Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-14

SOME INTERESTING FACTS CoSCERNING THEIR
MARKET VALUE.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS COSCERNING THEIR
MABKET VALUE.
writer in the American Register Of Paris
saws
European society has been aware for some
considerable period that women in the East
are sometimes worth their weight literally
IN gold. Strange stories have occasionally
been recounted of beautiful Circassian ladies
sold at private sale for So, 600 apiece but
then, of course. those prices are exceptions,
and the purchasers NIceToys Sultans and
Ministers of Finance. to whom money WAS no
object. The Eastern Middle class, COM
prlsing such small fry IA Aghas Eiiendis,
Bashis. Bimbashis and the like, It is asser-
ted usually expended sums VARYING from
81, 900 to $1,000 IN the purchase OF better
halves, but hitherto We have had no indica-
tions OF the market value: of women among
the working classes in the East
Ii has been reserved to Captain Barnaby,
IN his Interesting account of "A ride through
Asia Minor, 10 onlIghten us on the subject of
women considered a marketable coumod-
ity among the lower strata OF Eastern society
1t is TO be understood that We do not include
in tbs classification such abnormal people
us Kurds, Bedouins, Circassians. and the
like. these people generally stealing their
wives Just rs they steal everything else.
Captain Hnrunhy relates that his Turkish
servant who Wa gwen To- such rrcrutrl,Itics
praying five Tunes day, aud who may,
therefore, he regarded as II genuine type of
his class. revcls in the luxury OF one wife.
MOnugaInist by force of circumstances. this
Turkish servant had purchased his wife of
her father Tor fifty dollars, and she was con
sidered bargain at the price. her father
being an eNtmyngHnt individual, over head
and ears in debt to money lenders. and dis
posed to sacrifice his property for ready
money. 1t now remains to be- seen what the
Turkish servant got for his fifty dollars III
order that We may form fair idea Of the
money value of Eastern women. The lady IN
question was n good cook skilled in the art
of preparing soup. and was thus possessed Of
way to the heart of II man OF II permanent
and enduring character she looked two
ways at once, which must have enhanced her
value, seeing that she had only one eye dis
possible at any spne time for the purpose Of
investigating her husbands dehnguencies
which were numerous a. is usually the case
with mankind and finally, he weighed one
hundred pounds.
Women in the East ARE generally valuable
IN proportion to their weight, which Is the
great dlslderatum, other qualities beng 10
garded As mere accessories. The wife OF the
Turkish servant of Capt. Barnahy, must
therefore, according to her weight have been
worth half dollar per pound. Now, If We
set aside quarter OF II dollar per pound tor
such extraordinary qualifications as the arts
of preparing platable soups ANA sayoty stows,
we are forced to the conclusion that the mass
of ordinary Eastern women, reckOnod t their
current value, are not worth more than one
quarter OF dollar per pound Now :his IL
II very low figure, and as no society can pro
gress where women are cheap, It would
seem desirable that Russia should prevail in
her struggle with Turkey if only for the pur-
pose Of giving Eastern women higher value
monetarally, as well as morally, ~ Eastern
society.