The herald. [microfilm reel], May 05, 1895, Page 15, Image 15

About The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
THE COUNTRY FAIR
Charles Yon Kalck
• Your tale is very good ; still, of course,
it It a Hall story. But I will tell you a
real adventure 1 had in Hamburg on my
lust nip through Germany,
"You all know that the old women who
sell Bah in that city have the worldwide
reputation of being blessed with a Won
derful amount of temper and volubility,
tnd when once excited will display a
knowledge of invectives that is most as
ion tab ing. Pure curiosity brought me
one morning down to the fish row. and as
I wanted lo heat one of those celebrities ,
in |be full glory ol her language, I design I
edly stumbled over a basket belonging ]
to one of the matrons, upsetting it and i
completely scattering the Hsh in every I
direction. At onco a shower oi all the |
possible and impossible attributes, names
and comparisons fell upon me, and I I
stood waiting for tho fill ale, as an idea
popped into my head that I made use of
ut once. Tho old woman had stopped
for an instant in the torrent of ber abuse,
and 1 Smarted to say the Russian alpha
bet: Az, Buky, Vedy. Glogel, Dobro,
etc. With her nioutn wide open sho
looked at me. and before I was half
through she called: 'For God's sake,
stop! put I hem down! put them down. I
thought 1 knew tbem all. hut those I
never heard before; they are just lovely,
l'ut them down !' "
Tho story was atisuvred by tho gene
ral laughter of all present, a company of
young and old men. sitting in the gen
tleman's room of the tavern in BeresOWka.
who had conic to attend the annual fair
and were cither members of the nobility,
owning the neighboring estates, or tneir
representatives. .... ..,
The annual fair of a Russian village is
an event of the greatest importance to all
classes living in the vicinity. I'heowner
of* the large estate sells all bis old stock
and buys younger animals. The peasant
here disposes ot horses and cattle of his
own raising. The wife of the laborer
brings her geese, ducks or chickens to the
fair and finds a ready market. The city
merchant offers his out-of-date goods at
low prices anil finds among tlx; laboring
classes and tho peasantry willing buyers.
The country fair is a necessity iv Rus
sia,, as much so as arc stock yards in an
American community.
Beresowka bad changed its appearance;
the generally quiet, unassuming little vil
lage had become tho scene of busy life.
On one side of tho thoroughfare was
erected a long row of roughly constructed
sheds, in which the city merchants had a
largo display of cotton and woolen goods.
Before each was posted v young man
as v caller.
This youth.displaying a wonderful flow
of language, is dressed in high boots, the
pantaloons tucked into the legs and bang
ing over them, similar to a now fashion
able "leg of mutton" sleeve turned up
side down; in a rod silk shirt, falling over
the top of the trousers and held around the
waist by a green or blue silk rope with
large tassels; a kaftun or coat, with
tight-fitting waist, ornamented on both
s ties with small bright buttons and the
lower part that nearly reaches to the an
kles, attached to it in the manner of a
woman's skirt, but open in the front; a
black cap and the hair hanging down
nearly to tl.e neck and cut off in v fault
less straight line.
"You can buy here everything your
heart wishes," he screeches; "we have
calico and silks; Turkish tobacco and
pickled cucumbers: gowns, boots, crack
nels and fur coats; harness, tea, pipes,
candies and handkerchiefs: come in! it
costs you nothing to look at our goods
you get ricli by buying from us; do not
go to the fellow next door, his shelves are
but till' ' 1 ; n the front; and his goods are
stale, w ,d ours are breaking down Un
der tbii weight that is piled upon tbem;
and the goods as fresh as thoy can be.
Here beauty,''addressing a young lass
passing by, "you must bave a pair of
earrings, come in, we have dandies. —
Say old man, your pipe is falling to
pieces, come in, we will sell you one tor ")0
kopecks that will hist long enough for
your grandson to sniolrT?. Ah! Barishna!"
lie tui ns, using tno title of an unmarried
lady, to a chambermaid dressed in the
general European style, "lean sell you
the finest gloves for a mere song, ami a
pair of shoes that will make your little
feet appear still smaller; just come in
alio bless our goods with a look from your
beautiful eyes." And so ho keeps on
from the early morning until late at
nlgbt, ilio incarnation of a 'perpetuum
mobile.'
Joining the lowof sheds are tents where
old women sell "bliny," buckwheat pan
cakes, fried in the oil of sunflower seed:
some oripplea offer "utky" whistles in
the shape of ducks, the tail forming the
mouthpiece, and by closing witb the
first linger either of the two holes on the
sides, where tbe imagination may pic
ture the beginning of the wings, differ
ent sounds arc produced only appreciated
by a Russian child. Then follow the
dealers in woodenware. having always a
great demand for their goods, as the peas
ant, with tbo excepting for tea, uses no
cbinaware at all, offering large stacks of
big and little dishes holding from ten
quarts to a quarter of a pint, nearly all
of the same sbap . similar to the Ameri
can soup bowl, turned from willow wood,
painted brown, decorated in a Turkish
pattern of bright colors and covered with
a varnish that is even able to withstand
the attack of heat from the Quid victuals
served in it. Hig piles of wooden spoons
attract the attention of the passer-by.
They are all of one size, the shape of a
hollow ball cut in two, witli short round
Dandle ending in a little knob, painted
nnd decorated in the same style as the
dishes.
Scattered among all those she Is, fonts
and open places are a great many stands
for sweetmeats, laden wilh candy made
of Hour, water and a little sugar, orna
mented with small pictures in glaring
colors: stick candy broken into equal
parts and wrapped in colored and fringed
paper, containing each a motto of ques
tionable value; dried carob beans; nuts,
and the inevitable sunflower seed, which
children, women and men consume hy
the quart, sitting for hours, breaking
the seed with their front teeth, extract
ing by an ingenious twist of the tongue
tiie. kernel, and Diowillg the hulls out
with a celerity that might awaken envy
in a squirrel. Near those .stands is gen
erally a beggar, exposing some horrible
deformity of his limbs, singing a monot
onous tune. Often they aru but children
used by gypsies to impose upon the kindly
feelings of the public; stolen offspring of
some poor peasant woman, maimer l be
yond recognition and condemned to live
this horrible life for the purpose on/y of
tilling the pockets of these laay and
worthless wild beasts of humanity.
On the other side of the thoroughfnro
is lirst v long row of wagons laden with
apples, poultry, bore and there a couple
of sheep, a calf or a pig, a roll of home
spun cloth or linen, tubs of melted butter
for the kitchen use during winter time;
honey, eggs und whatever men thut till
the soil can produce Then fojlows a row
of cattle, milk cows, young and old steers
for use In harness, or waiting for v buyer
to bo stall-fed and killed the coming
spring; and at last, the liveliest place of
the whole pair, the string of horses, tied
to wagons, posts or fences, joining a big
open space used for examination and
trial. First came tho young stock—some
lino specimens, well groomed and under
blankets, restlessly stamping the ground
with iheir well-formed hoofs, with liery
eyes in shapely heads, showing plainly
that noble blood was coursing through
their veins. Then followed older animals,
and at last the poor creatures that had
served faithfully until old age had come
and were sold now to the wealthy men
by the dozens to bo fattened with soft
food, then killed, the carcasses thrown to
the hounds, or poisoned und used as bait
for wolves; the hides sold to the tanner
ies, making the leather for the celebrated
Russian waterproof boots. This i» the
part of the fair that would make a good
Christian's heart tremble, who believes
men have to account for overy falsehood
they tell: for it would keep St. Peter and
nil his clerks busy to put nil those hap
penings down that are entered into tho
big books marked with fiery letters,
"lies:"
Peasants, gypsies, commoners from the
city an 1 the ever wandering Jew, are try
ing to get the best of each otlter; assert
in- under oath what nobody believes.
"Ah. good morning. Mikita Jaruslav, "
remarked a foul-looking Jew, well per
fumed with o odeur de fa Neur de garlic
addressing a young peasant dressed 111
his best. This best was a low black hat,
tbe rim turned straight up and two
brleht peacock feathers standing proudly
In the air; a brown kaftan," a calico
shirt of small flowered pattern, black vel
veteen trousers and the boots dripping
and shining from Ihe free application of
wooil tar, boiled with sheeps' tallow.
"How do you like my mare?" continued
the Jew, "isn't she a beauty? Gentle as
a lamb, true as steel; how will you trade
for your little horse? Too small for
you," oh?"
"Go to the devil, you smooth-tongued
luir!" answered Mikita; "thut old plug!
I wouldn't hays it for a gift."
"Gott der Gerechterl exclaimed the
Jew; "calls this man my marc a plug?
Have I ever put. my eyes on a better
'klatske?' No, Mikita, your temper is
bad this morning. Let's go and have a
'vodka;' that settles your stomach, makes
you feel better. Just have I refused 126
rubles for the animal, and you call it a
plug. Rut I see you are only joking;
come, let us take a 'vodka.' "
"I don't mind to drink," said Nikita,
"hut I won't trade horses."
"All right, all right, we will drink to
warm our friendship up. If make
any 'mascm atten 1 today we" may do it
tomorrow; you know me, I am an honest
Jew."
"Yes. honest!" sneered Nikita, "your
face looks as if you had it stolen from the
picture gallery of the devil's grandmoth
er. The idea, to trade for my horse.
Small, what, of it? Hut he can go Ilk* a
cannon ball. When my wife and I go Sun
days to church the people all stop to look
at us as we pass."
"Well, well, no trade is no trade, but
we go and have v drink." the Jew
philosophsied, and turning to an individ
ual of his own race, he said something In
the peculiar Jewish jargon, a mixture of
Hebrew, German and Russian, and
walked off with Nikita to the tavern.
The other Jew rushed off as soon as he
saw his friend enter witli the peasant,
and quickly had a strong hair. tukon
from the tail of the animal, tied around
the ankle of Nikita' horse; then ex
changed a few words with a gypsy and a
ma" who looked like an escaped jailbird,
ami returned with a diabolic grin on his
artful face.
Nikita and the Jew were talking and
drinking as a gypsy and another man en
tered the place, am! ordering some
''vodka," the latter said: "A devilish
fine horse, that mare of Moses Weiss
mann; he asks 150 rubles; it is not too
much, but I shall try to get her for 135."
"Hush up!" answered the gypsy, pre
tending to speak low but still loud
enough or Nikita to hear him. "The
old fox is standing right behind us. If
he finds out that you want the horse he
never will sell it for any such money."
Both emptied their glasses and walked
out.
Soon the Jew and Nikita followed,
walking slowly along the road, taking
bere and there a look at the display of |
merchandise, Tbey passed the stand of
the money changer, who is kept by the
government under bonds, so as not to
circulate counterfeit money, and has the
right to charge 1 per cent lor exchanging
currency for silver and oopper and vice
versa, arriving at last at Nikita's
horse and wagon tied to the fence of a
peasant's yard. "The horse is small,"
said the Jew. "but well built; looks as if
he can travel. I never have seen him go
iv full speed. If you wish to put him
into my hands, 1 ' may get you a good
price.''
"No, I told you tlic horse not for
sale." answered Nikita, "hut jump in;
I will show you what he can do."
The Jew climbed in the wagon and
! Nikita untie 1 the horse, patted the neck
I of his pride and started; but, lo! the uni-
I mal was lame—it could hardly walk. The
i Jew laughed and accused Nikita of boa-t
--ing with a crippled horse. Soon there
gathered a crowd, and a big man in city
clothes stepped forward and declared,
claiming to be a veterinary surgeon, that
I the horse had its shoulder dislocated,
I rendering it useless, as It was an incur
able case. Nikita felt as if a mountain
[ had fallen upon him and believing bis
horse to be unlit for future use he asked
the Jew the price of the mare, lie bad a
short time ago called a plug. ,
"One hundred and li ft y rubles is my
price, "islid the Jew, "but I see you ire
In bad luck. To show you that I am your
1 friend and an honest Jew. I will take 101
j rubles and your horse and Will try my
I best to cure him. If I Succeed, you can
I buy bim from mo for 50 rubles ana if I
] don't 1 am the loser."
This proposition seemed to Nikita too
! good to refuse and ho accepted, paid the
! money and soon drove off with his new
horse"
' As soon as Nikita got out of sight the
| Jew went to work. A quick cut liberated
| the suffering animal from the tightly
| drawn horsehair ; v little liniment relieved
the inflammation and in half an hour the
horse was as active ns ever. Now the Jew
went to the tavern, rapped at the door of
the gentlemen's room, and put his head
inside asking for Andrea Michaelowitoll
Kostjakow. "Come in. you old sinner,"
I said 'the young man, our old acquaint
! ance. who told us of his adventure with
j the lisher woman at the beginning of our
l story, "anything new?"
"Your honor," answered the Jew, "I
; have your brown marc traded off. (lot a
line, very tine, extra 'me horse, but 50
rubles I nad to pay to hoot; I give your
honor 10'J rubles if your honor don't like
it wie balstl I can't do any better.'
"Wait a minute; I will take a look at
the line horse you have. I suppose it is
a plug as bad as the mare and you are
trying to work mo for the money" said
kostjakow rising slowly from his seat
and thrusting in his pocket a few rubles
ho had won in a game of cards. lie
was a tall, muscularly built man of nearly
lit) years of age, light complexioned anil
with an extremely kind expression in his
intelligent face. As he entered tho mar
ket place the peasants all lifted their bats.
They knew him; ho was the baron or
landlord of Rerosowka. Arriving at the
Jew's stand ho thoroughly examined the
horse and asked: "With whom have you
been trading. Weissmann? I told you not
to cheat il peasant."
"A city merchant your honor it was; he
hid loaded too heavy with 'vodka' " was
the prompt answer of the lying Jew.
"But how in the world did you make
! the bucking brute even start.' inquired
tiie young "burin."
"Oh ! your honor, we aro fools, but some
times we know something more than an
evorv day fool," explained tho Jew. "A
rouble spent for opium and brandy is well
placed; but now, your honor, have the
tine horso taken to your barn. I think
the man will soon return afoot, and may
want hack the horse, by this time the
'alatske' is sure dead."
"You are a rogue, Weissmann; here arc
your 50 rubles, now send the animal over
to the stable, but if I find out that you
have cheated a peasant I will turn the
hounds on you and chase you from here
to Moscow," threatened Kostjakow. start
ing back to the tavern to join the com
pany of his joking, smoking and drink
ing friends.
He had reached nearly the center of the
village as a woman of about 35 years of
age. careworn and in rags,stopped bim,by
falling before him on her knees and
touching the ground with her lorcbcnd.
"Oct up. woman," said he, "what is it
you want?"
"Oh! Catushka!" (little father) ex
claimed the wretched being, still remain
ing on her knees, "fivo years ago my lit
tle girl, then only .1 years old, disappeared,
and as at that time some gypsies had a
camp close by, 1 linve always suspected
thoy stole my child. For live years I
have been looking for her at ail the fairs,
but have not found her. I may not know
her again. as she must, have gro"wn np, but
if you will help nio I possibly may lind
my child, as she has two moles between
her shoulder blades, one below the other
right on the spine. Now. if you let me
LOS AXGELES HERALD: SUXDAT MORNTN"Gr, MAT 5, 1895.
SHOWING HOW THE CHINESE CONCESSIONS TO JAPAN ENCROACH ON RUSSIA
The Shading In the nap of Manchuria Shows the Ceded Portion
examine all tho begging children here I
will pray lor you ail mv life."
"I will do it," Bald tlic young "barm
without hesitating, moved by the story
of tho kneeling woman, and Dlowing a
short whistle ho bad at once the six
mounted fair policemen surrounding him,
"You will see that no beggar child is
removed from its place until I tell you
thai lam through," and the men went
off to sou that his commund was obeyed
to the letter.
Andres Miehaelowitch Kostjakow. be
ing tho "barm" of Beresowfca, had the
highest police authority of that estate,
and making use of his power, ho fol
lowed the impulse of his kind heart,
which prompted htm to give the unfor
tunate mother a helping hand in the
search for her lost girl.
Starting from one end of tho village,
each boy or girl that was asking alms
crippled or not was closely examined by
the woman under the protection of Kostja
kow, followed by a large crowd that knew
her and considered her insane in tho hope
to lind her child.
Fifteen little Welches had been inspect
ed but none had the marks for which the
poor mother was so eagerly seeking.
Only a few more remained und her hope
was almost extinguished as she approached
a little boy of about eight years.
Lack of care and proper food had made
almost a skeleton of the child, and sitting
in a little wagon the logs and arms und a
part of the chest exposed to view showed
sores of most repulsive character, making
the impression as if the whole body of
the child was covered with them. The
woman carefully pulled the little soiled
shirt of coarse linen tar enough back
from the neck to permit a glimpse at the
spot between the shoulder blades where
her gtrl'had those two little moles.
| She looked, she looked again : then turn
ing the face of the boy to permit a full
view of it she screamed out: "Madia,
my child!" and fell senseless to tho
ground. Helping bends took her and the
little boy at ouco to the nearest house
and summoned the doctor of the district.
Kostjakow gave the order to arrest the
gypsy family the child belonged to, but
they had tfed us soon as they saw the
way the search for the child was going on.
ami having fully two hours' start were
by this time out of the reach of justi c
Olid under the protecting shade of the
forest some feu versts (six miles) away.
As the young"barm" entered the liouse
where the mot her and her child bad
found temporary shelter nnd were made
THE PLIGHT OF THE NATIONS-Will They Kill Our Asiatic Trade?
THE JAPANESE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT NEAR TOKIO
comfortable, he was informed by the doc
tor that the woman bud recovered and
that the boy who had proven to be a girl
in boy's clothes, was not wholly coveied |
by tliose horrible sores. Only, on those ]
piirts of the body which were exposed lo j
view WAS a superficial ulceration, formed j
by some poisonous salve. Tho news of
What had happened in the last few hours
was the talk of the fair, and as Kostja
kow appealed to the merchants, vis
itors and tho public in general
for material help, placing a police
man with a box near tho stand
of the money changer, for the purpose of j
receiving contributions, und making the
lirst deposit of a 100 ruble bill himself;
tho offerings came pouring in, and as the
evening spread its darkening shadows
over the busy little place, Andres Mlchael-
OWlch was happy, being able to give the
poor womun the pretty sum of 1000
rubles ($500.) On her knees sho thanked
him,fully believing that he was a special
messenger of God, sent by Him to restore
to her the beloved child and make her. in
her own estimation, a rich woman.
The people that attend the fair in Be
rosowku now have long forgotten the in
cident thut created such an excitement
twenty years ago. but it had brought its
fruit. Andres Michaelowitch Kostjakow
had not only stopped the begging of
crippled children ut the fair on his estate,
but through the influence of his friends
in St. Petersburg, steps were taken to
overcome this evil, und the fairs piesent
the same appearance today ns they did
years ago, except that one feature is taken
from it, tiie "crippled child-beggar;" and
as a natural consequencce the gypsies do
not steal so many children, as it has be- .
come unprofitable.
The leading railroad in Connecticut baa
applied to the legislature to prohibit the
construction of electric roads between
towns now connected by stenin linos. A
tabic is submitted snowing that the sub
urban truttic of the steam rouls in some
cases bus been nlmost entirely lost. The
points urged are that the legitimate busi
ness of the old roads are disregarded und
that the electric roads is infringing on
the general highways belonging to the
public.
Stockings are first mentioned in litera
ture as being worn .11 Italy about the
yeuvlluO. They ure alluded to as v great
invention and far superior to tho foimer
practice of Wrapping the feet in cloth
bandages.
showing; the territory ceded by CHINA TO JAPAN
HOUSE IN WHiCH THE TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN JAPAN AND
CHINA WAS SIGNED
Never Touched Him
John Pnyn tells this story ol the "Amer
-131111 plan of dueling, wherein tha two
duelists, with one second, meet within
doors and draw lots for who shall shoot
himself. On a r»»cpnt. occasion A anil II
having had a "dittlculty," A was Ihe Un
lucky man, and retired for the purpose of
self destruction Into the next apartment.
H and tiie second, boil) very much moved
by tlic tragedy of the sittuitio . remained
in listening attitudes. At lust the pislol
was hoard; they shuddered with emotion
an I remorse, when suddenly in rushtd
the supposed dead man. triumphantly
exclaiming, "Missed 1
Except in winter, when water should
ho given simrinply. palms shonld never
be allowed" lo get dry! or the tips of the
leaves will become yellow and brown, and
the appearance of the plant will he greatly
marred. When making new growth tbey
need a moist atmosphere, which il is dif-
Itcult to give them in a window.
15