The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-20
THEY PEDDLE RUGS
The 10000 Armenians in America q
Thrifty Lot.
NEARLY ALL IN COMMERCE
Tenaoity with Which They Cling
to Language and Religion
The Latter Much Like
The Catholic.

ArmeniAnS
country for about the last 10 years, enc
now they number here about lo,ovv
souls. They began coming In slnnil
numbers. attracted by the prosperous
condition of the trade In Ortentai iuss
and the high prices paid for nose an
carpet and rug makers in the Turkish
empire and In Persia are Aremenians.
and when they learned or the idIse
profits made by the merchants IN .ne
United states on rugs and carpets. sew
eral came here. bringing sucn eoous
with them, and others followed IA their
wake. and sought employment IN the
CARPET factories, where they are VIII
ing to work for comparatively low
wages. Numbers OF these, as soon
they became acquainted WIN the TAI,
guage and customs OF me coun..s,
themselves started In 10 manufacture
rugs in a small way on their natiVe
primitive hand looms. They prcomceu
very good limitations " original IuI
key rugs. and peddled them apou, sme
streets. Later merchants bought tneni'
and a number of enterprisi1g Armen
fans went into that business ana the
sale of other Oriental goods, ana n'e
gradually acquiring wealth.
Besides rug makers. good many VI
the Armenians are silk weaver5, shoe-
makers and wiremakers, end large
numbers are employed in New England
and New Jersey factories. Last ran
many Of them went on strike Tor an III
crease OF wages. good many IRON.
the country districts of Armenia Went
down South and to the Pacific coast,
where they engaged in grape culture
and in raising other fruits.
All Armenians speak the Armenian
language which abouods in gutterais,
and most of them can write u very
readily. Even in writing to each other
in Turkish they employ Armenian
characters The Turks, IN their Ell
forts to compel all Christians IN ASA
Minor and Armenia to use the TURKISH
as the collouuial tongue, succeeded 70
a great extent in making ihelr creek
subjects, except those on the shores OF
the Medi: srranean, forget the Greek OF
Roumanic language, but the Armen-
mans chung to their ancient tongue
with great pertinacity. although they
speak Turkish with as much facirty
as they do Armenian.
While nominally one people. the Ar
menians. evidently are not so ethno-
logically, for they diner In complexion
and features. although there Is Ger
tain resemblance among them by
which one who has lived In the Orient
can distinguish the members OF various
creeds and religions, whose social re-
lations have for generations been mann
ly restricted TO their respective reng-
ious circles. Some OF the Arnielians
have dark compilations and Semitic
features, while others are fair-skinned,
brown haired and blue-eyed, and have
straight noses. Even the turks anu
the Kurds note this distinction among
the Armenians. q.
this city and vicinity, and most OF
them are engaged in commerce. They
have a great aptitude for commerce,
and Turkish cities abound with Arme-
MAN business men who have managed
to acquire a great deal of wealth. They
Nd goods
money changers and bankers, and far-
mers of taxes. AS farmers of taxes
however, they have. not distinguished
themselves from Mohammedans OF
other creeds. and have not SHOWN ,ne
characteristic Christian spirit OF JUS
tice. In Turkey the crops are gener-
ally taxed in kind. one-tenth OF the
produce being claimed by the govern
ment although good deal more Il
taken. This system OF taxation ha'
given rise to a class of men who farm
the taxes from the government, anc
are furnished with soldiers or gen
darmes to enforce the collection o.
taxes. The wheat and barley ant
maize and other cereals must not b'
thrashed until the tax farmer comes
and takes the portion due TO the gov
eminent, or rather to himself. and thi
Is done arbitrarily. inasmuch as tn
soldiers are ready at a moments no
tice TO belabor the complaining peas
cattle. sheep. goats. poultry and eggs
and dairy products are likewise exoro
itnantly levied upon.
Nearly every Armenian who come
TO the United States brings SOM
money with him. and proceeds to in
vest IL in some profitable venture. afte
consulting with his co-religionists VIII
have come before him. The serious fac
is impressed upon him by his country
men that he must be industrious an
sober. and that he Will not receive an
assistance from the benefit fund IL h
spends his money in dissipation. Fo
the Armenians in this vicinity hav
established a benefit fund to aid thos
who are in distress and sick. and
their credit II must be said that Yer
few calls are made on the fund. Mo:
of the Armenians who come here al
young men and most OF them unmal
ried. As soon as young man has a.
cumulated some money and estabiishe
business he turns his eyes towal
his native land and crosses the ocea
10 bring back with him a wife fro
his own people. OF late, however. vel
few have cared to return to Turks
for wives. through fear OF being a
roster there on some pretext or othe
and being kept in prison until thu
are robbed Of all the money they mt
have. Consequently. Armenian girls
this country are at a high premium
present. and an Armenian damsel Ct
have her pick of score OF suitors. al
can have a good looking husband or
rich one, or one who combines DO
qualifications.
There are many Aremenians in VIC
cester. Mass. where they have
church, with a priest at its head Tn
co-religionists in other American cit
where they have no church genera
attend religious services IN Rom
Catholic churches. as the dogmas a
doctrines OF the Catholic and Arm
uian churches are very much ALL
except that Armenfans do not recc
nize the pope as the head bishop
Christianity.
The present massacres of the Arm
mans in the Turkish empire are pro
ably an exercise OF the policy of I
Mohammedan rulers 20 keep down
number OF their non-Mohammed
subjects. who may become a menace