The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-04-03
A PERSIAN PICTURE.
How the shah Lives I'm his Capital

a PERSIAN t1GIUhE.
How the shah Lives I'm his Capital.
In the capital, says the London World,
the Shah may frequently be seen on horse
back. and, like all Persian gentlemen, ne
rides well; his horses, with long and IN
cut tails, dyed crimson for some six inches
at their tips, Che jealously guarded
privilege Of the King and his sons,) are
distinguished by their value and beauty.
Here, too, the Shah's quiet taste is ap-
parent in the sombre materials OF his sad
dlery, though of course each spirited
charger has its pure gold or jeweled neck
let and trappings, and these barbaric orna-
ments certainly do not detract from its ap
pearance. Riding alone, his eyes general
" on the ground, his Majesty still main
tains staff of some dozen royal running
footmen, who, clad in his state livery of
scarlet and gold, and wearing the turreted
hats of other days, with their jingling
ornaments, and each armed with his silver
staff of office, hover round the Shah, while
one remains at his stirrup to indicate the
royal pleasure. Behind come one or two
of the Ministers, then pell-mell the throng
of mounted courtiers. secretaries, officials,
and their hangers-on, while the royal
body-guard of irregulars, each with his
gun slung in a scarlet cloth case across his
back, mix promiscuously among the mis-
ceIlaneous crowd of 100 to 200 horsemen
without whom the Shah is hardly ever
seen. The royal carriage most in vogue
with his Majesty bears suspicious like
ness to one of our Sheriff's vehicles; eight
horses are harnesSed to it, the pairs being
ridden by four positions in scarlet. As
rule the King Is alone, the only exceptions
being when accompanied by one OF his
sons or the Prime Minister, or perhaps
some religious magnate. Erratic as he is in
his movements, passing from one suburban
palace to another, the royal route may
generally be aSCertained by observing the
water carriers, VINO carefully sprinkle the
road the King will use. Nor is this n5ed-
less form, as the ordinary state of the
roads, if they may be dignified with that
title, round Teheran is similar to the
dustiest of Derbys.
At II o'clock the royal breakfast is
served. II is a solitary meal The King
is squatting on the ground; some 80 dishes
are set before him. HIS Majesty selects
the simplest, and quenches his thirst with
buttermilk or iced sherbets, which are
served in delicious profusiOn in magnificent
china bowls. Dead silence is observed by
the few favored cOuTtiers who stand
around the walls of the apartments. The
royal buffers silently hand the various
dishes As the King eats he addresses
IhOSc WnOFl ne may uelEIl 20 NOuOT NILn
his notice, and these fortunate ones bow
low and answer in humble Alternatives:
" May be your sacrifice, Asylum of the
Universe So IL is and so on. The same
kind of language Is used by the royal
Princes in addressing their father, and
they would not presume to attempt TO sit
in the royal presence; but as in Persia no
son would sit in his fathers presence un-
less ordered to do so, this IS more due to
filial respect than the awe of majesty The
King rinses his mouth and wipes his hands
over a golden bowl, and then he rises and
the meal Is served to the Princes. On
leaving them il goes to the cOurtierS,
and lastly the royal farraSheS pick the
bones and literally lick the platters
clean. The royal dinner, served about
=. NJ, is a repetition of the breakfast
generally it is evlivened by the playing of
the brass bands, or by the music of the
native musicians attached to the court.
The dignatarIes the court are numerous,
and consist of the Lord Chamberlain, the
chief carpet spreader, the chief exccutioner,
the Lord High Treasurer, the chief hunts
man, the Prime Minister. and the head of
the Foreign Office. Then come the minor
dignitarieS the chief Cf the guard the
chief doctor, the chief barber, the chief
of the telegraphS. the master of the horse
the Court poet, and the Court painter
are not wanting All these Office are
salaried and every royal has his privileges of
depressing his >UbuTdiuateS and of eNtOrt-
ing from outsiders. often salaries are not
paid, or are forfeited or presents far eX-
ceeding their amount are made TO the
Shah himself or his ministers But every
man, from the Prime Minister downward,
has his legitimate perquisites his lawful
peCUlatiOnS-ln fact, the mOdakpl Tor
dustoorie, as it is called in India) assigned
TO his position. OF everything that passes
through his hands something sticks and
the larger his affairs the bigger his profits
In Persia everything is sold Governor
ships. y udgCShips, religious offices. places of
every KIND, official protection, all The
great officials are rs corrupt as Bacon, but
they are not detected, or, il detected
know how To buy safety.
The Kings visit to Europe tended for
the time to ClyllIZe him, but before year
had expired he wanted toeXecUtc the Prime
Minister. He had lighted his palace with
gas, and even started the electric light
there but when he did not pay the salary
OF the genial Frenchman who provided
that light, all was dark once more. In
fact, the SHah was introduced to the high
handed proceedings of gas companies in
Europe. After that the Freuchman got
his pay, and the supply has been steady
since. The King now returns SaluteS, as a
rule; before his visits to Europe he did
not. He now looks at the pictures in the
illustrated journals with pleasure. But
when he last crossed the Caspian he slept
on the floor in the ladies' cabin under the
table and on the table he put his boots.
He maintains a stan of giants and dwarfs.
Once 1t was Il pleasure TO the Asylum of
the Universe to fill boat on one of the
large tanks OF his numerous country
palaces, with the grandees of his kingdom
clad in gala costume, and go into its OF
laughter as the boat sank and the pillars
of the empire crawled out, muddy wet
and bedraggled. And they say that on the
last visit OF the King of Kings to Europe
when seated between two royal ladies al
the dinner table, Oh tasting and sucking q
piece of asparagus, that he offered the
half-devOured butt to the more august oi
the two with the idea that she should en-
JOY the pleasure he had experienced say
ing. with innocent enjoyment: Ba, ba
how good IL Is -.