The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-09-05

result, the discredited "krOne" was
replaced by the OnomatOpOeic 'pengO,"
to reinforce faith in the stabilized cur
rency.
Side trips from Budapest will con-
vince the traveller that, contrary to
first impressions, the Hungarian plain
is far from being either mOnOtOnOus or
lacking in color. One need not travel
for more than a few hours east Of
the capital in order to see all the
colors of the rainbow, or gypsy camps,
or a Wild West roundup, or a first
rate Fata MOrgana, with Elusive seas
and cities rising across the plain.
The cOlors will assail your eyes
at the village of MeZOkOvesd any Sun
day morning, in the church square
seething with folk. Their black gar
ments merely serve as background
for superimposed stripes, aprons, bod
ices, woven in mixed patterns of or
ange, green, yellow and purple.
A fringed apron, kaleidoscope IN
effect, hangs from the waist of each
maiden or youth. The formers full
pleated skirt sways rhythmically as
she walks. The latter, in his short,
velvet-colIared jacket, his tall, fiat
brimmed derby, and that indesCrib-
ably cOquettiSh apron, would inspire
any fraternal order Of the So-and-SOs
with hints for a striking lodge cos
tune.
Matrons wearing the cOrnucOpia-
shaped Golf of medieval association
display garments of lesser color areas,
while dear old grannies promenade in
solemn black-mere background for
youths peacock pageant
If you are fortunate enough to view
a marriage ceremony, the color will
be heightened. Down the village street
comes a cOstumed wedding party. In
naive symbolism Of hoped-for fertil-
ity, the bride carries a chicken, while
the bridegroom displays a baby doll
in his hat; and after the event is
over the peacock maidens parade up
and down in pairs for the especial
benefit Of the peacock youths.
The Wild West roundup may be
witnessed around DebrecZen, whose
neighboring plains contain 10000 head
of live stock. The spectacle of stall
wart csikos (cowboys) throwing the
lassO while wearing derby hats and
petticoats lends itself to mirth until
one discovers that for dexterity with
rope and horse they have few equals.
The big round-upS coincide with De-
breczen's fairs, where masses of
horses, longhorned cattle and gaily
clad csikos form a spectacle that could
hardly have been equaled by our West
at its widest.
Great Hungarian Plain.
From the northward-rising Tokaj-
Hegyalja mountains, whence comes
the sweet and heady Tokay wine, and
to southwark, along the Tisza's en-
tire course, stretches the larger AL
fold, or Great Hungarian plain, sep
arated from the smaller Alfold by
two mountain ranges. InundatiOn is
its ancient enemy. Government engi-
neers assert that the fall of a single
dixie on the Tisza would put one-sixth
of Hungary under water.
The Alfold's grassy expanses, where
sky meets circling horizon like blue,
inverted bowl, has the poetry of time
less calm. At times its distant clouds
seem so low, so solid, that you al
most fancy cowboy could lasso one
and haul it to earth. Daylong moth
ing is heard but sheep bells atinkle
or the lulling pastoral of some
shepherds flute.
What a promised land must have
spread itself before the slant-eyed
Huns when, in the Fourth century,
they appeared on those illimitable
pastures These terrible little men
long-armed and flat-faced, clad and
capped in skins-were steppe-dwell-
ers, children of the wind and sand.
AS mobile as those elements, they and
their vast encampments of covered
wagons and herds, ever trekking from
the grass-submerging sandstorm's ap-
proach, became ever more like it-a
yellow leluge, swift and unforeseen,
sweeping over the grasslands of Eu-
rope.
For Rome was failing; the DAN
ube'S gates stood wide. Five CEN
turtles of barbaric invasions obliter-
ated civilizations works along its
course. Its banks were held by
Franks, Goths, and Gepidae; by Thur
ingians, Alemanni, and Avars-a con-
Formation of tribes north and south
living in feud and fattening on public
molestation. Not until the later Bull
CARS gained control between Tisza and
the Black sea did Danubian COM
merce emerge from its long eclipse.
The Alfold's gypsies may be found
amid crazy novels adjoining the
raveled-out ends of some village
street. Against a background of dirt
floors, paneless windows, filth indie
scribable, out will rush a gang Of
wild-eyed children, swarthy men, slip
shod women, to see what they can sell
passing tourists. They proffer music,
but whatever be the tune, your true
Tsisane musician seems temperament
ally unable to perform it except in
wild and wavelike strains of abyspsal
despair.