Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-07-09

! She Never Leaves Her Home.
A country where the women own tn
houses and lands, where gold and silve
are common as flowers in the spring
where everybody is happy and nobod,
does wrong, is the burden of the stor,
that w. ], Shaw brings from far off Su
matra.
W. j. Shaw is one of the men VIII
modelled things in this country when i
was young and pliable. He came from
New York in 1S49, and was about tn,
first man to hang out lawyers sign il
San Francisco. He won the cases tina
settled the validity of settlers titles anC
resulted in the Van Ness ordinance, anC
he served as state senator in 1854, whe1
twas more of an honor to be legislator
than it is now.
"ln all my years of travel" he said
81 never found happier people thar
those who live in Sumatra, in the mid
die part of the island The people al
over Sumatra are believers in the Mo
hammedan religion. but the peculiar
customs which make this particular peo
ple unique and different from all Others
are confined to one community.
1T would not he correct to term this
branch of the Sumatra people tribe
for they do not live in tribal relations al
all, although there is chief and under
chieftains. 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
chieftains, the women are the real rulers.
The customs of the country forbid the
giving of mans property to his chill
dren after his death If man dies the
property he owns is given to his father
and mother. The woman's property, on
the contrary, is given to the children.
Probably that is the custom that is re-
sponsible for the turning over of all the
wealth of the country to the women.
TREATMENT OF THE BOYS AND MEN.
at is the constant aim of the men to
enrich their wives. Each man has but
one wife, and each wife one husband,
and they live perfectly moral life. The
teachings of Mohammedanism are fol
lowed upon the question of divorce.
The husband has the right to divorce his
wife whenever he chooses, but must al
low her to retain the property in her pos
session. Divorces are not frequent,
though, and believe that, in proportion
&c the population, divorces in this part
of Sumatra are not one in sixteen COM
pared to the number in California.
The people are happy there-happy
as they can be. The children live at
home with their mother-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.
81 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 it spread over large
piece of ground.
when the boys get old enough to
leave home they are taken to compart-
ment house which is set aside as home
for them until they wish to marry. The
girl has the right to 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 in the evening to chat with her and
the children. All the money he gets
and there is plenty of money of Dutch
coinage there-he turns over to hissweet-
heart She dresses herself and the chill
dren and shoulders all the petty family
cares.
HE is bothered only to 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 THE WOMEN.
ITO find dresses for 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 as extravagantly.
81 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
a 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, jointed to permit easily
moving the joint. In brief, their arms
were armored with precious metal. They
had necklaces of gems and other costly
and the cloth-of-gold and
cloth-of- silver dresses were made loosely
fitting above the waist, and the skirts in
hounces
''They are not an ignorant people, for
the children are taught in their homes,
and many learn to read the Koran. They
observe the proprieties too, as is appar-
ent from the rule as to widows.
when woman's husband dies she
plants post in front of her particular
door in the family house and hangs
flag upon it. While tine flag waves she
may not marry again. But when the
winds, blowing softly off the sea, have
torn it into shreds and scattered the bits
on the ground her term of mourning is
over, and she may accept a second lovers
Sroffer San Francisco Examiner.
He Won't Do 1t Again.
An amateur beekeeper in Penobscot
county learns a thing or two almost
every day. Among other valuable les
sons was this: While working among his
hot footed charges he clumsily upset
hive. He was shielded by netting and
loose oyeralls and could watch with