The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-16
THEY PEDDLE RUGS
The 10000 ArmenianS in
America a Thrifty Lot.
NEARLY ALL ARE IN COMMERCE.
Tenacity With Which They Cling TO
Language and Relision-The Lat
ter Much Like the Catholic.
New York Times.

New York Times.
Armenians have been coming 10 this
country for about the last ten years, ana
now they number here about l9.0ea souls.
They began coming IN small numbers, at
traeted by the prosperous CONDITION or the
trade in Oriental rugs and the high prices
paid for those articles OF furniture Not
few OF the carpet and rug makers IN
the Turkish empire and in Persia are
Armenians. and when they learned
OF the large profits made BY mer-
chants in the United States on rugs
and carpets, several came here. bringing
such goods with them. and others followed
in their wake. and sought employment in
the carpet factories, where they were Will
ing TO work for comparatively low wages.
Numbers OF these, as soon as they became
better acquainted with the language and
customs of this country, themselves start
ed in to manufacture rugs in a small way
on their native primitive hand looms.
They produced very good limitations OF
original Turkey rugs, and peddled them
about the streets. Later, merchants
- ught of them, and number Of enter
prising Armenians went into that business
and the sale OF other Oriental goods, and
are gradually acquiring wealth.
Besides rugmakers, a good many of the
Armenians are silk weavers, shoemakers,
and wiremakers. and large numbers are
employed in New England and New Jersey
factories. Last fall many of them Went on
strike for an increase of wages. \ good
many from the country districts OF Arme-
MIA went down South and 10 the Pacific
coast, where they engaged in grape cul-
ture and in raising other fruits.
All Armenians speak the Armenian Ian
guage, which abounds in gutterals. and
most of them can write IL very readily.
Even in writing TO each other in Turkish
they employ Armenian characters. The
Turks in their efforts n PnOnal all Chris
tians in Asia Minor and Armenia to use
the Turkish as the colloquial tongue, sue
ceeded to a great extent in making their
Greek subjects, except those on the shores
of the Mediterranean, forget the Greek or
Roumanic language, but the Armenians
chung TO their ancient tongue with great
pertinacity, although they speak Turkish
with as much facility as they do Arme-
MAN.
While nominaIly one people. the Arme-
mans evidently are not so ethnologic-
ally. for they differ in complexion and
features. although there is a certain resem-
blance among them by which one who has
lived in the Orient can distinguish the
members of various creeds and religions,
whose social relations have for generations
been mainly restricted TO their respective
religious circles. Some of the Armenians
have dark compilations and Semitic feat
ures, while others are falr-skinned, brown
haired and blue-eyed, and have straight
noses. Even the Turks and the hurds note
this distinction among the Armen!ans.
There are not very many Armenians in
this city and vicinity, and most of them are
engaged in commerce. They have great
aptitude for commerce, and Turkish cities
abound with Armenian business men who
have managed 10 acquire great deal Of
wealth. They are grocers and dry goods
men, and money changers and bankers, and
farmers OF taxes. AS farmers of taxes,
however, they have not distinguished them
selves from Mohammedans or followers OF
other creeds, and have not shown the char
acteristlc Christian spirit of justice. In
Turkey the crops are generally taxed in
kind, one-tenth of the produce being
claimed by the government, although
good deal more is taken. This system OF
taxation has given rise to class of men
who farm the taxes from the government,
and are furnished with soldiers or gen.
darmes to enforce the collection of the
taxes. The wheat and barley and maize
and other cereals must not be thrashed until
the tax farmer comes and takes the portion
due to the government, or rather TO him
self. and this is done arbitrarily, inasmuch
as the soldiers are ready at a moments
notice TO belabor the complaining peasants
with sticks and whips. Fruit. cattle, sheep
goats, poultry and eggs. and dairy products
arc likewise eXorb.tantiy levied upon.
Nearly every Armenian who comes to
the 1nltEu States DTllSS sOilie DluIlSg Win
him. and proceeds TO invest ii in some
profitable venture, after consulting with
his co-religionists who have come before
him. The serious fact is impressed upon
him by his countrymen that he must be
Industrious and sober. and that he will
not receive any assistance from the ben
eft fund II he spends his money in diSSi-
patton. For the Armenians in this vicin-
ity have established a benefit fund. TO aid
those who are in distress and sick, and to
their credit II must be said that very few
calls are made on the fund. Most of the
Armenians who come here are young men,
and many Of them unmarried. AS soon as
a young man has accumulated some
money and established a business, he
turns his eyes toward his native land, and
crosses the ocean to bring back with him
a wife from his own people. or late, how
ever. very few have cared 10 return TO
Turkey for wives, through fear OF being
arrested there on some Dretext or other,
and being kept in prison until they are
robbed OF all the money that they may
have. Consequently Armenian girls IN
this country are at a high premium at
present, and an Armenian damsel can
have her pick of a score Of suitors, and
can have a good-looking husband or
rich one, or one who combines both quail
fications.
There are many Armenans in Worcester.
Mass where they have a church, with a
priest at its head. Their co-reltgionists in
other American cities where they have no
church generally attend religious services
in Roman Catholic churches, as the dog
mas and doctrines Of the Catholic and
Armenian churches are very much alike.
except that Armenians do not recognize
the pope as the head bishop OF Chris-
tianity.
The present massacres OF the Armeni-
ans in the Turkish empire are probably
an exercise Of the policy Of Mohammedan
rulers 70 keep down the numbers OF their
Mohsmmedan subjects, who may be-
come menace 10 their supremacy and sta