The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-02-27
SONS OF TIE SHAH.

!"ous fIlc IN tho event OF MS ueAth (he
Is now Gl) for the benefit OF his success.
sOr.
SONS OF TIE SHAH.
As TO who this successor will be thero
exists some doubt. Tho Oldest son Of
tho Shah, Massoud Mira, though by far
tho ablCst and resembling his father tho
closest, both physically and intcllectu-
ally, is barred from succession by tho
treaty OF TurcomanChai, which makes
1t impossible for any Persian prince to
ascend tho throne except ho be tho son
oil tho Shah and OF n free-born woman
OF royal blood, and this prince had a
sseeghay for Il mother. Mussoud Mira,
however, is by far tho ablcst OF his
lather's sons, is also governor OF tho
richest and most important district OF
tho kingdom, obtains enormous rove
MUGS out OF its administration leo that
his personal fortune was being esti-
mated at SlG,OOOO0O eight years ago.,
and has well trained army in his pay
and under his control. As he is also
very ambitious and hates his brothers,
and rs tho most powerful party in the
land, that OF priests, iavors his success
sion, there is no telling what may
happen at the death Of the present Shah.
The heir, so lar rs treaty rights 20, is
MouzaIIered- Deem. who Is in all respects
the inferior of his elder brother, weak
Of mind and body. and rendered unfit
Tor all serious work in life by protractcd
debauchca OF the vilcst kind.
The third son, called Naibcs-Sultaneh,
is tho handsomcst and most good M
tuTed OF the three, and is his fathers
iavoritc. lie has no great qualities,
either for good or evil. lie has his
fathers parsimonious tastes, and ia
fond Of all kinds oil petty swlndles and
mcanness.
There used to be a fourth son, kassim
Khan. whose motherwas for four wears
the iavorite OF the Shah. Zba Khan
oum-ior that was her name-had been
professional dancer once, when the
eye Of the monarch happened to light
on her. She was woman with much
native shrewdness and OF great force OF
character, and she made her royal
adorer do anything. The Shah nc
trally cxerted all his energy and persua-
slve eloquouce to obtain the consent OF
all the diplomatic representatives at his
court to the succession OF this son OF 4
slave woman. But 4 fortnight after he
had finally obtained the consent OF the
leading European powers the boy, ten
derby beloved BY his father and by lar
the best OF his sons. suddenly died, per.
sumably by poison
While in other respects strongly
grasping and acting mean in money
matters. tho Shah is generous in the
expenditures on behalf oil the anderoun.
1t is believed that he spends at least
100000 keraun per year on the main
tenancc OF that portion OF his house
hold. But in this again ho differs from
tho ordinary Oriental despot-he does
not pay tho expenses OF his andcroun
out OF the legitimate revenues OF the
Kingdom, estimating at about $4,000
SScraun Tor G5,00O,0OO francs) per year.
Out OF these revenues he reserves 25,-
OOO000 for the army, 70, 600, 600 for adj
Ministration purposes, etc. ard he
scrapos tho large sum he needs every
year for the maintenance OF all these
women and children in the andercun
together BY encouraging and accepting
all sorts OF pishkish. This is Persiun
word sicniiying present or bride. Ger
tain offices in his gilt. in other words,
arc given over to tho highest bidder,
and the forgiveness OF the Shah Tor
past misdeeds, as well as his good will
Tor tho future, is purchased in this way.
Tho shah, like all Persians, is very
fond OF fresh. green cucumbers. Fabu-
lous prices are paid for the lirstlings OF
this fruit, for fruit it is with tho Pcrsi-
ans, of which they devour incredible
quantities. 4 basket oil such cucumbers,
appetzingly embedded in roses and
hvacin,hs, was once put on the table
before the shah by one such dignitary
that was undergoing the doubtful pleas
ure OF lengthy roya! visit. Each cu-
cumber liz was April was worth in the
open market about ono toman Isl SOY,
and it had caused the host much
trouble, besides, to get such q quantity
OF early cucumbers together, having en-
ploycd runners TO bring them from the
far south OF Persia, Mohammerah and
Bushcer. The shah, however, paying
no attention to the other dishes, began
to ravenously dcvour tho cucumbers
and ate them all. with tho exception of
score or so. Whom he arose from tho
table ho hid the remaining dozen in his
bosom and about his coat and walked
oil with them.
In the American legation in Teheran
ono day q couple OF high dignitariea,
both donned in resplendent khalats
(robes OF honor and their breasts in
crusted with diamonds, gold embroidery
and precious pearls, came to pay visit
OF state to General F. II. Winston, the
American minister at that time. To my
horror and amazement suddenly no.
ticed some peculiar odious little para
sites crawling comfortably along right
across all this splcndor on their blossoms.
Many other things, even more disgust
ing than tho above, may be seen in tho
Orient, and il tho Shah breaks costly
china at the table oil Queen Victoria,
irretrievaby ruins fine furniture in tho
castle at Berlin and spoils rare rugs and
unique gobclins in tho castle OF Schoen-
brunn. Vienna: il he cxpectoratcs on
the heads OF the audience during tho
onera in Paris and wants to buy up n
cheap Job lot Of danscnses in St. Peters.
burg, hc doesn't do nearly as bad as
seine other Persians would be doing ii
they the shah's shoes. And, to strike 4
final balance, one may well say that for
IN oriental despot. Sasred-Deen is not
NN.a L. fnll