The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-05-04
With a Gentleman who Talks Eleven
Lansuages."Here Upon a Worthy
SIission.-some Facts About
Ass,ria aud Her People.

| porter, "what is your object in visiting
American
!. "I have come to this country for the
purpose Of collecting funds for the edu
. cation OF several young men from my
3 country whom / have placed in educR
!. tional institutions in America. You
must know that the Obristians Of PeIsis
are very poor, and have scarcely enonGb
to purchase the necessaries OF life. Uu.
: der Mahometan rule our Christian
schools are conducted under disadvant
ages, and to enable our young men to gel
, q thorough education We arc compelled
10 send them out OF the country. ]
have been only fairly successful In my
: efforts. ICannot speak English huently.
: and in making house 10 house canvass
among Catholics find my want OF COM
mand OF the English language very en-
barrassing."
"You speak OF your country. What
part OF Persia do you live in?"
II was born, fiity;eight years ago, at
Mosul, on the Tisris liver, Immediately
opposite the ruins Of ancient Nineveh.
l received my early schooling in my
native place, afterwards spent two years
in Rome aud later went to Paris, where
finished my Theological studies. then
returned to my fatherland and have
worked there eversinCe, with occasional
business visits to France"
"You must be quite linguist. How
many languages do you Rpeak?" ~
speak eleven languages: Latin, Syro.
Chaldaeic, modern Syrian, Chaldaeic,
Kurdish, Turkish, Persian, Tartar, Rus
sian, Italian and French"
Father Bor Simon certainly spoke
Latin and French huently, sometimes
conVersing with Father McElligott in
Latin, again answering Rev. Bauer's
questions In frenCh."
Have there been any recent excaya.
tions made at Nineveh?"
mot lately. Years ago the work OF
excavation was prosecuted with energy.
There were many curious discoveries
which found their way to the British
Museum and Paris"
"What race do We belong to? We
are Assyrians, and OF the Semitic race.
Our Language is the modern Syrian. In
my province nearly the whole popula.
ton Is Catholic. A few Turks live
among us. We are very, very poor.
There is not q rich native Catholic in
the province. The weather mer.
chants are Armenians, French or Rus.
SLAMS. We suGer great deal
from the laws, some of which are framed
merely for spite. For instance,
Christians may not carry arms, and are
thus subjected to the outrages Of the or.
gauized bands Of robbers that sCour the
country. Mahometans alone have the
right to bear arms. will give you an
example OF one of the laws which seems
to have been established solely for the
purpose Of humiliatiDg Christians. You
are aware that the Oriental nations are
particular in Bscluding their women
from the gsGe Of the public. It is the
custom TO build high walls around the
gardens. Christians are forbidden to
rear their walls above certain height,
their women thus being exposed to The
insults OF the passers-by."
SIS there no police protection In your
country against the organized bands Of
robbers?"
ave have a police system. Three
years ago the monastery Of the Lazarist
Fathers was broken into by hrigands.
The Lazarista complained to the chief OF
police and received no redress, They
then sent a memorial to the Shah. The
latter, not baVing, apparently, much
faith In the police, requested tho news.
papers OF the city, which. being under
European auspices, can afford to be In
dependent, to ferret out tho evildoera.
Some bright reporters went to work,
and soon fastened the guilt on the chief
OF police, who vas the head center OF the
robber bands. The chief was arrested,
tried, condemned to return the stolen
property, fined 8 COO francs, and In addi.
ton, bastinadoed TO such an extent that
he almost died from tho effecta OF the
punishment. The Mahometan robber
Is punished when he is caught, which Is
not often. When Q Christian robber is
caught, and he invariably is, he receives
a much more severe punishment. Yes,
/ am sorry to say that some, who
are nominal Christians, sometimes
commit robbery, thus encroaching
or the preFogatlyes pi the followers Of
Aahomet."
Father Rar.simon was much ediied
when informed that Wheeling citizens
are secure from such police operations
as he had related.
"Are there many HISTORIANS and other
descendants Of those who fell from the
church in the early days?'
"There arc none in my province. In
Kurdis!an there arc about 40, 600 of that
sect. Although separated from tho
} Catholic church since the year 43O, they
celebrate the mass With the iIdentiCal
ceremonies used by us Roman Catholics
\ OF the old rite. This would indicate,
would It not, that the sacrifice OF the
mass 10 OF some antiquity, abopt which,
understand, there has recently been
| Z diBcuSsion in your Gity.D
"Do know ythipR about Babylon ?
Although living only twelve days Jour
! ney from the ruins OF that ancient city
have never seen it. II is impossible Tor
only few men TO penetrate into that
region. It is only possibls for large
J body Of well armed men. The whole
region is infested with tigers, lions and
Wild 6eSsts oI Ieyery description. The pres.
ent condition OF that onCepopulous Coun::
! try! recalls forcibly to mind prophecies
} OF Jeremiah, In which this very state Of
: affairs was prsdieted. Twelve days Jour.
ney, by thu way, is not very long dis.
/. lance, but in the ABSENCE d railroads Il
, seems impeaspreRble to u.s.
: HWhst are the pFodacts Of yoBr
, country9 2"
swell, We raise some grain and VeQe.
{ tables, but wine is our most reliable
crop. The very best wine is there pro.
duced, bat owing to the lack Of trang
DoTtation iacilities 1t brings no price,
one quart oi vipp epats one cent. There
are very few Christians who own any
+ land. They usually work for the Ma
hometan landlords on shares. One. fourth
!. OF the crop goes to the tenant. A day
laboreT makes abont eight genIsg day il
o yonr money. Won might think that hI
o can purchase more with that emoun
J; than he can In AMERICA, but while veg
q stahleG and vine are cheap enough, meh
II is beyond his reach, and II he Gan buJ
q atakhas ~ NauaH hth ne b hdaaau ha t1 =, al