The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-12-18
A kOORDISH VILLAGE

Swarthy Asiatics Who Have Not the Kease
Conception of Manneriincss.
The shades of evening are beginning
to settle down over the wild mountain
Gus country round about. 1t is grow
ing uncomfortably chilly for this early
in the evening. and the prospects look
favorable for suppcrless and most dis
agreeable night, when descry u village
perched in an opening among the
mountains nile or thereabouts of to
the right. Repairing thither find it to
be koordish village, where the novels
are more excavations than buildings;
buffalocs. horses. goats, chickens and
human beings all find shelter under the
same low roof Their spective quarters
are nothing but mere rail ng of rough
poles, and as the question of ventilation
Is never even thought of the effect upon
is any thing but reassuring. The
filth and rags Of these people is
something aLomnablc; on account
of the chillincss of the even ng they
have donned their heavy raiment; thes,
have evidently had rags patched Oh top
of other rags for years past until they
have gradually developed into thick
quilted garments, in the innumcrable
seams OF VIII ch tho most d sgusting
chronological specimens, bred and en-
gendcred by their wretched mode of cx-
istence, live and perpe,uate their k nd.
However, repulsive as the outlook most
assurodly is, | have no alternative but
to cast my lot among them till morning
l am conducted into the Shekh's
apartment, small room partitioned
oil with Il pole from stable of horses
and bualoes, and where darkness is
made visible by the sickly glimmcr of
grease lamp. The Sheikh. thin,
sallOw-faccd man of about
forty years. is reclining on
II mattress in one corner smoking
cigarettes; dozen ill-cond, oned rag
mullins are uatting about in various
attitudes. while the ragtag and bobtail
of the population crowd into the buffalo
stable and survey me and the bicycle
from outside the partit on pole, A cr-
cular wooden-tray, containing an
abundance of bread, II b b,wl of yaort,
and small quantity of str ngy cheese
that resembles chuncks of dried cod fish,
warped and twisted in the drying, is
brought in and placed in the M tldle of
the lloor. Everybody in the room at
once gathers around it and begins eat
ing with as little formality as so many
W Id an mills, the Sheikh silently mo-
tions for me to do the same. The
yaort bowl contains one solitary wood
en- spoon, with which they take turns at
eating mouthfuls. One is compelled
to draw the line somewhere,
even under the most uncom-
promising circumstances, and 1
naturally drew it against eating yoart
! with this same wooden spoon; making
small scoops with pieces of bread, dip
YOU part and eat SCOOP and all together.
These particular Koords ,ccm absolutely
ignorant of anything in the shape of
manncrlincss, or of consideration of
each other at the table. When the yoart
has been dipped into twice or thrice all
around the sheikh coolly confiscates the
bowl. eats part of what is left, pours
wafer into the remainder and delib-
crately drinks it all up; one or two 9TH
ers seize all the cheese. utterly regard
less of the fact that nothing remains for
myself and their companions, who, by
the way, seem to regard it as perfectly
natural proceeding. Thomas StercnS,
IN outing.