The Western outlook. [volume] (San Francisco, Cal.) 1894-1928, 1915-10-23
OLD POLISH CAPITAL
CORRESPONDENT WRITES OF THE
CHARMS OF cRAcoW.
City Has Many Beauties, and Its clti
zens Are Refined and Gentle
Scenes in the Market Held In
the Great Square.

Is 1t not true that cities, like houses,
reflect the characters of their inhabi.
tants? Somebody said that Berlin has
the air of rich, well-fed woman who
is dressed by the most expensive mod.
istes and has everything that money
can buy but never the unpurchasable
quality Of charm. Now, Cracow is her
opposite; she is like lady of ancient
but unhappy race conscious but I'M
complaining of her great sorrows; she
is fascinating, distinguished, simple.
Cracow, small as it is, is the heart OF
Poland, and in Poland's days of free
dom, long ago. was its capital.
But the object of this little article
is not to relate the tragic history of
Poland, but just to give a brief
sketch of the simple life in beautiful
Cracow, before the war began.
In the middle Of the town is the
great square where stands the splen-
did church of Our Lady. There is
a covered market, where the stalls
are mostly kept by Jews, but in the
open are the peasants from the coun-
try with their milk and cheese, vege-
tables and poultry. The peasant
women wear gay-colored clothes and
carry huge burdens on their backs
a dozen milk cans, bundle of brush
wood, a bushel of bread baked in
great loaves nearly two yards long.
In their high clumsy boots they tramp
sturdily along, quite able and willing
to do a mans work in the world as
well as to bear a woman's burden.
A lady who visited Cracow shortly
before the outbreak of the war was
greatly impressed by the burdens
borne by people of little higher rank
than the peasant. These burdens
were mostly geese-white, long
necked, squawking geese. Every 9TH
er man, woman and child seemed to
be carrying goose. Sometimes they
were carried under the arm Of the
purchaser. Often under each arm,
sometimes in carpet bag with long
neck protruding and the bright eyes
though enjoying the novel ride. Some
times basket contained as many as
three geese and sometimes they were
slung unceremoniously over the shout
dor aa .Le-~----.-----i'---t-- So. - =
gether and their necks craned up to
prevent a rush of blood to the head.
Now and then stout lady would pass
with a goose In the ample bosom OF
her dress or coat, only the head OF
the fowl showing under her chin. The
geese were generally treated with
consideration and respect, children
stopping to caress their snaky necks.
It was hard to believe that these pets
were destined for the pot on the NOR
row. To be sure there were other
things for sale besides geese; rolls or
golden butter and leaves Of cheese
folded together in way that you new
er see outside Poland.
In another part of the great square
is the vegetable market, with its
green and purple cabbages, cauli-
flowers and Brussels sprouts; satisfy,
onions, and dried mushrooms on long
strings worn like necklace over the
necks of the vendors.
But on goose market day In Cra'
cow the center Of the stage belongs
to the goose. A few abashed hens
were offered for sale or lonesome
turkey, but they seemed to feel they
had no right there, and were ready to
hide their heads.
In the center of the square sat the
public weigher with his scales. Ii
an old lady felt that she had been
given short weight for half a pound
of butter she brought it to him to
weigh, and he even took a hand in
the disputes about the size and quail
ity of the geese.
The people that you see In the
| streets of Cracow are beautiful to look
upon. They do not look rich, but
they know how to wear worn clothes
with a kind of natural elegance. Their
their faces are expressive, clean cut
and fine; they know how to walk and
how to stand, they are not rude, bu
gentle. What is to be the destiny o.
these clever, refined, unfortunate
Poles we do not yet know.-Exchange
Il