The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-09-11
LIFE IN PERSIA.
A TALK WITH MR. BENJAMIN, LATE
~ U. s. MINIS TER AT TEHERAN.
Ihs European Colony-Architeoture Do.
msstic Customs Of the weaithy-DaiIy
sa Hshits - The King - Punish
ss5gm.r ments-The Poor People
New York Sun Intcrview.l


minister to Persia, who was recently called
to Washington, arrived last week in this
city. and remained here several dey. He
IL a short man, with reddish hair and mus
tachs, and strongly marked puritan features
There Is, however. nothing else puritanical
shout him. He is an artist and writer, and
o pleasant conversationalist In speaking
about Persia, he said:
"Ths European colony at Teheran, the
capital Of Persia, comprises, including the
legations, about 500 persons, and they live
In the new city. The majority inhsbit the
ord mary Persian house. This Is one story
high, of unburned brick, and built around
one or more court-yards. The great thing
sought in Persia 10 seclusion and privacy.
In walking through a street one sees moth
ing but these walls Of houses. some fifteen
or twenty feet high, with fat roofs, and
with no windows whatever They are COW
cred with plaster TO keep the brick
from being worn away by the rain,
and if kept in repair last for GEN.
turies. The monotony Of the walls
In relieved by holdings and cornices. The
entrance is q small door richly decorated
with Saracenic work The Persans have al
ways been clever decorative architects.
Persian architects built the Alhambra Is
Granada, and originated the Mogal archi-
lecture Of India. And after going through
q narrow winding passage, you suddenly
step into a courtyard more or less magnif-
cent, according to the wealth of the owner.
"Courtyards Of two and three acres in ex-
tent are not uncommon, and some cover five
acres They are filled with parterres Of
flowers and trees Of the most luxuriant foli-
age. Here and there are great tanks, some
Of them fifty yards long, with jets OF water
playing In them. Every householder in Te-
heran has his courtyard and tank Of
water, no matter how poor he H.
Frequently there are three or four court
yards, and there Is one called the andaroon,
into which no man ever enters except the
master and his eunuchs. It Is reserved for
his wives and concubines A wealthy
Persian can have four wives and several
eoncubines These women drive out In car.
riages and visit one another, and are
watched with tho greatest care. The wives
Of poorer men 30 about on foot but all
alike are covered with o dark blue mantle,
which falls to the fsst concsaling the form.
Over the face is white veil, with spertures
for the eyes
The rooms have large windows set in
richly decorated sashes and opening on the
courtyards, and frequently these windows
are btuudou Win CufOTSu grass klNhR
q cathedral effect to the high-ceilinged
rooms All the rooms have dirt Aoors,
but they are hardly noticed, for they
are covered with mating and rich rugs In
one part Of the room there Is q mattress
covered with rugs, and on this the Persian
sits during the day and sleeps ct night
Some Of the rooms have tanks In their GEN.
ter, giving them an air Of luxury. There Is
a separate room for the bath, and its ap-
pointmsnts are often luxurious Christians
are obliged to have separate baths from the
Mohnmmedans"
3What are the daily habits Of Persiansf"
Every one from the king down rises at 8
o'clock in the morning. They then psrtaks
Of cup Of tea and some bread. Tea is Q
very important article OF diet in Persia, and
the tea urn 10 nearly always busy.
No milk is used, but they swesten
the tea almost to the consistency
Of sirup Tea over, the merchant goes to
his shop In the bazaar. This bazaar consists
Of 100 narrow streets rooted over with brick
arches, which are pierced here and there to
admit light and air. The merchant sits in q
booth in front Of his store and awaits
custom. He charges a much higher price
than he expects to get, after the usual
Oriental style. At noon he makes . sub
stantial breakfast in the bazaar, and then,
as the middle of the day Is very hot he
takes a nap About o'clock he goes home
and takes q ride, returns to dinner, and then
at about Z O'Clock enters his andaroon.
When once there hs Is inaccessible except
on the most urgent business. 1t is sufficient
excuse for not receiving a caller to say that
q man Is in his andaroon.. He takes another
hearty meal there at 8 o'clock, and socA
after rstires."
"Are the Persians attached to their
wivesf'
"No; divorces are exceedingly common.
It is very easy to be divorced. 1t is only
necessary to write out q paper stating the
reasons. and the thing is done, or to say to
the woman three successive times, II di-
vorce you," but the husband must have
pretext for his action, however fimsy. A
man sometimes divorces all four wives and
begins over again. The women have rarely
any difficulty in securing new husbands It
is no disgrace to be divorced. There Is an
extraordinary law about marriage out
side of the ordinary ceremony, which
permits o man and q woman TO marry
for any specified length Of time, from
five minutes up to sixty years. The
couple 90 before priest and state the time
settled on, and the man then pays an agreed
sum Of money to the woman IL he leaves
her at the end Of the fixed time she can not
marry again for four months, and any child
born Is the legitimate offspring OF the man,
prefer this kind Of marriage, making the
term fifty or sixty years long, as by doing
90 they secure their jointure beforehand,
and the husband can not divorce them until
the time 10 expired s-..... a.4 a.. g..
awhat does the king do when he rises
eariyr' f4. sa " WV.
sHs gives An audienee to his ministers 4
He sits on his heels and they stand around.
The stories told Of prostrations and gsnufsx-
ions are all moonshine One bows on enter
ing and on going out The king is clement,
kindheartsd, and not at all cruel He II in
clined to abolish capital punishment, and
has done 90 almost entirsly. He und oubtedly
did some cruel things, from our point Of
view. when he first assembled the throne, but
he b less and less inclined that way every
year, and he has never approached the cru
elites Of the most lenient Of his predecessors.
One OF their fayorite punishments was to
tie man, back down. on q camel, slit open
his abdomen, and then drive him through
the streets Tho English story Of the shah
having carried before him trays containing
thirty pounds OF eyes removed from the
principal men Of acaptured city Is sheer
nonsense. "A common punis snment - tn0
bastinado. which is rarely fatal unless TOO or
e00 blows are inflicted. A man recovers
from it In few daya" .........z.- ss i
you spoks Of the shah sitting on his
heelsf1 t-s
!. @Yss. that is the way Persian sits down
1t would be almost impossible for any one
else TO do IL for any length Of time, but they 4
are trained 10 IL from boyhood. In some
houses they have European furniture, but
when the Persian sits In chair be generally
manages to get ons soot under him. and
ha is coptenkr ----.J HIE"
Ha- A RNSal of the Olive. of sFres