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PART THREE.
ASIATIC RUSSIA AT THE
PARIS EXPOSITION.
A Remarkable Display Which Occupies
About Tliree Fifths of All the Empire's
Space.
Wonders* of a Vnt and Crowing Empire— Picturesque and Improillve
Group at Buildings Designed by Gospodln Meltzer—Evidence of Hus
sia s Success With Isnvngr Peopl Natural Hesonrers
Indicated—Elaborately Carved Weapons and Strange Musical
Instruments - Bokharaaadn and Spltzberger In Contrast.
Priceless Jewels and Buddhist idols _ Uo i (1
All Farms—The M oseow-I’rklll Trip.
(Copyright 11)00. by V. Grtbayedoff.)
Paris, May 7.—Visitors to the exposition
are not long in learning that Russia, the
great ally of the French Republic, is con
spicuous by her absence In the famous
street of nations that extends from the
Pont des Invalides to the Pont de l’Alma.
But Russia has more than made up for
this by securing what is, perhaps, the
choicest location of the enllro exposition
grounds, an extensive tract bordering on
the left wing of the Trocadero. There the
Russians have erected a vast palace and
stocked it with works of art, industrial
exhibits and a great variety of other in
terceding things gathered from the four
corners of their mighty domain.
English speaking folk are accustomed
to dwell on Great Britain's far-reaching
possessions, upon which the sun never
sets, and on the great variety of semi-civ
ilized and savage people who acknowl
edge the sway of Her Gracious Majesty.
Such an empire apparently can never be
surpassed either in magnitude or in power
to conquer and assimilate. Yet, a short
stak within the portals of the Russian
pavilion at the Trocadero is likely to force
other views upon the visitor. He soon
begins to realize that in many particulars
Russia's influence is as widespread as
Great Britain's; that Russian has been
rapid and sure, and that Russian ability
THE GEORGEOUS CENTRAL ASIATIC HALL.
to assimilate the inferior races is, if any
thing, superior to that of Great Britain.
There is abundant evidence in the ex
hibits from Russian Asia that the Rus
sian understands the Asiatic far better
iimn does any oiiler Europe-aii, and has
better learned the secret of making a
serviceable and docile tool of him.
Russia's Astatic Exhibits.
But to a survey of Ihe Russian-Ast
atic section at the exposition. It occu
pies about three-fifths of the entire Rus
sian pavilion. The architect of the group
of buildings, Gospodin Meltzer, has en
deavored, as far as possible, to combine
In his work many of the handsomest and
most characteristic types of ancient Sla
vonic architecture. The prevailing mo
tive has been Inspired by the byzantlno
romanesque lines of the Kremlin at Mos
ESQUIMAU TROPHY.
(This exhibit, composed by the Grand Duchess Sergius, is one of the most Inter
ring features In the North Siberian S ecllon of the Russian-Asiatic Show.)
cow . and indeed the general aspect of
the structure vividly recalls that famous
fortress.
1 llr j l *‘ s ta n , or more properly speaking,
o 1 rane-Casplan provinces and depend
such a Merv. Bokhara. Tashkend
' nJ Samarcaiwl occupy tho Salle d-hon
th Ur ' 1 tla l ar S es t hall in the palace, facl g
* main n trance. And a gorgeous hail
is. of which no picture can convoy
orn than the faintest notion. Viewed from
' entrance it looks as if taken 'rom a
j mtlng by Verestchagla excepting tflut it
lierhaps a litlte ove:crowded with cu
-08 hrle-n-brac nnd tapestll a. In tho
T1 , ,:“-r sl * most of the timo two real live
"omen, or.o of them the son of a fa*
' is chief who died on the battlements of
o-1 epe twenty years ago resisting the
■ ‘orlous onslaught of Scoboh IT. the great
•” ls -“lan general.
O *? f* ,e Vfosence of these keen-eyed
■ ' ntals— and there are many of them In
r. • .< Jl * f ' lan Asiatic section—that forces a
isation of the wonders that have been
"snpllshed in Central Asia within a
u-k ° f , ye ' rs b y Russia,
wiiu Pn started out to subdue the
m* 1 nn< f warlike tribs settled between
wiiu of*? ,h ® Caspian sea, Central Asia,
m. ,* 0 , 1# hiervcls-lts ancient motiu
* "t. Its priceless relics.of a gor out
wa * practically a sealed took to tlis
mttm
Western world. Only an occasional trav
eler was able to tell of its architectural
beauties, of its tapestries and its deco.a
tive art. That campaign of Scoboleff and
the subsequent construeticn of the Trans-
Caspian Railroad, opened up this country,
and a wise though firm administration has
developed its natural resources wonder
fully and made "of the savage nomads an
industrious and law-abidirg people. De
spite their alleged fanaticism in religious
matters, the Russians early recognized the
futility of attempting the conversion of
these Moslems to Christianity. Instead
they accorded to them the fullest liberty (o
practice their own religion, only requiting
that the general laws introduced for the
preservation of peace and order shoujd l>e
conformed to. To-day the Turcoman caval
ry regiments in the service of Russia
march under a banner which bears on one
side the double headed eagle if the Tsor's
empire, and on the other the crescent of
the prophet.
Ivor ovine's Panel Paintings.
Among the objects most worthy of note
in the Central Asiatic hall are the enor
mous panel paintings by the artist Koro
vine representing a bazar in Samarcand,
a subject full of color and sunlight; a
Bokharan horse market; an, Oriental cafe
and a scene illustrating the system of ir
rigation in vogue in the region of the Pa
mirs.
There is also a large topographical map
of Central Asia, in relief, showing all the
famous passes over the Hindu Kush and
the mountains of Northern Afghanistan
whioh the Russians hope to cross some
day in their descent into the valley of the
Indus. To the left of the main entrance
the visitor’s attention is attracted by large
collections of objects or various kinds
which give an idea of the untold resources
of these comparatively unknown regions.
Avery brief inspection shows that they
are rkfh in minerals, as also in fauna and
flora, and it is learned that their cotton
industry has attained sufiicient develop
ment to supply a good third of the Rus
sian, demand.
Further on there is a rich collection of
objects of art, chiefly finely chased weap
ons and artistically carved musical instru
ments. The notes of the latter, however,
recall the Chinese fiddle or the tomcat on
the back fence, more than any civilized
musical instrument. One. dorner Is devot
ed to the exhibits of the Emir of Bok
hara, the only Central Asiatic chieftain
still enjoying a certain amount of inde
pendence. The silks, tapestries and tissues
of this semi-savage princelet are certain
ly beautiful and artistic, the blending of
tho colors nnd the ingenuity of the de
signs being calculated to bafllo even the
deftest of OerrHan imitators.
From the Central Asian section the vis
itor passes up a short flight of steps Inlo
the hall of the extreme north. Although
the mercury Is high to-day. the change
of scene almost brings on a chill. A mo
ment before all was warmth and color;
here, on tho contrary, the walls are cov
ered with white and gray furs and tho
objects on tho table and In the cases sug
gest the Icy regions of Spitsbergen and
Kamchatka. In the center of the hnll
are various lay figures representing Es
quimaux and Lamoyedes, stuffed wal
russes, bears, dogs nnd an endless variety
of polar sea birds. On the shelves are
seen compositions, In relief, showing the
various methods of communication In
vogue In the extreme North. One of these,
a dog sleigh, la the work of the Grand
Duchess Sergius. It is, of course, consid
ered a piece <!e resistance.
The next hall Is devoted to the exhibits
of Siberia proper, and contains, in addi
tion to aotno remarkable marble and mal
achite vases, a cellection of Buddhist idols
secured in Thibet and Kashgar by the
well-known writer and president of the
Russo-Chinese Bank, Prince Oukhtomsky.
The case, which is closely guarded by
detectives in plain clothes, holds a set of
priceless jewels from the Ural region and
another some samples of Siberian gold
in nuggets of various sizes and also in
the block and in powder. That Eastern
Siberia is destined at no distant day to
rival both the Klondike and South Africa
as a gold-bearing region is now a fact
accepted by mining experts the" world
over. The exhibits in the Siberian sec
tion furnish sufficient proofs that the
Russian government is fully alive to this
fact and that it is encouragnig both do
mestic and foreign capital to exploit the
rich auriferous regions of the Ussuri river
in Eastern Siberia.
After feasting his eyes on all these mar
vels of Russia's great Asiatic empire, em
bracing races of vastly different types and
reiigious beliefs—as the Ostraks, Samo
vedes, Esquimaux, Turcomen, Persians,
Chinese, and so forth, the vistior natural
ly turns his steps to the neighboring
building where the public is offered a trip
from Moscow to Pekin In a modern well
appointed parlor car. It may not be the
real thing, but it is so very much like it
that were it not for its short duration—
half an hour—one night almost imagine
himself en route for the celestial em
pire.
The parlor car moves and so does the
realistically painted panorama. The trav
eler, seated in a cosy arm-chir, Is treated
to a highly realistic imitation of a genu
ine trip. Or.e station succeeds the other,
towns, villages, green fields, mountains
and rivers pass rapidly before his eyes.
When the Chinese frontier is reached the
Russian conductor gets off and a China
man comes on board to punch the tickets.
Then the train rolls on to Pekin, which
happens to be situated in the Chinese
building Just behind the Russian pavilion,
the two structures being connected by
the railway bridge. It is a great scheme,
is this Moscow-Pekin trip, and George No
gelmackers, its originator, deserves a
world of credit for the idea and Its exe
cution. Valerian Grtbayedoff.
nOTHSCIIII.iI TREASURES.
Gems of the Vt’ndilesilon Request Sou
in the British Museum.
London Letter in New York Post.
Ever since it became known, soon after
the death of Baron Ferdinand Rothschild
in December, 189S, that he had left one of
his princely collections of art to the na
tion, collectors and connoisseurs have been
looking forward eagerly to the time when
these should be put on view in Blooms
bury. That time has come. At Waddes
don, the 266 objects forming this collection
were arrunged in a single room, and Bar
on Rothschild desired a similar arrange
ment at Bloomsbury. In o der to meet
the terms of the bequest, the museuid au
thorities have been obliged io to
the basement the Roman antiqulti s of
Britain, hitherto to he found at the top
of the tine staircase, immediately to be the
left of the main entrance.
On Monday, for the first time, the public
will be admitetd to what, as an inscription
tells, is to be known as the \Vaddesdom be
quest-room. Under the supervision of the
keeper of the department, the objects have
been admirably arranged—as far as possi
ble according to catalogue order—ln glass
cages, which admit for the most part of
an all-round view. The catalague, flus
trated by some fifteen p’afes, and having
as frontispiece a portrait of the donor, is'
an object-lesson In what such things
should be. Mr. Charles Hercules Rial has
a scholarly and informative introduction,
with careful descriptions and notes relat
ing to the individual pieces.
There are several objects here which,
singly, would have exnausted for years
the purchasing funds at the disposal of
this department of the museum—in other
words, they could not have been put on
permanent view save by the gift of a pri
vate Individual. In case A, the most im
mediately attractive object is the famous
circular shi-'d of hammered iron, with
subjects in relief, damascened with gold
and plated with silver, in the center is
represented a combat of horsemen, with
a frame surmounted by a male and female
warrior; around, are female figures sym
bolizing Glory’. Fame, Strength, and Pru
dence. The central panel bears the name
of the maker, Georgius de Ghisils, the
well-known Mantuan craftsman, and the
dale 1544. Tais exquisite pageant shield,
wrought with the skill of the goldsmith
rather thon that of the armorer, was an
outstanding object In the famous collection
of Prince Demidov of San Donato, sold
In IS7O. and its worth Is said to be not less
than £B,OOO.
Among the Renaissance cups, ewers,
vases, etc., in gold and hard slones.are five
pieces exhibited at the Burlington Fine
Arts Club in 1807. One of the finest of
these Is an antique Roman wase of chal
cedony, the surface decorated with vine
branches and grapes in high relief. The
bold and harmonious work of the Roman
lapidary attracted, it may be, the Renais
sance goldsmith to add the lovely mounts,
whose enamelled decoration, partly en
crusted, partly translucent, gives to the
vase as n whole unusual Interest and
charm. The breadth and certitude of the
Roman worker in hard stone are here
wedded to the delicate brilliancy of six
teenth century Italian goldsmith. The
other four pieces are a deep-toned lapis
lazuli vase and cover set with Jewels,
the enamelled group of Vcnls and Cupid,
and the mounts, being probably of Italian
sixteenth century work; a jasper vase and
cover, the double head of Cupid surmount
ed by a large crystal ruby, mounted In the
Germany of the sixteenth century; an
oviform ewer of bloodstone, set with Jew
els and mounted In gold, and an oval
tazza of variegated agate—and what more
fascinating than to lobk through the seml
tmnsparencles of Its sides—enriched with
enamel and Jewels. This quintet of pieces
formerly belonged to the Duke of Devon
shire, and the estimated worth of them
alone Is alrout £25,0000.
As Mr. Rend points out. the general
splendor of color indicates a taste on the
part of the collector rather for the rich
productions of the late Renal wanes than
for the severer art of the fourteenth c n
tury. or for that bequeathed to the world
by Greece. Four examples there are, how
ever, of the classical period. Aft- r mak
ing a careful survey of the varied treas
ures. the connoisseur will return to cahi
A. assured that desidte all the wealth of
color, the delicacy of touch, the glittering
stones, the costly metals, he yet finds
nothing of such signal beauty as a couple
of bronzes ttiat date from the thl and cen
tury before Christ. Attached to these cir
cular medallions are loose ring*, to form
the handles of a ittier, and on each medal
lion, 5%. inches in diameter, is the head
of a Bacchante in high relief, wreathe 1
wdth Ivy. More than 2,000 years have pissel
since the bronzes were wrought, and it la
SAVANNAH, GA., SUNDAY, MAY 20. 1900.
as if each passing year had added its quota
to the pure and exquisite loveliness of the
heads, poised with instinctive taste, the
faces remaining to-day os typas of ideal
beauty in womanhood.
Of all the objects on view, prrhaps the
famous Lyte Jewel will #tirnct the most
attention. Its history may be briefly re
called. James I was so much gratified
with the family chart produced by Thomas
Lyle, in which the King’s ancestry was
traced back to Brut, that, in the words of
Anthony a Wood, he gaye him "his pic
ture in gold set with diamonds, with gra
cious thanks.” Finally .the Jewel came
into the possession of Moiieyponny, and la
ter into the hands of thalDuke of Hamil
ton. At the dispersal qf the Hamilton
palace collection it was BUrcha c ed by Ba
ron Ferdinand Rothschilfffor (2 835, Few
if any better examples of English gold
smith's work of the early-pevenleenth cen
tury can be found, and it is thought to be
quite profitable that iticame from the
hand of George Harlot himself, while
many ascribe the miniature portrait of the
King to Nicholas Hilliard. It is a noble
pendant of gold, richly enamelled and set
with twenty five square table diamonds
and four rose diamonds. Covering the por
trait—for the most part, I believe, this will
not be exposed to the light, ro that its
brilliancy may be preserved—is open wok,
filled with decorations which form the let
ter R. The catalogue contains three im
pressions of this famous Jewel—of the
back, of the front with the cover down,
and the final one where the miniature por
trait is visible. It Is instructive to nobs
that this famous Jewel is seen in a porjrait
Of Thomas Lyte, Us original possessor, of
which a copy belongs to Sir Henry Max-
well Lyte.
The only piece of Chsmpleve enamel is
a fascinating tellquary fashioned at Lim
oges about 12S0-90. The theme of its arch
aic decoration is the martyrdom of St.
Valeric, the patron saint of the city, and
the work, whose deep notes of blue and
green and geld hold one in spell, is deemed
to be by the same harid as a marriage
casket in another part of the museum.
Once again to allude to the value of the
catalogue, it may be said that details of
bath pieces, i.lustrating their similarity,
are teproduced. We must pass with brief
mention a richly deooratid arquebus,
whose lock plate represents the triumph
of Neptune, ard a rapier with the name
Andreis Munsten on the blade, both from
the Spltzer collection; a sixteenth century
Milanese cabinet, faced with steel elabor
ately damascened; a panel of painted
enamel with the bust-portrait of Cather
ine of Lorraine, set with pearls and emer
alds. the artist's name, Leonard Llmosin,
pricked on the puffs of her left shoulder;
line examples of painted enamel by Mar
tial Courtois. Jean Courtols, and Susanne
Court, in particular, perhaps, an oval
plaque from a mirrer signed by the latter,
where the Tree of Love is being watered
by two Cupids, the white riband bearing
the inscription "Lamovr, se. mevrt, si.
elle. nest arovsee" (Love dies If not wa
tered); a piece of Arab glass in the form
of a goblet, early fourteenth century,with
a probably contemporary sllver-gllt mount
of French workmanship, where fleurs de
lys in a diaper are used with rare effect;
and a German sixteenth century rock
crystal vase and cover, one side of the
pear-shaped cartouche bearing the name
of Akbar in Arabic, suggesting that tilts
may once have belonged to the great Em
peror of Hindustan.
Of quite unusual interest are several of
the carvings in wood. There is a minia
ture tabernacle microscopically wrought
in boxwood with many scenes from the
life and passion of Our Lord. The body
opens horizontally, end is constructed and
carved in the same way as the rosary
beads, showing the crucifixion, resurrec
tion, etc. On lifting the hexagonal stem,
three-ttnlnute scenes are disclosed; the
washing of the disciples’ feet, the scourg
ing of the money-changers, and the Last
Supper. This object, executed with al
most miraculous heed, and wonder-pro
voking in its minute detail, dates from
the Flanders of about 1520, and the origin. il
case of cuir-bouilW, mounted in gold fili
gree, bears the orms of Emperor Charles
V. Hardly less noteworthy in its kind ia
a devotional carving in boxwood, probably
of English workmanship, circa 1340. The
twelve New Testament subjects lit the
oviform pendant are concealed by minia
ture hinged shutters, carved with roses
In relief.
Again in wood, this time walnut, are
two of the most beautiful pieces in the
collection. They are portrait-busts respec
tively of a man and woman, wrought by
Germans about 1530. Simple to severity,
they possess attraction of a rare kind.
The woman, her head covered by a linen
cap, ts of quite homely type, hut the ar
tist has revealed something of the rhythm
ic flow, the serenity of her character; and
the not particularly handsome man, with
the round hat tilted aside, is made in
teresting by the controlled skill of the ar
tist. This pair of fine carvings were ob
tained by Baron Anselm de Rothschild,
from the father of the late Sir Edgar
Rjehm. who bought them in Prague for
as litJe os four shillings, and it is said
>hcy orce formed part of the collection of
Emperor Rudolph IT. 14 has been supposed
that they represent Charles the Bold.
Duke of Burgundy, and his wife, Marga
ret, but expert opinion places them at
least half a century later than Charles'
lime.
The foregoing notes will serve to rive a
general Idea of (he scope of this magnifi
cent Rothschild bequest, which stands out
In its kind as one of the finest ever hand
ed to the nation. For the information of
connoisseurs of old silver-work, etc., I
may add that the various mirks are re
produced in 4he catalogue, with a view to
eliciting additional Information from out
side collectors.
Dorinmln Idly Flolbs.
From the Omaha World-Herald.
The housewives In a certain sictlon of
Omaha would very much like to Interview
(he kindly-faced and eloquent gentleman
who recently sold them Bermuda lily
bulbs. They have a few things to say to
him and are prepared to say them In
proper style.
The kindly faced and eloquent gentleman
In question recently pissed through thli
section of the city and gathered up a good
ly quantity of shekels, Ihe seme being cur
rent coin In the realm. In return therefor
he left bulbs that were warranted to pro
dure lilies that would cheer the hearts of
the housewives and make home a verita
ble bower of beauty.
His customers now have choice lots of
well-developed onions which they will dis
pose of at ruinous prices.
—Sure Sign.—“l 'em certain that Sue 's
engaged to Mr. Dinkey," said Mies Kit
tlsh to Miss Flypp. "Why. she never men
tions him.” "That Is what convinces me
She used to make all manenr of lun of
him."—Detroit Free I’rass.
—Customer—Give me ten cents" worth of
paregoric, please. Druggist—Yes, sir. Cus
tomer (absent-mindedly)—How much It
It? Druggist—A quarter.—Boston ch Li
lian Register.
THE LITTLE VILLACE
IN THE HHIINTAINS.
Seu in as MacMaiius Describes the Typical
Donegal Hamlet of Sessiagh.
It Is Forty Irish Miles From Everywhere Else—Eighty-llve Per Cent, of
Its Inhabitants Never Saw a Railroad Train or n Big Town—The
Cartman and the Neves He Bring* From the Outside World.
Dealers In “Trust Heal” Who Make Small Fortunes—The
Handicraftsmen of the Village and the Pay They
Get—How the Police Seek Illicit Poteen Stills.
The Money Lender—The Village Fair.
(Copyright ItMM), by Soninas MacMnnus.)
The village of Sessiogh Is a typical one.''
It is situated in the heart of the hills at
a point where three big glens meet. Ses
siagh contains about forty houses, half
of whioh are shops, (or stores), a chapel
(Roman Catholic), a church (Episcopa
lian), a police barrack and a market
house, (the upper floor of which answers
all the purposes of a public hall). Half
the houses are of (wo stories, (chiefly
slated), a third are of one story, thatched,
and the remainder are a combination of
one story thatched and two-story slated.
There are about two hundred and fifty
souls in Sessiagh. It has a single street,
the houses having grown up one by one
on either side the highway.
Sessiagh is forty Irish miles (fifty Amer
ican miles), from anywhere; and all the
shopkeepers' goods must be brought by
horse and cart over those forty miles—(he
entire trip occupying four. days. Our
untraveled citizens (who form 85 per cent,
of the population), never sow a railway
train, electric light or a big town, (1. e.,
one of three thousand people or more).
'But the cartman tells us about the won
ders of the outer world when we are
gathered around the shoemaker's candle
at might; so that we consider ourselves
MB BIBBMr ■•£ JMBBiM
THE DRAPER'S CURATE.
traveled in spirit. The cartman is an au
tocratic fellow, as he should be. for he
owns his horse and cart and earns a gold
en sovereign every four days’ trip he
makes to the big town. It Is more than
a dream to us that a succeeding genera
tion will see a railway laid up our Glen
Mor; and our old people never tire of re
peating and expounding the old prophecy
handed down from St. Colmeille that one
day a black pig breathing fire will come
up the glen with the speed of the wind;
some of the older narrators remember how
the meaning of the prophecy was still a
• a* • J " r ' —^
y * ' .'vt" r ' *-■*- ■
MODERN GROCERY STORE.
puzzling mystery when they were chil
dren.
Every Shopkeeper Also n Former.
Every shopkeeper is likewise a farmer.
Except on fa r days he can afford to
spend most of his time at tho spade. Just
without the village, leaving wife or chil
dren to aitend the oceaslchal ruW|nnmrß.
Some are grocers only; somn
are grocers and publicans; ands me again
grocers, publicans and drapers (omb.nod
—the groceries, the liquors and the dry
golds being all exposed in tho one little
siore. Often, Indftfd. the same man is at
nice grocer, publ ern, dra or. bak-r, far
mer, auctioneer, em.gratlon agent, tipi Ig
glng and knitting agent, law se s one
Clerk and a few other things.
The grocer Is tne miscellaneous dealer
of the village. He, as a grocer, deals In
everything except cloth anil liquors. In
the summer m-’n'hs ihe article In whleli
be does h's ch et tiade Is the yellow Aster-
lean Indian meal. Our small farmers'
stocks of home made oaten meal and of
I ota'toes get exhausted In the early sum
mer, and they have to rely largely upon
lonian m al to tide them over the m nths
that Intervene before the growing crops
are matured. '1 he grocer then supplies
thtm with "trust" meal, siting ir (o them
in bags that contain two hundred-weight,
(224 pounds.) As money Is always scarcer
in the summer (when the farmer is not
making any sales) the price of the bag.
three dollars, is "marked in the book,"
and a monthly interest of 15 cents added
—or an Interest of 60 per cent, per
annum. As may be supposed, the biggest
fortunes made lu our mountain village
are made by those who do a large trade
in trust meal. These min often ultimately
get possession of the house and the land
of the poor nmn who had to deal with
(hem on trust. Of course, the great ma
jority of those who take the trust meal
manage to pay after thr. e months.
We make a bread of the Indian meal,
too, when, through Btress of circum
stances, Hour is not easily procurable—a
bread contemptuously known as "Indian
buck;" and we are so ashamed of it our
selves that we consume it in Secret. Sixty
years ago, when Indian meal was first
ini reduced, it was a stigma to use It, even
(as now it Is univeisally used) in stirabout
as we term porridge.
Incomes In (rMlnsii.
The grocer sellsus wheat flour—American
always—ln "packs" of nlnty-elght p lun-ls
for two dollars and a half. The greater
part of the bread we eat l made at heme,
and of flour, in pancakes a couple of Indies
thick. But of late years the professional
baker (who is almost always tha grocer)
drives his bread cart along the mountain
roods and sells ills oven-baked cubical
loaves, two pounds weight, for five cents.
It might be of interest to mention here
that the pay of a hired professional biker
Is three dollars a week, with board and
lodging, or four dollars a week without.
The ordinary laboring mans t>ay 1s one
and a half dollars a week with meals anl
two and a half dolars per week without
meals. The village tailor charges from ono
nnd a half to two dollirs for making n
suit of clothes; the shoemaker charges
from 00 to ,i cents fnr miking a pair of
boots, and a blacksmith half a dollar for
shoeing a horse. In the two latter cases,
of course, the customer has himself bought
the material—at the grocer's.
A Journeyman tailor and a J-empymio
shoemaker are each paid st7j> a week, with
board and lodging, and Journeyman black
smith $2.14 per week, with hoard and lodg
ing.
If, In an unsual case, the grocer needs an
assistant, he takes his pick of the young
lads of the countryside, and binds him m
apprentice for four years, engaging, on hla
part, to support uud lodge him, giro him
PAGES 17 TO 24.
one suit of clothes the first year, two sut’s
each of the years following, and, in addi
tion. perhaps thirty or farcy dollars for ihe
lost year of his service. When t! e app. an
tice gets oat of his time he gets an ap
pointment to a city shop at a hundred del
la rs a year, and board and lodging on ihe
premises.
When the country woman comes In to
the village she carries in a basket on her
arm eggs and butter for sale to the grocer,
Bhc gets for her eggs from eight cents a
dozen In summer, when eggs are plentiful,
to eighteen and twenty . eats a dozen Ini
winter. And lie buys her butter, whloii
she brings In moaacans (or stack-shape*!
lumps) of three or four pounds watch!
each, at every price from ten to twenty
five cents a pound, according to the mar*
ket. J
In return she purchases from him tea at
thirty-live cents a pound, sugar at llvl
cents a pound, starch at ten cents n pounds
tobacco (for the old man at home) el*
cents an ounce, and snuff for herself a!
ten cents an ounce.
The Pulilicnn nail Mountain Dew.
The publican does not now make a*
much profit ns he did when poetln (poU
teen —Illicit whisky) was more In evidence
He retails his whisky, gin and rum at
7 cents a glass, or 60 cents a pint; *
cheaper quality of whisky and all hki
wines and cordials at 6 cents a glass; hi*
mineral waters and [nrlcr at 5 cents *
bottle; his ale 6 c<>*it3 a bottle. Whlskla*
and cordials are the principal drinks culls
ed for.
As every gallon of wMsky bears twd
and a half dollars duty the temptation to
purchase "mountain dew" at an Insignifi
cant price Is strong. At one time tha
publicans in our Donegal villages trade*!
pretty heavily In dew manufactured la
artificial caves in the mountains, smug
gled into the village and sold under Hi*
nose of (he gauger and police. A favorlto
method of smuggling the kegs of potest*
was to bring them Into the village hlddan
In carts of turf, (peats), which were meant
for sale; and many and exciting are thi
halr-breadih ’scn|es the smugglers eaal
tell about. I remember a comical cat#
In which a smuggler on his way to th*
village Jearrvt that the police, acting oflt
information, were watting for him—aru!
his Informant warned him to return horn*
and do away with the keg which he had
In the heart of his turf. But he knew *
betier trick. He swapped carts with a
comrade who had no whisky In his load,
and then both proceeded to the village.
His comrade delivered turf and keg safe
ly with the publican for whom it was ln
tended, whilst the police sergeant stop,
ped the smuggler, and In most Innocent
fashion, insisted on purchasing the smug
gler's load of turf. The latter made great
protest, saying this load was ‘'bespoken,"-,
and I hat under the circumstances ho would
not sell It for less than—an exorbitant
price mentioned. The wlfy sergeant close-1
the bargain at a snap, gladly pnld the
smuggler double price for the turf, emptied
the lend and—found himself a much mor
tified man!
The chief duty of the police ("peelers'')
of these villages used to be stm-huntlng,
or poteen seeking. Armed with gun and
a long steel rod for testing ground where
burled kegs were suspected, they tramped
the mountains alt day long—and were sel
dom successful. The punishment for a
detected smuggler, was usually the op
tion of a 130 fine or a month In Jail. Trx
Donegal the police are known as ‘‘still
hunters,'' and "dunghill stahbers."
Through the action of tne present Roman
Catholic Bishop (Dr. O'Donnell) poteen
making has been almost stamped out of
late years. It hod a very demoralizing
effeel and merited stem suppression.
I’ubllcans pay a license varying ac
cording to the size of their premises, fron*
}2O to 140 per year. They must not sell
between ten at night, and seven in tha
morning on week da.vis, and are not al
lowed to sell at nil on Sunday—except to
travelers. One w'ho has slept on the pre
vious night not less than threq miles from
the village Is reckoned a bona fide trav
eler.
All stores are usually kept open from 4
o'clock in tho morning till 10 at night. To
the stores of many mountain villages cus
tomers often hnve to walk ten miles. Each!
village has usually a radius of at leas*
six miles.
The Wall From America,
The mall, (which usually consists of
three score letters—half of them Ameri
can), comes into Sossiagh In the fore
noon-brought forty miles on a Jaunting
car, which sets out on the return jour
ney an hour after arrival. When our cit
izens travel out into the world they de
part on the mall car, and by it return!
again, if they return at all. And the tour
ists who com-- to see our country travel
on this car likewise. The fare is abou*
five cents a mile-and whip money to tha
driver. Travelers (by which we always
signify "drummers”) from Dublin, Belfast
and Derry come with their traps upon
special ears, for which about twenty cents
a mile Is paid.
Sesslagh has Its money lender, a pri
vate Individual who has amassed about
seven hundred dollars, and who lends
small sums to farmers in a pinch at 20
per cent.—or advances money on their
lands.
The only time when Bcsslagh Is really
alive and active is fair day, which is held
on the second Wednesday of each month.
On that -lay cattle, pigs, donkeys and
sheep are brought In for sale from within
a radius of twelve miles—and purchasers
( obbers) arrive from outside the moun
tains. The fair Is held on tho street,where
animals and m-n are tumbled and jum
bled together. Tents are erected by hawk
ers on the street, also, for the sale of all
sorts of peddlers' wares, fruits, biscuits,
fish and dills -, (a very palatable sea
weed.) Gamesters, too, are there In plenty
with their shooting galleries, ring-throws,
tTlek-o’-the-loop. card tricks, Jack's farm,
n hoc ger-us omne. And. not least, the
ballad singer with Ids “Come all ye young
men and maidens fair, I pray ya do at
tend"—singing of Dan O'Connell, Parnell,
the latest political sensation, a recent
bang tig or a lover’s romance.
The boys and girls of all the district
for ton m les around come to Sesslagh on
this day. tricked out In their finest and
best. They and make merry; tho
boys buying faltlns for the girls or treat
ing them to a glare of cordial, parading
the streets with them and conveying them
homo In the gloaming, happy with the
gaiety of hearts that are Innocent and
that—one might tmagtn never knew care.
God bless (hem. Seumas MacManus.
— %
—Billing: You are the last man to play
the races. What do you know about
houeeflesh, anyhow?
SMlloon: I ought to know a good deal
about It. I was In the army and lived
on salt horse for months at a time.—Bos
ton Transcript.
—Carried to Extreme.—" Yes, I know the
Governor very well." said the shoemaker.
“I’ve made his shoes for years.”
"He's awfully self-assertive, I bear,”
remarked the ocher.
"]>o you find him sor'
"Yes, Indeed. He won’t wear anything
hut a V-toed shoe."—Chicago Evening
Rost,