Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1915-09-30
OLD POLISH CAPITAL
CORRESPONDENT WRITES OF THE
CHARMS OF cRAcoW.
City Has Many Beauties, and Its CID
zens Are Refined and Gentle
Scenes in the Market Held in
the Great Square.

Is it not true that cities, like houses,
reflect the characters of theil inhabi-
tants? Somebody said that Berlin has
the air of a 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 Polands 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
CracQw, 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
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 a 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
eagerly searching the passers-by az
though enjoying the novel ride. Some
times a basket contained as many as
three geese and sometimes they were
slung unceremoniously over the shout
der of the owner, their legs tied to
gether and their necks craned up Il
prevent a rush of blood to the head
Now and then a stout lady would pass
with a goose in the ample bosom o.
her dress or coat, only the head O
the fowl showing under her chin. Th'
! geese were generally treated will
consideration and respect, children
stopping to caress their snaky necks
1t was hard to believe that these pet
were destined for the pot on the NOR
row. To be sure there were othel
things for sale besides geese; rolls o
golden butter and leaves of cheese
folded together in way that you nev
er see outside Poland.
In another part of the great square
is the vegetable market, with 1T
green and purple cabbages, cauli
flowers and Brussels sprouts; satisfy
onions, and dried mushrooms on loni
strings worn like a necklace over thu
necks of the vendors.
But on goose market day in era
COW the center of the stage belong
to the goose. A few abashed hen
were offered for sale or a Lonesome
turkey, but they seemed to feel the.
had no right there, and were ready t.
hide their heads.
In the center of the square sat tn
public weigher with his scales.
an old lady felt that she had beef
given short weight for half pount
of butter she brought it to him Il
weigh, and he even took hand II
the disputes about the size and qua
ity of the geese.
The people that you see in tn
streets of Cracow are beautiful to loo
upon. They do not look rich, bu
they know how to wear worn clothe
with kind of natural elegance. The
their faces are expressive, clean GU
and fine; they know how to walk an
how to stand, they are not rude, blu
gentle. What is to be the destiny O
these clever, refined, unfortunat