The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-10-15
MAPERsIAN TOWN.

The streets are busy and full IS =
beehive; such q chatter of tongues. too.
that am quite beWildered at the di-
versity of sound Everyone talks ct
top of his voice, as though the person
addressed were deprived of hearing.
Vendors of enticing sweetmeats and
clarified butter expose their tempting
wares s-Ohi sweet beet-root. and
onions and carrots have /, /" cries the
costermonger, displaying his stock in
trade or the back Of his donkey, and
seems 70 drive brisk trade. Every
one appears to be out of doors. Beg
CARS appeal to our charity, raising
themselves from the heaps upon which
they lie, basking in the sunshine; if
you give them something they are con-
tent, but If their prayer is unheeded il
is because you are Christian dog, or
the son of q burned father, and with
alternate vituperations and furtiye
scratchings they again subside. We
wind between long strings of camels;
each beast is tied with 8 cord or iron
chain TO the back trappings of the one
that precedes it With an unpardona-
BILE breach of good manners one pokes
his nose Familiarity into the carriage.
Some of them are fine, handsome
beasts, still wearing their winter coats
OF thick, shaggy brown hair; q 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 confusion of sound. Women be-
stride manfully their steeds, and q
large white jackass, the property Of q
sayid, brays q welcome in q voice
which for strength, richness, and un-
limited compass ! have never heard
surpassed In small square there is
circular platform open to the public,
and. although it can hardly be called
3 public building, is one of interest to
many. It is planned after no particu-
lar form of architecture, and is certain
~ not the creation of an artistic mind
The basement is q sakkoo or platform
raised y 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 a grim or gastly head.
Except In extreme cases the penalty of
death has been almost abolished; still
from time to time the executioner has
an opportunity Of reveling in the
odiousness of his vocation The laws
of each country, however barbarous,
are generally adopted for the good of
the respective inhabitants, and the
method of executing criminals in civil
hzed countries would produce but little
effect upon the very mixed and half
barbaric people who assemble here.
The public spectacle acts as q warning
to others that punishment will surely
follow crime. and doubtless deters
many from similar offenses. How
strongly are comedy and tragedy blend
ed in this life! Dirty, barefooted
little children, clad in very short skirts,
or even in natures garb only, are
playing, unmindful of the horrid place,
making the Persian equivalent for mud
pies from the dust which may have
been dyed with the blood of u 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 break
ing our horses legs or leaving a por-
ton of the carriage behind u.s. l have
never had such a shaking in all my life,
and every time we miss destruction by
one OF the wheels just skirting in
hole instead of going into IL my heart
is filled with unexpressed satifaction,
although the jerks have nearly dragged
my joints apart After ali, happiness
is but relative!-LORdOH Society.