The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-11-10
Scale 81 wagss a. FSrs wayne.
FoRr WAySE, October u, 1865.
We are indebted to correspondent for
fha ALLAH nsn nsala NJ xuaAaa.


The conditions to which workingnsn LIN
Persia are sub, ected vary to certain de-
gree in the different provinces Of the king
dom. shall endeavor TO state what their
life often is in the districts near the city OF
Tehran. The faleh, or lAbQrer, 10 ready to
undertake almost any description Of occnpa-
ton. He works in the city - IN assistant
TO a mason, mixing lime or carrying bricks,
or If he be wanted, he Is equally ready 70
give aid in the cultivation OF gardens or
fields in the country. His working hours
are from sunrise to sunset each day Of the
week except Friday, which 10 generally OBJ
served as q day Of rest. About ten O'Clock
he has an interval Of half an hour for break
fast and from one to two O'Clock he rests
again to take food, to say his prayers, and
sometimes. 10 rest little while. He gener
ally works in lazy manner, and requires TO
be kept under the eye Of an overseer. For
. days labor be receives, ir Tehran, sum
varying from Sd. 10 lid. according 10 the
season of the year, and in the country ne
generally receives more than at Tehran.
In the winter he - often out Of word, and
in the spring time his labor - chiefly bought,
but as summer advances he il more in re-
quest and in the autumn his wages are ut the
highest poiut 10 which they reach. vi tie
sum which he daily earns be spends gener-
ally about one half or three-iourth Tor ms
breakfast and dinner and clothing, and he
lays by the rest against the winter, when ne
will have nothing to do or else he sends II
TO his wife. The Persian laborer Is as q
general rule married man. 1T be has 10
20 forth from his native village in search OF
work be usually leaves his wife beeind bim
Ii his wife has children she does not go out
10 service, but If she be unencumbered she
often takes employment in the house oil some
gentleman. The wife of laOorIngman an
Persia, although she seldom does any work
in the field, cal assist her husband 20 some
extent in earning the bread of the family.
She can undertake the making or the mend
ing or the washing Of clothes, and sue can
utilize her spare time in preparing cotton
twist, and in various other ways. Her
clothes, and those OF her children, II she
has any, are the reverse Of costly her hus-
band wears but one suit Of garments in the
year and the house rent they pay is light.
The staple Of laboring mans food Is
bread, which commodity is usually sold At
fehran at the rate OF one man (or d 3-4 los }
for shahis,o or Al Beef is cheap and aburd-
ant In winter, but it is not eaten at other
seasons Of the year. As general rule Per-
sian peasants eat meat three or four times
a week, if they cannot afford to eat it every
day. 70 the antuml they salt mutton for
the water consump tion. They enjoy a
plentiful supply of milk, cheese and rice.
Mutton is usually sold at from twUpence
to three pence per pound. Rice 10 che
article OF food most in demand vegetables
are cheap, and of various kinds and fruit,
including grapes, mulberries, melons, ana
water melons, is in the summer and autumn
months exceedingly abundant, and u be
bad at the lowest imaginable prices. Sher-
bets and ice are within the means Of the
poorest people, and altogether in respect OF
diet the condition of the laboring man in
Persia can bear favorable comparison with
that Of most other countries.