St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-03-09
A PENuRloUs pEoPlE.
The Prinoipal ChAsactselstla - tho ~
0anians a OaP Day.

6aaians a oar nay.
Tho nlyrians were pirates when
Rome conquered them; they remained
Wild men. even in their subjugation.
Their descendants. the modern AL.
banians. are still wild mountaineers.
more devoted to robbery and piracy
than to farming and cattle-r raising.
Every man goes about armed to the
teeth> for village is at war with vii
lage, and blood feuds are as abund
ant as stones on the ground. Several
years ago the Turkish Government
tried to arrange the blood feuds be-
tween the Sharla tribe., robbers by
profession. and their neighbOrs. Three
hundred feuds were paid for and wiped
on. and there was rs many more which
the government did NOT settle.
The code of revenge ordains that
when man is killed. his relatives
shall kin the murderer. or one of his
male kinsmen. II a mans arms or
horse are taken from him, the code
says that the dishonor can only be
wiped of by killing the robber or one
his male relatives; but il both parties
agree that it shall be done. the blood
may be paid for, and the feud thus cx-
tinguished. A poor mans life is val
ued at one hundred and twenty five
dollars. and the blood d-mOney increases
in proportion to the rank OF the VIC
tim.
The savage virtue of hospitality
affords safety to = fugitive from o feud
or from justice. The fleeing man may
enter any house. and claim food and
shelter for twenty-four hours. His
hosts are bound either to defend him.
or to send him TO some place Of safety.
Women are always exempted from a
blood ieud. even while their male rela-
tives are shooting one another at sight.
II q man puts himself under a woman's
protection. he is safe. II two families
in q village quarrel. the family usually
removes, and resides elsewhere; but
the women are left behind to take
charge Of the family property. without
any fear that the other family will mo-
lest them.
During harvest time the exiled fam
lily returns, and for a month the deadly
foes may be within few yards of each
other; but the peace is never broken.
The code of honor prescribes that no
one shall be molested while gathering
his crops.
The Albanians arc, as q class. miser-
~. and their love of money prevents
them from parting with coin. save to
buy rifle or revolver. The author
Of "A Winter in Albania tells an
amusing story. to illustrate the penu-
robustness of the Albanian character.
A gentleman staying at Cettinje. the
capital Of Montenegro. found the prices
charged at the one hotel of the city
excessive. when measured by the COM
forts supplied. He. however. content
ed himself with demonstrating; but his
Albanian servant having brooded over
the extortion until he could endure it
no longer, went to his master and
asked permission to leave the hotel.
''But, Mark" said the master, '.you
don't pay, SO what does it matter to
you?"
Mark insisted. because the bare idea
of living at such 4 cost irritated him.
He went to the house of fellOw-coun-
tryman. where. for 4 nominal sum. be
lived In a state Of semi-starvation. He
derived no pccuniary benefit from the
but was saved the pain of SEQ
ing his master pay an extravagant price
for board and lodging. YoMth's Com
pdnioH.