National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-04-21


d. r., IN Chicago NelCs
"They call us scientific men cruel" said
DIR. Klugmann, as we sat on the after deck Of
the steamer watching the sun sink over tho
distant mountains Of Spain, "and Pm afraid
it's only too true. For my own part / must
plead guilty TO several deeds which wero
really very cruel, and one, Mt least, which
might fairly be called downright barbarous."
Indeed y reioined |, looking at the worthy
professors broad, Jolly face, tho very picture
of kindness and good humor. "Wel, If any
ono but yourself had told mo that, Herr
Professor, should not have believed a word
of it,"
at Is true however," laughed good Nine.
X lugmann. whose plump, smiling visage
looked just like reflection of her husbands;
and now that you have confessed, Fried-
rich you arc bound to do penance by telling
the whole story yourself"
so be IT." answered the doctor, with
jovial grin. "You must know, then, mein
herr that about ten years ago, before had
Gretchen hero to look after mo, was very
fond Of running from one out-of-the-way
country to another, and studying all manner
of strange places and strange people. SO T.
thought IL great piece of luck when l got
an Appointment as medical officer to tho Ger
man legation at Teheran, for Ihad never
been in Persia yet, and thought this fine
chance of seeing what 10 was like
ut when l didsee whet it was like 4
can't say was very much pleased with it'll
aftor oil. The journey through western
Persia from Tabriz wqs simply an endless
succession of the most uncomfortable rides
imaginable upon extremely bad horses over
some of the worst roads in tho world; and, .inj
addition Go this, We hadithe certainty of getA
ting wet and hungry and dirty regularly,
every day, supplemented by strong 3proba.i
bility of being robbed and murdered at any
moment.
"And even whin got to Teheran at last I ]
did not find it much Of an Improvement.
Fer the first week, what with the heat and
the dirt and the bad smells, and the constant
worry Of brushing away dust that was lust
as thick as over fivo minutes later, and the
excitement Of being bitten all night long by
every insect that came out of the ark, was
more dead than alive.
IF there had been anything to see or to do
there it wouldn't have been quite so bad,i
But one couldn't go out by day for fear OF
the sun, or by night for fear of being robbed,
stabbed or eaten up by prowling street dogs.
AS for the city itself, it struck me as by
for the most filthy and utterly uninteresting
place that have yet seen, which was great
deal for any man to say who had been all
across western Asia; aud the sublime shah.
when was admitted to his august presence
turned out to be greasy little man in big
spectacles, who looked much more like laws
yer's clerk than king.
But the greatest nuisance of all were the
beggars, who seemed to be as countless as
locusts; and of all the beggars the worst By
far were those rascals whom you must have
seen for yourself when you were in tho east,
pretending to be pilgrims aud begging money
from everybody on the strength of their be.
ing holy men-holy pigs, ratherl q
ave seen thee fellows In many different
countries and under many different nam s as
marabouts in north Africa, dervishes III
central Asia, fakirs in India; bnpI never saw
them anything like as bad as they were OF
Teheran. You couldn't show your face out
of. doors without having swarms of them
around you in moment, all clamoring for
money, and that, too, not rs if they were
asking 1t as favor, but demanding 1t like
downright robbers. And, indeed, they weret
not n bit better, and many of them great
deal worse
NOW, it happened that o few days after I
first arrived had visit from a German en-
gineer in the shah's service lie had lived
there several years. and knew the language
and habits of the Persians as we'll as if he had
been one of them himself; aud SO, like O good
fellow that he was, he gave me oil the In,
formation ho could think Of about the ways
of the place, so that I shouldn't get into any
scrape through nv inexperience.
Among other things he warned me that
I'd be likely to have great Gel II
trouble with these pilgrim beggars. He said
1T was common trick of theirs to find out
some European who had lately arrived, e
down at his door, and refuse to go away till
he gave them some money; in the meantime
they would keep up such a hideous bowling
and screeching that any one would soon be-
glad to pay to get rid of them.
AS for driving them away, any man wh1
ventured to lay finger on them would be
instantly murdered by the rabble of the
town, so that they were very awkward GUS
toners in every way.
This gave me an idea. l saw plainly
enough that to pay blackmail to one of these
rogues would only lay me open to be preyedl
upon by hundred more. So | mado up nv
mind to give the first that came such lesson
as would make all the rest glad to leave me
alone.
~ had not long to wait for an opportunity.
The very next morning tall, lean, ragged,
dirty-looking scarecrow, with one eye and a
face like monkey, came and squatted in my
porch, announcing his determination to stay
there till i gave him some money, and at.
tempting TO spur my charity by yelling Dub
at the top OF his voice various scraps of the
koran.
~ bore it as best might until midday.
when, as i had expected, the rascal took
nap, and then l commenced operations in my
turn.
81 was making some experiments in cleo
tricity just then, and had brought with me
from Europe very powerful electric battery.
j hitched the wire to the metal cap that tho
follow held in his hand for aims and gave
him slight shock, just enough to awake him,
Then told him once more to be OFF, and,
rs he was beginning to answer impudently,,
l let him have IL in real earnest with the
whole strength of the battery.
"Oh, if you had only seen him He flew.
head over heels right down the steps into the
street, and rolled over and over in the dirt
kicking roaring, and shrieking like mad
man.
His metal cup, with all the money that
he had begged that morning, tumbled out OF
his hand and q passing boy promptly
snatchod it up and ran OFF with it; and what
with that and the two teeth which he
knocked out in his fall it was rather a bad
mornings work for my friend.
MY wife always says it was very cruel Of
me, and perhaps it was However, my cru.
city had at least ono good result, for was
never troubled again by him or any other'
beggars so long as | remained at Teheran."
a Sort OF Prophet.
Val Street NetDs.
az tell YOU" he said as they were discuss