Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-03-08

'Only look. No buyl" he entreats.
So, assuring him that you do not intend
to purchase anything, you submit un-
der protest to be shown gllstening sill
yer bowls and cups, fagons and trays
of exquisite design and workmanship,
some unadorned silver. others deli
cately outlined with gold. The shapes
are copied from nature, or from the
domestic art of the country. The
beautiful chenar leaf is fashioned as a
buckle or q brooch. The lotus flower
and the water lily are salt cellars. The
duck is made to do duty as a claret jug.
The kapgrees, or fire baskets, whlc
the natives fill with charcoal and carry
under their clothes in cold weather,
are copied As teaF cts, sugar basins and
cream jugs, and the tiny lamp that
lights their boats through the narrow
and tortuous canals is fitted with a
socket and makes a candlestick You
ask the price of the glittering wsres,
and are answered with the mystical
words ''by weight" pronounced in a
solemn Pharisalcal tone, They mean
that the silver is weighed against ru-
pees, three or four anIas in the rupee
being added ,on for workmanship.
This sounds very fair and and above
board, nevertheless the Cashmiri prices
are ''Prix fixe. avec quelque rabais.
If you decline to give an order he is
notiD the least offended, but treats you,
with dn earnestnes ess worthy of better
cause, to wrire your name at the top
of a blank page in his ledger. "Only
name" he implores, till you feel it
would be churlish to refuse so simple
IL request. He goes away quite happy,
fee!ing sure that the magic inscription
Is d nest egg which will bring orders in
It's wake.
He makes his "Salaam," and with a
sigh of relief you return to your book.
but not for long; another vendor has
been lurking In the background, not
yenturIng to come forward until his
rival has departed. He now APP
proaches you, ledger and bun lie IN
hand. He brings stones from Yark-
hand. Creamy moonstones, and ruddy
garnets, and lovely pebbles in red,
blue, green or grey, or deilcately pen
cilled with the semblance of mosse S
aud ferns. Or it may be a cloth mer,
chant, who brings rolls OF soft push.
nina cream and fawn and grey, made
long haired Cashmere goat. OF this
the embroidered shawls are made, the
pattern worked bv hand in silk the
same color as the material. The Cash
miris are wonderfully clever at thi;
embroidery. An ordinary DirZee vino
works for you at eight annas mine
PENCE a day will embroIder your gar.
ments for you with any pattern you
please.
But to return to the peddlars. 4
coppersmith comes on the scene. He
brings lovely objects in beaten and en-.
amelled copper. In the former are
hanging lamps. trays, bowls and quaint
candle>tlcks, oTnameIted with exQuIs-
itely wrought bss-reliefs. In the lat,
ter, jars, long. necked bottles, bowls,
vases, boxes, IN which the copper Is
completely covered with enamel il
turquoise aud sapphire, filed in with
gold. Next appears n dealer in papier-
mache, very different in appearance
and workmanship to the material We
know by that name, with It's shiny
black ground inlaid with impossible
flowers in mother-of-pearl. The
papier mache of Srinagar resembles
inlaid wood, TO which has been given a
satin gloss. True, some of the color
ing Is very crude, and the animals
heads with which they are fond ot
ornamenting it, and which look like in,
ferior woOdcuts, are no establishment;
still much of the coloring is soft and
delicate and the shapes artistic Trays,
jars, brackets, milking stools and smal
double octagonal tables are made in it.
Or perhaps it is only humble mochee,
or leather seller, who solicits your Gus
tom. He introduces himself as &
sheepman, by which he does not intend
TO convey the idea that he deals in the
flesh as well as the skin of the sheep.
but that he sells his goods much under
their real value, and so to disarm any
intention on your part OF cheaper,
ing them Nevertheless he will be
found to be open to an offer of about
90 per cent. less than the nom nal prlce
of his goods, which are excellent oi
their kind, being rendered soft and
durable by a peculiar method of tan.
ming. He will bring writIng-cases and
portfolios, bags, and satct els, and last
but not least chaplIes, the unique and
comfortable Cashmere shoe, made only
IN Srlnagar aud its immediate vicinity,
and for which, when once worn, al
other footgear will be discarded.
Cbaplies consist of two parts, n sock
and sandal. The sock is made oi
very soft unlined leather, it laces up in
front and should come well above the
ankle. THE sandal is an open, fiat.
heelless shoe with a curled toe, a net
work of straps crosses the upper par;
of the foot, while broader strap pass.
es round the ankle through loop al
the heel and buckles at one side. The
soles are thick and slightly roughened,
so that they are equally good for walk
ing on rough or smooth ground. Al
first sight they look uncouth and un.
servicesble, and you feel as if you
were walking in Bath slippers, but q
short trial soon convinces yOu of their
merits, the soft flexible leather max e:
them the coolest and easiest of shoes,
and those who wear them habituaIi y
declare that they are also the safest;
moreover, they combine cheapness with
excellence, for you can get a pair for
Is. Perhaps some one of the various
pedlars may have induced you to make
purchase. Then he will request You
to enter it under your name in his
DOOh. IL y Cu nave DeuitU ulul uOWL
much, he will ask you not to enter tue
price, and solemnly charge you not tc
tell any other officer or mem sahi6, a.
the case may be, at what ruinously
low price-probably q per cent. more
than it was worth-he let you have It,
Then be will ask you for a "chit" ol
written testimonial, and he will kindly
save you all the labor of composition
by debating to you the terms of YOU
recommendation: "You write good
man, OK sbeepman, or my work best.
You laughlngly decline to put youl
name to such unfounded eulogIes, anc
content yourself with entering your
purchase. AT last you have got rid o.
the importunate tribe. The air i,
sensibly cooler, the shadows have be.
gun to lengthen, and the kitmutghar i:
filling the kettle for afternoon tea.
The famous shawls which furnish
Her Majesty with 50 many wedding
presents are not hawked about in this
manner. To see them you must
pay a visit to one of the many
shawl merchants whose shops line