Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-12-28
LIFE IN ROUMAN|A
A Nation of Peasants, With Curl
GUS Customs and Beliefs.
RULED BY SIGNS AND OMENS,
Many Superstitions Enter Into thr
Everyday Life of This People, Who
Are Little Given to Money Thrift
The Way Lad Goes A. courting.


Are Little Given to Money Thrift
The Way a Lad Goes Accounting.
''The great bulk Of Roumania's pop
ulatiOn belongs to the peasant class,
for there are comparatively few cities,
and most of them are small" says 8
bulletin of the National Geographic
society on Roumanian folklore and Gus.
toms, which gives an intimate insight
into the home life of that nation. The
bulletin, which is based on a commu-
nication to the society from John OF
yer LaGorce, says:
MANY of these peasants live on the
great estates. where their forbears for
generations have farmed for the alb
sentee landlords. And an interesting
class these peasants form, with their
peculiar customs, their primitive ways
of looking at things in general.
"The evil of race suicide has never
invaded rural Roumania It is re-
garded as worthy of honor to be the
head of large family. AS in all lands
where many Of the people are more Or
less illiterate, there is q high death
rate, though the fact that the bottle
fed baby is almost unknown in peasant
ROumania tends to overcome the high
infant mortality that would otherwise
result.
1.-THE average Roumanian peasant is
not given to the kind Of thrift that
leads him often to a savings bank.
The patrimony of his sons and daugh-
tiers Is more often good will, good
health and an honest mind than it is
land or money or houses. SO narrow
is the margin upon which a young
couple starts out in life that it has
come to be a proverb among them,
Married today and out at the elbows
tomorrow for children come apace,
and the prices of the things the peas
ant has to sell are even lower than the
prices Of those he has to buy, and not
until his own labors are supplemented
by those Of his sons and daughters has
he much chance to prepare for even
the shortest Of rainy days.
lads thoughts turn to love and his
mind begins to incline toward mar
rage he goes to his mother rather than
to his sweetheart with his tale. The
mother acts as an ambassador to the
father, and If he can be induced to
look with favor upon the lovers choice
he calls in two Of his best friends in
the village, tells them of his sons
dreams and asks them to accompany
the said son to the house Of the OBJ
ject Of loves young dreams.
"Mayhap the girl herself has not re-
ceived from the youth single hint
of his love; but, even so, as he and
his spokesman approach the house she
suspects the object Of his visit and
peeps through any crack or Granny
that is convenient.
IF it happens to be winter the IA
ther Of the girl invites the company
In and, surmising their mission, gives
some hint as to his attitude by the
way he looks after the fire. II he
keeps it burning brightly they know
that he is favorable; If he lets 1t die
down a little they understand that he
Is only Of an open mind on the sub
ject. But If he lets it go out entirely
there is no use arguing the question.
'The Roumanian peasant is much
given to superstition, and he has sign
for everything. If shingles are not
nailed on a roof in the proper sign
they will turn up at the ends; If pota-
toes are not planted in the proper
sign they will grow on top of the soil
and be failure; If you have money
In your pocket when you see the new
moon you will not Ego broke" at least
not until another new moon has come.
On the other hand, it is held to be dan
gerous to announce to those In the
house that the new moon has appear
ed, for In that case all the pots and
pans in the kitchen will be broken be-
fore the waning moon passes.
when a peasant child is christened
all Of those present assume the rela-
ton Of godparents, and it Is super
stition that there must be no intermar-
riagcs between godfathers and god
mothers The result is that christen-
ings are not widely attended, and those
with matrimonial ambitions eschew
them entirely.
1.-THE utmost care is taken by some
to prevent child from seeing it's i'm