Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-10-14
IN a PERSIAN TOWN.
A European Opinion of It's Peculiar and
Most striking Institutions.

Most striking Institutions.
The streets are busy and full as q
beehive; such a clatter of tongues too,
that am quite bewildered at the di-
versity of sound. Every one talks at
the top of his voice, as though the per-
son addressed were deprived of hear
ing. Vendors of enticing sweetmeats
and clarified butter expose their tempt
ing wares. ooh, sweet beet root, and
onions and carrots have l." cries the
costermonger, displaying his stock in
trade on the back of his donkey, and
seems to drive a brisk trade Every
one appears to be out of doors. Beg
gars appeal to our charity, raising
themselves from the heaps upon which
they lie, basking in the sunshine; if
you 1--WE them something, they are con-
tent, but if their prayer is unheeded it
is because you are Christian dog or
son of burned father, and with alter
nate vituperations and furtive scratch
ings they again subside. We wind
between long strings of camels; each
beast is tied by cord or iron chain to
the back trappings of the one that pre-
cedes it. With an objectionable breach
OF good manners one pokes his nose
familiarly into the carriage. Some of
them are fine. handsome beasts, still
wearing their winter coats of thick,
shaggy brown hair; long fringe of it
hangs about the neck, the legs also are
covered as far as the knees with soft
masses, which look like knickerbockers
What motley collection it is-various
types blend with a confusion of sound.
Women bestride manfully their steeds,
and large. white jackass, the proper
ty of a Sayid, brays a welcome in a
voice which for strength, richness and
unlimited compass / have never heard
surpassed. In small square there
is circular platform open to the pub
lie. and although it can hardly be called
q public building, is one of interest to
many. 1t is planned after no part GU
lar form of architecture, and is GER
tainly not the creation of an artistic
mind. The basement IS a sakkoo or
platform raised few feet from the
earth, and anything more dismal can
not well be conceived, for this is the
execution ground, the long pole in the
center of which was formerly but too
often adorned with grim and CHASTITY
head. Except in extreme cases the
penalty of death has been almost
abolished; still from time to time the
executioner has an opportunity of
revellng in the Odiousness of his voca
ton. The laws of each country, how
ever barbarous, are generally adopted
for the good of the respective inhabit-
ants, and the method of executing
criminals in civilized countries would
produce but little effect upon the very
mixed and half-barbaric people who
assemble here. The public spectacle
acts as warning to others that pun
ishment will surely follow crime, and
doubtless deters many from similar
ofienses. How strongly are comedy
and tragedy blended in this lifc
Dirty, barefooted little children, clad
in very short shirts, or even in natures
garb only, are playing, unmindful of
the horrd place, making the Persian
equivalent for mud pies from the dust
which may have been dyed with the
blood Of score of malefactors. The
road is here so bad with deep ruts, half
hidden by piles of mud, that we are
forced to advance slowly and with care
for fear of breaking our horses legs or
leaving a portion of the carriage be-
hind us. | have never had such a
shaking in all my life, and every time
we miss destruction by one of the
wheels just skirtng a hole instead of
gong into it my heart is filled with un-
expressed satisfact on, although the
jerks have nearly dragged my joints
apart. After all, happiness is but rela-
tive!-LOndon Society.