The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-23
Parnl3ered Daughters of Egypt
pared IN the
SALE OF SoFT-EYED GIRLS.
AUCTION BLOCK AT CAIRO STILL
IN ExIsrENCE.


Cairo Dec 15.---Ife Iridt mas JUST
beer concluded here Of two pasies and
some others for The sale Of female
slaves. Six girls we're struggled in
here. says a Chicago Times correspcn-
dent according to the statement put
forth Nv the prosecuting side, and
were purchased by the pasi,as, who
have 5ast been acquitted
The action OF the English authori-
dies N forcing this matter to public
Erial Is criticised with a great deal Of
derisicn, because II is generally under
sSstood, and in fact, it is such a, patent
NSru1h that the slave trade exists in
undiminislled vigor the same as ever.
that the ontburst of epherneral virtue
upon this particiilsr occasion has
some political or social end in view far
removed from the purificatien OF
Egyptian morals or the salvation OF
the marketable maidens.
The Trads in Egypt.
The trade ia slaves exists at this
nlanlens not only in Egypt, bat in
TEsikey and in very many of the Eng
lfsf- eolonies 30 the same extent that
1t did tweEty five years age. Possibly
the sale OF absolute and healthy work
1nggnen may be somewhat restricted.
The male element in this slave trade
may have been partly eliminated from
the business by the efforts OF the Eng
fish and French reformers, but the
education of girls for the sole purpose
OF being put up in pubic market and
sold and the kidnapping of women from
the interior Of Africa and other coun-
tries fer the purpose of barter is today
just as popular as it has been for the
last Quarter Of century.
The London Times in an editorial q
few weeks ago said: In the east the
purchase OF. slaves for domestic SER
vice is not looked upon with any seri-
Gus disapprobation." The true mean
ing OF this paragraph, put forth with
genuine IsngisSh caution. may be gath
cred from the knowledge that Ali
Pasha Shereef, who was one of the
two purchasers tried yesterday for this
offense Of possessing slaves, is the pre-
side1f of the native legislative coun-
ell. end freely asserted in court with
out appearing to attach the slightest
Importance TO the admission, that his
'capacious residence in Cairo had been
open to the reception of slave girls
that were brought from Circassia and
other places, and they were there af-
forded a home until they could be dis
posed of by their owners. Naturally,
with such an opportunity presented to
llill, Ali Pasha made the most judi
cious selection that he could
Throughout Circassia it is a rcccg-
nizsd social condition that CO. tain
daughters of the family shall tie
drought up to the idea that the are
10 be sold as slaves when tl.sy reach
TIE proper age, and that proper age
varies from u to is years. These girls
are expected to cultivate their good
looks, their mental brightness, their
spirit of independence, and nothing
else. Their sisters, if they have any,
and their entire family, wait upon
them, sacrifice everything in their
favor, accustom them TO rich attire,
relieve them from the necessity Of pri-
walton, if privation is ever a portion
of the family menage, and in every
way create in these particularly for
tunate maidens the thought that they
are superior to the ordinary run of
women, and that something great is
in store for their future.
Put Them on the Auction Block.
When the time comes that they are
10 be disposed Of they are taken down
either 10 Constantinople, to Cairo, or
10 some other of the great centers, and
are there put up for sale. Frequently
they are sold by the family to some
dealer. who makes a tour of the coun-
try, picking up bargains in this line,
and in that case they are added to a
number of others, and the entire party
IS put up at auction eventually. This,
in fact. is the usual method of pro-
cedure. as it very seldom happens that
the father OF the family cares to go
to the expense and trouble Of person
ally taking his daughter into town and
disposing of her. A much better price
liz he ho1 1yh
nized dealer. and the same advantage
prevails in this as in any other occu-
patton, that the man who makes it his
profession is much more successful
than the man who goes into it as an
amateur.
The method that has prevailed
here in Cairo with the COM
panies of slaves is that which
the American maiden is taught
10 make a successful marriage. Their
only anxiety is that they shall be pur-
chased by a man who is sufficiently
well to do to permit them to continue
the mode Of life to which they are
accustomed. When they fall into the
possession of an owner who has simply
sufficient TO buy them, and requires
them to do serious hard work there
after, there life is not pleasant one.
But the most attractive girls are
pretty sure to make a desirable sale.
When the lower grades of girls are
put up the same modesty and delicacy
of treatment is not always so mani
fest. This grows more marked with
the successive stages of desira bility.
When the middle-aged or heavy
draught working women are offered
the market takes on very much the
appearance Of a horse sale or q traffic
in any other of the domestic animals.
and the goods offered are looked over
with the same calm indifference that
would prevail in an auction of Turk
fish rugs or other inanimate affairs.
Handsome Job Lot.
Your correspondent was present at a
sale of Circassian girls a few weeks
since in this city. and among the other
purchasers present was a representa-
tive of the sultan, information of the
particularly handsome assortment that
was to be offered having reached his
majesty, and this envoy appeared
simply to go in and take his chances
with the others, but secured what he
wanted by bidding a high price The
figures in that particular instance
varied from S400 to S1.S00-that is, its
equivalent in American money.
KSnCK-KNFFsn HyinNEN