Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-06-13
Si.'a:ss Cfi&TTElS.
Oriental Serfs Who Are Really In Bond
.:Zs td Padrones In This Country.

JrientaI Serfs Who Are Really In Bond
.es P1sdsDnes In This Country.
Tl3a Syria; Iaen, WOMEN and children
who patrol the public thoroughfares Of
IBIS ciry Iadzn with religious embieuls
and trinksts OF semi barbarous design
exc. with fsT exceptions, the victims of d
social condition which eau De hardly de
Guesi from slavery.
They are lne human chattels of class
II importers Of foreign birth who have
their agents acd established headquar-
tiers 10 every city OK prominence on the
Pacific coast as well - in eastern CEN
.era
These human chattcla, who claim to
be Turks to advance the novelty Of their
personality in the eyes of tins purchasing
public. are the sc11n Of Syria, Armenia.
Greece and Italy.
There are several Thousand CT these
scrfs employed by their money making
fellow cCurtrymel ia the United States
BundTe,;s ara annually added to the
nuluboc already employed. Ignorant Of
their ,.gel rights end but poorly versed
in the language OF the country they
.amcly submit 10 their exscting master,
receiving ouly their food, lodging and
scanty clothing.
These serfs sell themselves TO their
masters. hoping that in new country
they Will better their condition and be
at least relieved Of the pangs Of hunger
wii:h beset them in their native lands.
Pledged to work either for life or for
years for those who provide them with
transportation To the new land of prom
Use. they are Sent On their arrival N the
United STATES to tho cities where their
labo-s will prove the most remunerative.
They have lately eneroached upon
what to them is virgin field-tbe Pa
cific coast-and numbers are frequently
being sent hither to thoroughly cover
every profitable point.
There have been as many as forty or
City OF these human chattels-men,
women and youths-engaged in making
street sales in this city, but they have
decreased until only twelve or fifteen
cover the trade Of San Francisco. Seattle,
Tacoma and Washington generally in
clude fifteen or twenty in their bounda-
ries- Los Angeles is favored with the
presence of ten or twelve, while Oregon
which, according to their statements,
is proving to be the more remuneratiye
field-has from thirty to fifty Of these
serfs catering 70 the demands OF their
peculiar line Of trade The state of Ne
vada harbors ten or fifteen, while the
progress Of Utah is marked by having
twenty or thirty.
Their residence at any place is not
permanent, but, like the nomadic Arab
Of the desert. these slaves silently fold
the;r tents and steal away at the viii OF
tSaE aAonA which vaRiSs UiAA - -
riati0ns OF the tYsaA One of the places
in this city where nomadic serfs receive
their supplies and render their accounts
is in Minna street. 1t is supply depot,
aud ia conducted under the name of
Joseph Sharbel & Co. There. in room
crowded with Syrians of both sexes, of
all sizes and ages, is large stock Of
trinlets and religious articles stored in
pasteboard boxes Of various sizes dis
played On shelves which run about the
room.
Tins apartment contains two beds and
lounge. and the lack of other furnish
ings is mace compulsory by the space
taken up by the immense stock which is
doled oct to be sold by the st%et peddlers
in this city and neighboring towns Jo-
seph Sharbel himself is bronzed and
brawny Syrian, much past the years of
middle life. He Is the padrone who directe
the actions and labors Of the dozen or
composite natio1a,it;es Of botn sexes and
various ages who were gathered in the
room. He was rather reticent when
questioned by reporter, and while
claiming to be unacquainted with others
engaged in the same line of business he
displayed knowledge regarding the 10
cation of branch agencies and number
of his countrymen and women engaged
in the trade that was remarkable Some
Of the supply depots in this city remit
regularly from 1900 to "a 600 week to
the east and Europe as payments for
shipments and invoices Of goods.-San
Francisco Chronicle.