Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-02-23
AMONG THE SIAMESE.
Social Conditions of One OF the Most In.
teresting Oriental Countries.

6oSAaA SoHuIuOns OIL One OF the MOST lns
teresting Oriental Countries.
1t is said that in Siam the people are
all slaves. But it is not the slavery
we generally understand. but aspecies
of slavish feudalism. Prisoners of
war and their children for all time are
absolute slaves. Of these there are
large number. But the remainder are
bonded to some master. A parent
sells his child. or man sells himself,
or rather mortgages himself He bor-
rows a sum of money ut very heavy
rate of interest fifteen per cent. being
the legal rate. but higher rate per-
missible-and pays the interest
through life. The debt also binds his
children.
Overy one in this way first belongs
to some nobleman, being marked by a
tattoo, generally on the wrist, to in
dictate his master. He owes TO the no.
bleman fifteen days work each year.
In addition to this is the mortgage or
sale to some other master, perhaps
less than nobieman.
Polygamy is universal, and one sees
at the theater man in the dress circle
of men, while his wife or wives and
slaves (female) are in the women's
circle. All classes chew the betel nut.
and at the theater each family has the
betal pot and spittoon. The latter is
carried by slave. who hands it to the
ladies when they wish 10 spit.
The betel nut is astringent and some
what intoXicant. 1t is chewed in con-
nection with paste made of lime, to-
bacc1 and pepper leaf 1t not only
blackens the teeth, but cracks the lips,
and so Injuries the gums that the teeth
are caused to proirude and look
shaggy.
The King. Princes and common peo-
pie are alike. slaves to the nasty habit,
and half of the women have their
mouths injured if not absolutely dis
tOrted by it.
Otherwise, the women are decidedly
comely, having fine forms and good
gaits. Women and men dress SO near
ly alike that 1 could hardly distinguish
one from the other for several days,
for all wear short hair.
The dress is cloth. called pa
nOOuS, dDouG Two lccb Niuc, "ldpIt
around the waist. with one corner
drawn between the legs and caught in
girdle at the waist This makes 4
surt of flowing trouser. falling to the
| knees.
A gentleman wears O clOsely-but.
toned coat (sacque) buttoned to the
neck. with long stockings and low shoes.
The common man dispenses with the
coat, stockings and shoes. I he woman
| generally allows the 'panoong' to
| hang like petticoat and wraps about
her breast girdle, leaving the upper
| part of the bosom and shoulders en-
| tirely bare. and none wear shoes.
Many of the working women dispense
with the girdle entirely. The great
mass of people, even in the city, go
bare-legged and bare-footed. This is
universal in the country.
The women appear to be industri-
Gus, and perform much more than half
the work. The men are lazy and, with
the exception of fishing. appear will
| ing to leave the women to earn the
bread. All are inveterate gamblers,
and one rarely sees gambling house,
of which there are a great many, other
wise than full. They are entirely open
to the street, canal or river. and at
night are distinguished by their M any
lights Carter H. Harrison, in Chi.
cago Mail