The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-30

tiers in every city Of prominence On ens
Pacific coast as well - in eastern cen-
ters
These human chattels, who claim to
be Turks to advance the novelty Of their
personality in the eyes OF tho purchasing
public, are the scum Of Syria, Armenia,
Greece and Italy.
There are several thousand Of these
serfs employed by their money making
fellow countrymen in the United States.
Hundreds ara annually added 10 the
number already employed. Ignorant OF
their legal rights and but poorly versed
in the language of the country they
tamely submit to their exacting master.
receiving only their food, lodging and
scsnty 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
which beset them ia their native lands.
Pledged 20 work either fog life or for
years for those who provide them with
TRANSPORTATION TO the new land of prom
Use. they are sent on their arrival in tho
United States to the cities where their
labors viii prove the most remunerative.
They have lately encroached upon
what 70 them is a virgin teld-the Pa
cific coast-and numbers are frequently
being sent hither TO thoroughly cover
every profitable point.
There have been as many as forty or
fifty of these human chattels-men.
women and youths-engaged In making
street sales IN this city. but they have
decreased until only swelve or fifteen
cover the trade of San Francisco. Seattle,
Tacoma and Washington generally IN
clude fifteen or twenty in their bounds-
ries. Los Angeles Is favored with the
presence of ten or twelve, while Oregon
which. according TO their statements,
is proving 10 be tine more renunerative
field-has from thirty to fifty of these
serfs catering To the demands or 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
their tents and steal away at the viii or
their masters, which varies with the va
riations of the trade. One of the places
in this city where nonadic serfs receive
their supplies and render their accounts
is in Minna street. /. is supply depot,
and is conducted under the name of
Joseph Sharbel & Co. There. in n room
crowded with Syrians Of both sexes. Of
all sizes and ages, is large stock Of
triukets and religious articles stored In
pasteboard boxes of various sizes dis
played on shelves which run about the
room.
This apartment contains two beds and
a lounge, and the lack of other furnish
ings is made compulsory by the space
taken up by the immense stock which is
doled out to be sold by the street peddlers
in this city and neighboring towns. Jo-
seph Sharbel himself is n bronzed and
brawny Syrian, much past the years Of
middle life Heis the padrone who directs
the actions and labors of the dozen OF
composite nationalities Of both sexes and
various ages who were gathered in the
room. lie was rather reticent when
questioned 10y a reporter, and while
claiming to be uEacquainted with others
engaged in the same line of business he
displayed a knowledge regarding the To-
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 8, 600 TO 81 900 week TO
the east and Europe as payments for
shipments and invoices Of goods.