The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-07-29
LIFE In ASSYRIA.

LIFE In ASSYRIA.
GIRLS BOUGHT FOR CAMELs AND SHEEP
CHEAP PRODUCTS AND LABOR.
Men live ON six cents day in Assyria.
Assyrian women, after 100 years of
Christian labor, are bought and sold;
are made to work with oxen at the pillow,
and have as little liberty as in the days
of Cadimus. Men who pay 50 day to
live and ladies who ride to shops in vic
torias thought oyer these things as they
left the Lincoln Park Congregational
Church Sunday night Anon Rasi, born
on Mount Lebanon, told these things in
broken English,
Anon Rasi is tall, handsome Assyr-
ian with a skin as rich as the cihamon
silks made at the foot OF the mountain
on which he was born. He looked into
the curious, bright eyes of the girls and
told them that had they been born AS
upon the streets unless their faces were
concealed; that they could neither re-
ceive nor make a call among women with
out their husbands consent, and that If
at any time, even by accident, they were
seen by any man or any way recog-
nized by one, no one would marly them,
He said that once two couples-a tall
man and short woman and short man
and tall woman-stooG before priest
to wed, The priest placed the tall man
and tall woman and short man and short
woman togethe4, and none of the four
knew whether it was right GA not, Meth
er of them knowing the SsAsr. But the
parents hastily objected nd placed the
tall man by the short wssAan and the
short man by the tall wsnan, as that
was the way of the contracts.
Then Mr.. Rasi showed how the con-
tracts We're made. He left the pulpit
and presently man.wrapped up in rich
Assyrian raiment went up and sat on the
floor. Mr.. Rasi came back and squatted
beside him.
II would like very much" said he,
''for girl who is yours to be wife to my
son Isaac"
81 would be honored," returned the
man, with very uumistakable Ameri-
can accent.
"How many have your"
"Three"
"IIow much years have thsy?"
Zone is Is, one is 20 and ono %"
Don't talk to me about the %, nor the
20; they are never fit 10 marry. How
much do you charge for the little one?''
Five camels, four horses, three sheep,
and $50"
"Bahl 1 can buy 100 women for so
mnch.
'But moi little ones"
ooh, Think So"
"Well, you can't have mine for a cent
less"
81 pay"
But even then Isaac did not get the
little one because few minutes later
Dir. Rasi returned as another man, and
by doubling the price secured the girl for
his son Jacob.
Then Anon Rasi looked at the young
men whose patent feathers cost them "
and Cold them that people in Assyria
paid fifty cents for a suit Of clothes. The |
common people, Le said. paid twenty
five cents day for house rent, three
cents for twenty five pounds of cabbage
and four cents for iiftypounds of turnips.
Fifty loaves OF bread were turned out at
a baking ann men sometimes ate four or
five loaves at a meal. He waited for
moment and then turning to a black
board behind him said, ''They are so
big, and he drew circle that would
enclose thanksgiving platter.
Speaking OF iAssyrian cities, he said
that when in the gardens OF Sidon the
rain fell upon the orange and lemon
trees and knocked the fruit upon the
ground 100 could be purchased FOR five
cents. He said that in Damascus there
are l30,000 Mohammedans, $50, 90 Chris
tians and 5000 Jews In the city there
is building haunted by John the Bap.
lists ghost. The Mohammedans say
that once long ago some one opened it
and the BaptiSts blood flowed cut over
the city to the depth ID five inches. Ii
was the custom OF the wssshippers to
leave their shoea outssSe the temple.
There were sometimes sSs or 400 pairs
standing in arrow, aad the poorer people
hurried through their prayers first and
then carefully selected the finest foot
wear in the row, thereby illustrating the
great cleverness of the AssyIians. Chi.