The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-01-22
IN A PERSIAN STREET.

Oughfares of Teheran.
III such a elm ate as that of Teheran
life is naturally passed chiefly in the
open air The chill : winter, rarely
severe, seems to MAKE little difference
in the habits of the people. The shops
are all open to the streets; the custom
ers stand outside, and even the shop
keeper attends to most of his business
from the exterior of the shop. If he is
a baker, grocer or costermonger, in all
probability he and the customer both
stand in the street, retreating into the
shop only when a string of camels or
dashing cortege forces them to move
out of the way. A carpenter may fire.
quently be seen arranging a piece of
jOinery on the pavement 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 together in
monOtonOus tone.
Another common sight in the streets
of Teheran is the itinerant barber.
The Koran enjoins the masculine Mo-
hammedan to shave his crown. The
Sunnees shave the entire head except
ing long lock in the center whereby,
it is said, the archangel may pluck
them out of the grave. But the
Sheahs or Persian Mussulmans shave
from the forehead to the nape of the
neck, leaving a highly priced lock on
each side. It is, therefore, common
to see a man of the lower classes seated
on the pavement, 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
hairs in Teheran. The first tint APP
piled is henna, an Orange-yellow vege-
table dye. Many consider this so hand
some as to prefer it without the further
application of indigo which most Sc
lect. 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 admit
lance 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 smoking the kGkGR, embroid-
ering, and discussing the scandal of
the neighbOrhood, which they assidu-
Ously circulate on their return home.
Another street sight of Teheran is
the tea-house, equivalent to the coffee
house of Constantinople or the beer
garden of Munich. These establish
ments are generally thrOnged towards
the close of the daV.
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
INDUCED in at home. The card-play-
ers of Persia use a set of twenty cards
in five suits of four each.
1t 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
turtles 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 sight in the
streets of Teheran is the bread. Per-
sian bread is made in sheets the thick
ness of sole leather; the best quality is
somewhat thinner. 1t is formed in
The baker with bare arms dexterously
raises a sheet of this dough from the
counter where it is rolled out, losses
and rolls it over his left arm I'M
til 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 a con-
venient ledge in the street near the
shop one may see it covered with Layers
of bread. This bread is cheap, one
cent a sheet, and what is more it is
sweet and nOurishing, and, with curds,
cheese and fruit, forms a staple article
of diet with a large part of the popula-
ton. Consequently, one constantly
meets with people carrying sheets Of
bread home with them, the women
holding them in front like leather
aprons.-S. @. " Benjanli1s, IN Cen
tElTU.