Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-08-21
WHERE WOMAN RULES.
SuMATRA ISLAND Is A PLACE WHERE
WIVES RUN THINGS.

Customs That Differ from Those Of Any
Other CAx4stiAa or MoharaneAnn Peo-
Ple-fhs Wife L. the Property Holder.
She Never Leaves Her Home.
A country where the women own the
houses and lands, where gold and silver
are common as flowers in the spring,
where everybody is happy and nobody
does wrong, is the burden of the story
that W. ]. Shaw brings from far off Su-
matra.
w. j. Shaw is one of the men who
modelled things in this country when it
was young and pliable. He came from
New York in 1849, and was about the
first man to hang out lawyers sign in
San Francisco He won the cases that
settled the validity of settlers titles and
resulted in the Van Ness ordinance, and
he served as state senator in 1854, when
twas more of an honor to be legislator
than it is now.
"In all my years Of travel" he said,
81 never found q happier people than
those who live in Sumatra, in the mid
die part of the island. The people all
over Sumatra are believers in the Mo
hammedan religion, but the peculiar
customs which make this particular peo-
pie unique and different from all others
are confined to one community.
ut would not be correct to term this
branch Of the Sumatra people Tribe,
for they do not live in tribal relations at
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 ostengible
cidettains, the women are the real rulers.
The customs of the country forbid the
giving Of a mans property to his chill
dren after his death. If a 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.
st 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
TO the population, divorces in this part
or Sumatra are not one in sixteen COM
pared to the number in California.
Tho people are happy there-happy
- they can be. The children live at
homo 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-snd the newly married girl
makes her home there, and brings up
her children. This custom, Of course,
results in forming quite large communi-
ties where there are many children.
81 knew ono Of these communities
where there were mother and several
daughters living with their children.
The original house had grown with each
marriage until it spread over a large
piece Of ground.
when the boys get old enough to
leave home they are taken to a compart-
znent house which is set aside as home
for them until they wish to marry. The
girl has the right to choose whom she
win wed. a privilege delegated to her in
few Mohammedan countries
''Once married, the husband for the
rest Of his life is his wifes 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 his sweet
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
Numatra in which these strange people
live is very fertile and productive. 1t is
D 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.
s"Fo find dresses for the family must
be different matter, for l 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-
rnen dress rs extravagsntly.
al 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
q dress of gold and the other one of sill
yer. They had bracelets one above an
other from the hands and aecve 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
ornaments, and the cloth-of-gold and
cloth-of-silver dresses were made loosely
6tting above the waist, and the skirts in
aounces.
They are not an ignorant people, for
the children are taught in their homes,
and many learn to read the Koran. They
A. L.
observe the prophecies too, as Is appar-
aUyhan q xnman's husband dies she