Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-07-25
WHERE WOMAN RULES.
SuMATRA ISLAND IS A PLACE WHERE
WIVES RUN THINGS.

A country where the women own the
houses and lands. where gold and silver
are common us flowers 10 the spring.
where everybody is happy and nobody
does wrong. is the burden OF the story
that w. J. Shaw brings from far of Su-
matra.
w ]. Shaw is one Of the men who
modelled things in this country when IL
was young and pliable He came from
New York IN l649. and was about the
INST man 70 hang ont a lawyers sign in
Ban francisco He won the cases that
settled the validity Of settlers titles and
resulted In the Van Ness ordinance. and
ne served as state senator in 1854, when
y was more Of an honor to be legislator
than II is now.
I'm al my years OF travel" he said.
u never found happier people than
those who live in Sumatra. In the mid
die part Of the island The people an
over Sninatra are believers in the Mo
hammedan religion. but the peculiar
customs which make this particular peo-
pie unique and different from all Others
4 are confined % one community.
4 ut would not be correct 10 term this
branch Of the Sumatra people tribe,
for they do not live in tribal relations at
all. although there is q chief and under
ehieftains These rulers. however, are
not despOts. and If the people do not like
the way IN which they manage things
they dispose Of them very shortly and
put other men in their places.
/ Although men are the ostensible
ehieftains. the women are the real rulerR
The customs Of the country forbid the
giving Of mans property TO his chill
drcn after his death II a man dies the
/ property be owns Is given 20 his father
and mother The woinan's property, on
the contrary, ID given 10 the children.
+ Probably that is the custom that is re-
! sponabia for the turning over Of all tho
wealth ~ the country 20 the women.
I TREATMENT or THE BOYS AND MEN.
III is the constant aim Of the men 10
enrich their wives Each man has but
one wife, and each wife one husband.
and they live perfectly moral life. The
teachings Of Mohaminedanisin are fol.
lowed upon the question of divorce.
The husband has the right TO divorce his
wife whenever be chooses, but must al
low her 20 retain the property in her pos
session. Divorces are not frequent.
though. and believe that. in proportion
70 the population. divorces In this part
Of Sumatra are not one in sixteen com
pared 10 the number in California.
The people are happy there-happy
as they can be. The children live at
home with their mo;her--the boys until
they are thirteen or fourteen, and the
girls until they marry
When the daughter gets married she
does not leave her mothers house An
addition Is built on--a new roof. as they
call it--and the newly married girl
makes her home there. and brings up
her children. This custom, OF course,
results in forming quite large commune
ties where there are many children.
II knew one Of these communities
where there were a mother and several
daughters living with their children
The original house had grown with each
marriage until 1t spread over a large
piece Of ground
when the boys get old enough 20
leave home they are taken to conipart-
ment house which is set aside as home
for them until they wish TO marry. The
girl has the right 90 choose whom she
will wed, privilege delegated to her in
few Mohammedan countries
"Once married. the husband for the
rest Of his life is his wife's lover. He
lives apart from her and visits his home
only 10 the evening TO chat with her and
the children. all the money he gets
aud there is plenty of money OF Dutch
coinage there-he turns over 20 hlssweet-
heart She dresses herself and the chill
dren and shoulders all tho petty family
cares
HE is bothered only 70 earn the
money to pay for the things they eat
and wear
ITO get things for them to eat need
not worry him much The portion Of
Sumatra In which these strange people
live is very fertile and productive. 1t is
a fine country, with beautiful mountains
and streams and magnificent scenery.
All sorts of fruits are grown, and in the
higher attitudes many of the grains
DRESSES OF TIK WOMEN.
TO find dresses Tor the family must
be different matter, for ! never saw
such elegantly attired women AS in these
communities They are very beautiful,
boasting the fairest and finest complex
ions and the brightest eyes
Never in Christian countries do wo-
men dress MS extrayagantly.
II remember that once the chief told
me he would have two pretty maidens
dress as they would ON their marriage.
The two bright eyed girls were gone
some time, and came back wearing, one
dress Of gold and the other one OF sill.
yer, They had bracelets one above an.
other from the hands and above their
elbows. AT the elbows they wore pecu.
liar bracelets, iointed to permit easily
moving the joint. In brief, their arms
were armored with precious metal. They
had necklaces of gems and other costly
ornaments. aud the cloth-of-gold and