the foot
Of the hills, Which are so like each
other that no one but a native would
find II easy 10 distinguish them
Nothing can be palmer than the
lives the villagers lead. They are up
az daybreak and work IN the fields IN
after sunset, and the peasants are con-
tent 10 live upon bread and garlic.