Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-08
LIFE ma FAR AWAY PLACE.
How the Hamals or POrters of COnstan-
tinoDIe Live at Hn,,na


Far up that ancient river Hays, on
| either side, says the COnstantinople East
erR Express, is many a village where al
most every house has a man at work in
Constantinople; for the farming of these
| villages is Just about as ancient as the
river, and needs outside help TO hold its
own year by year. And as there is no
bank in AnatOlia and no system of postal
| notes, sometimes from to 10 per cent. of
the hamaPs earnings is consumed by the
sharp pOlltZadji for transferring the re-
mainder from COnstantinOple to the old
home.
These Armenian women and girls.
which they left behind them, are usually
robust. as well as the men. Indeed, any
one born there with frail constitution dies
before long running this gauntlet of in
fantile disease and exposure; so that only
the strong are left. And the two-pence
worth per day on which they live, of
coarse bread and curds. or hulled wheat
and simple soups, helps to develop
beautiful teeth and bones, good di-
gestiOn and iron muscles. Some
years ago an American doctor, prac-
ticing in Sivas, told me it was not at all
uncommon for a village woman to take
her child, one or two days old, on her
back and walk three miles to town to in
quire Of him if everything was all right
with them. But when the doctor asked
one of them, ''Why don't you learn to
readW she answered, with that peculiar
shrug of her magnificent shoulder. ''Ugh!
You get out. What can a COW learnr'
And some Of them are about as awkward
in handling a needle, too, as a cow would
be.
When hamal, or custom house porter,
returns after years at Stamboul, he natu-
rally brings with him new ideas. | know
one who presented his wife with a full set
of civilized spoons, knives and forks; but
she promptly traded them of and turned
again to rely solely on the great wooden
spoon of her anclents and on fingers.
Another steadily refused to sell his
daughter till the villagers made him pay
$50 tor girl his boy wanted. Others dis
course learnedly on custom house tricks
and on the different European linguas.
Some Of them are quite eager for the mental
improvement Of their women and children.
| visited a small village near Sivas, which
has good school for both sexes, support
ed entirely by the interest on money con-
tributed from its own citizens working in
StambOul. Some time ago, strOlling into
an Armenian village church, l took a Sc
cluded corner, and heard sentiments in
the address of the Bishop there which ten
years ago would have been considered
aim uGINHN WI my Oulg tth @AuAGi ivan
missionary. Among other excellent
things the Bishop said: Educate
every one Of your girls; and simplify
your weddings. Here's one of our
young men with elastic step and beaming
face. He has Il future of vast posi-
bilities. RumOrs of wedding rise. That
young man goes to town. At eve he re-
turns walking heavily. You look into his
face. It's no face at all. Whats the
matter, man? Got toothache? Your
girl deadT 90 nothing, nothing he says,
but l know he has to-day run 5000 pias-
tres ($240) into debt for the eXtravagances
of one Of our village weddings. A few
months later for that debt he goes to Con-
stantinople to be a slave for years, and
leaves his young wife to be another here.
Beloved, by your own voluntary slavery
to evil custom we are becoming poorer
and fewer ever year in this progressive
century,"