The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-10
LIFE IN THE SHAFTS LAND.
VERY OLD-FAsHIONED THESE
CONTEMPORARIES OF OURS.

Marriage, Divorce, Taxes, Servants
Tips, Royal PrerogRtives, British
EncroRchments ia IA Domain That
Has Not HItched Itself On to This
EIectrOmOtive Aga.
From the New York Sun.
The SUMS story of Nasr- Ridden. the
Shah Persia, who was assass!nated
Friday led yesterday to very general
demand for additional information about
the great empire over which the strange
monarch ruled with an iron hand, hav-
ing absolutely control not only over the
property. but the persons of his sub
jects, having the right to say to this man,
give me your property" and to that
man, 81 will take your life,' and not only
saying it, but doing it. The popular
knowledge of Persia, it must be con-
fessed, is pretty slender, chiefly because
there is practically no trade between this
country and the shah's. Persia consumes
some American goods. but these are
bought from English merchants
Persia is IN the southwestern part Of
Asia. 1t helps Afghanistan separate Rus
STA in Asia from British India, and on its
east is Arabia or Turkey in Asia. 1t is
973 miles north and south and 1912 east
and west 1t is estimated that 1t in
cludes about 1000 square miles Of terri
tory Noah's ark stopped on Mount Ar
arat just north of it, and the govern
ment existed centuries before Christ, and
has been running ever since having had
many UPS and downs in the mean time
This is all that need be said about its
history
Persia is interesting now for a great
many reasons. but chiefly because its nine
ar ten millions of people are content TO
live under an absolute monarchy-more
absolute than Russia s. 30 content are
they that their ruler, the shah, could
leave the country and go 1unkeung with
out even a sign or a rear OF reyolullon
or the smallest sort OF an ASSAULT upon
his authority. 1t is country uhtll re-
cent wears without any railroads at an,
and even now with practically no ran
road facilities. There is but one Inc Of
Telegraph and that is owned by English
800 and simply crosses the country be-
cause II Is the most convenient route 10
british India. This line, II Is true, mas
one or two short Persian branches Ihefe
80 M manufacturing industries TO speak
~ and there is very little mining. Inc
inports amount to but $Z9OO0OO year.
snd The exports TO but $l5,WO,OJO.
"i w. cbfef religion is a variety Of Mo-
bammedanism known as the shit, and the
shah Is the defender OF that taltn ana the
commemorative of God; but there IS as me
q pcoilection of other religions as can be
q go, ~ in any country on the face of the
globe Persia also has as varied an as
sortment Of weather as N t,. oIk CITY
has and the weather conditions are as
subject to change without notlce as are
The conditions in New York. The pUpu-
lation is divided into a dozen dlHeIent
races of people and while the "ciVilizz-
ton is one 0 the Oldest, II Is also one OF
the most barbaric. A million or so of the
population are tent dweilers, ana as many
more live In mud houses The political
divisions of the country are governed
chiefly BY sons of the shah and husbands
OF daughters Of the snah are among the
chief men The crown jewels are valued
al from $35,00O000 to $4,000 600, and are
among the richest in the world. OF all
the revenue collected fourth goes TO the
support of the shah and MS family and
another fourth to the priests. The rest
is taken by the government officials ana
the soldiers.
They raise wheat, cotton, wool, rice, to-
gacco fruit and opium. They also culti-
yate silkworms and they mine turquoise
and fish for pearls They make carpets,
which many people in New York think
they are buying when they purchase
PERSIAN rugs.
About 81 100000 worth Of carpets or rugs
are exported every years. All the carpets
are made by hand, and until few years
ago no two were ever made alike The
makers were the designers and they exer-
ciged their ingenuity in the work. But a
few wears ago an Englishman went there
to get monopoly OF the carpet trade.
He made big contracts on condition that
the makers would not exercise any of their
ingenuity in designing, but should follow
his orders to the letter. He had them
make hundreds of the same patterns
those patterns being then In favor In
England and France. He is still doing
this. and gradually the native ingenuity Is
being lost for want Of use.
They used TO export seven times as
much opium as they do now The Per-
sian opium was the finest in the world
1t contained a higher per cent. Of NOR
phine than the opium Of other countries.
Some foreigners got hold of that bust
ness and showed the natives how to adul-
terate the drug The pearl fisheries used
to be controlled by natives. and so with
the turquoise mines. Lately an English