Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1917-01-03
LIFE IN R0UMAAlA
A Natioh Of Peasants, With Curl
ous Customs and Beliefs.
RULED BY SIGNS AND oMENs.

Many Superstitiens Enter into the
Everyday Life Of This People, Who
Are Little Given TO @Shey Thrift
The Way a Lad Goes Accounting.
'The great bulk of Eoumania's pop
ulation belongs to the peasant class.
for there are comparatively few cities.
aud most OF them are small" says
bulletin OF the National Geographic
society Oh R0umnnian folklore aud Gus.
toms. which gives nm intimate insight
into the home llfe of that nation. The
bulletin. whlch Is based on a coniinu'
nicatiun to the society from John OIL
yer l-at'orcc. says:
"Nlany ~ these casants live on the
great estates, where their forbears for
generations have fnrmcl for the alb
sentcc landlords. And an interesting
class these peasants form. with their
peculiar cusiolas. tncir primitive ways
OF locking NJ things in general.
''rhe evil Of race suicide has never
invaded iSrnl .,oumnnla II Is re.
garlctl as worthy uf honor 10 be the
head ~ n large Family. ~ IN all lands
where many II lhe people ARE more or
less illilcrasr, there is hieh death
rate. though the fact HAT the bottle
| fed baby is almost unknown w peasant
Roumania tends TO overcome the high
infant mortality that wonlJ otherwise
result.
"Thc average Euaninliian peasant Is
not given TO the Kind IT tariff tha,
leads hinl often 10 savings bank
The patrim0ny .. his sIlS aid daugh
tiers Is moro often foud will. good
health aud an hoilci iaiud than II Is
lnnd or money or huuSes So narrow
Is the mnr,,in upon which youn;
couple starts out IN life iaat II has
come To he a pr0,erb among them.
Married today aud out at the elbows
tomorrow, FOR children come npace.
and the prices Of the things tue peas
/ ant has 10 sell are even lower shan the
prices of those ne has To buy, and not
until his own labors are supplemented
by those OF his sons add daughters has
he much chance to prepare for even
the shortest of rainy days.
when young Roumanian peasant
lads thoughts turn TO love and his
mind begins TO Incline toward mar
riage he goes to his mother rather than
TO his sweetheart with his tale. The
mother acts as an ambassador TO the
father, and II he cun he induced 10
look with favor upon the lovers choice
he calls IN TWO OF his best friends Ia
the village, tells them OF his sons
dreams and ASKS them to accompany
the said son to the house Of the oh
Icct Of loves young dreams.
"Mayhap the girl herself has not re
ceivcd from the youth single hint
OF his love. but. even so, us be aud
his spokesmen approach the house she
suspects the object OF his visit and
peeps through any crack or Granny
that Is convenient.
"lf II happens to be winter the ia
ther OF the CIR, invites the company
In and, surmising their mission, gives
some hint ~ to his attitude by the
way he looks after the hre, II he
keeps II burning brightly they know
that he Is favorable, II he lets II die
down little they understand that he
IL only Of an open mind on the sub
ject But II he lets 1t 20 ont entirel,
there is no use arguing the question.
"The Roumanian peasant IN much
given to superstition, and he has a sign
for everything, II shingles nre not
nailed on roof In the proper sign
they will turn up al the ends; II pota
toes are not planted In the proper
sign they win grow on top Of the soil
aud be a failure; II you have money
In your pocket when you see the new
moon you will not "go broke" at leas,
not until another new mocn has cor.c
On the other hand, II Is held TO he dan
rerous 10 announce TO those In the
house that the new moon has appcar
ed, for In that case all the pots nnd
pans In the kitchen will he broken be
Fore the waning moon pnsses
"When n peasant child II chr,s'rrcd
M of those present assume the rela
ton of. golparents aud Il II u, super
stition that, tlierc musl rhe'uo iike~mar