Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-30
In a Persian Street.

In Persian Street.
MIG. w. Benjamin, recently United
States minister at the court of Teheran,
the capital of Persia, describes his i'm
pressions of that country in the January
Century. From an illustrated paper in
the number on Teheran we take the fol-
lowing: I'm such climate as that of
Teheran Life is naturally passed chiefly
in the open air. The chill of winter
rarely severe, seems to make little differ
ence in the habits >of the people. The
shops are all open to the streets; the
customers stand outside, and even the
shopkeeper attends to most of his bust
ness from the exterior of the shop. If he
is baker, grocer or costermonger, in all
probability he and customer both stand in
the street, retreating into the shop only
when string of camelsr or dashing cor
tege force them to move out of the way,
A carpenter may frequently be seen ar
ranging piece of joinery on the pave
ment in front of his shop. The schools
often in no. wise differ from the shops;
in the midst of crowded thoroughfare
one may see twenty or thirty lads seated
on their heels repeating the lesson to-
gether in mOnotonous tone.
Another common sight in the streets
of Teheran is the itinerant barber The
Koran enjoins the masculine Moham-
medan to shave his crown. The Sumees
shave the entire head, excepting a long
lock in the center, whereby, it is said, the
| Df f1,f,
grave. But the Sheahs, or Persian Mus
sulmans, shave from the forehead to the
neck, leaving highly prized lock OIL each
side 1t is, therefore, common to see a
man of the lower class seated on the pave
ment going through the operation of
having his head shaved. The remaining
| hair and the beard are dyed, and it is
rare that one sees gray hair in Teheran.
The first tint applied is henna, an orange
yellow vegetable dye. Many consider
this so handsome as to prefer it without
the further application of indigo which
most select. The last tint, combined
with the henna, imparts a durable and
rather agreeable dark-brown color to the
hair, The women also have their hair
dyed and join the eyebrows with the
pencil, All classes make use of the bath
at least once week, the wealthy having
steam baths attached to their dwellings,.
No christian is ever permitted admittance
to the baths of the Persians, The public
baths answer the purpose of clubs and
sewing circles: the women go in the
morning. take their sewing with them,
and, after being thoroughly steamed and
scrubbed. devote several hours to smok-
ing the halian, embroidering, and discus
sing the scandal of the neighborhood,
which they assiduously circulate on their
return home.
another street sight of Teheran is the
tea-house, equivalent to the coffee house
or Constantinople or the beer garden of
Munich. These establishments are gen.
orally thronged toward the close of the
day.
Both wine drinking and card playing
are forbidden to true believers; and,
therefore, neither is seen in these places
of public resort But both are freely in
dulged in at home The card-players of
Persia use set of twenty cards in five
suits of four each.
ut is an interesting fact that America
must relinquish the claim of having in
vented the gamblers favorite game of
poker, for it was known in Persia cen
turies ago. The game played by the
Persians is in principle poker or brag
pure and simple, and betting often runs
high with them.
Another characteristic scene in the
streets of Teheran is the bread. Persian
bread is made in sheets the thickness of
sole leather; the best quality is some
what timer. 1t is formed in the shape
and size of a side of leather. The baker
with bare arms dexterously raises sheet
of this dough from the counter where it
is rolled out, losses and rolls it over his
left arm until reduced to the proper
tenuity. With a rapid fling of both
arms he then spreads it over the hot floor
of the oven. In a few moments it is
baked and spread out to cool. If there
is convenient ledge in the street near
the shop, one may see it covered with
layers of bread. This bread is cheap, one
cent sheet, and what is more it is sweet
and nourishing, and, with curds, cheese
and fruit, forms staple article of diet
with a large part of the population.
Consequently, one constantly meets with
people carrying sheets of bread home
with them. the woman holding them in
front like leather aprons"