The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-07-07
THE POTTER OF KUEG.
II Cost Him very Dearly te HOOdvTin<
the shah OF Persia, Bat
He Did 1t.


When Capt. Stiffe, Of England, was
visiting towns along the Persian gulf
a while ago he came to the large fishing
village of Kung, where a couple Of CEN
turies ago had stood a city of much
commercial Importance, for It was one
of the leading ports Of Persia The
ruins Of the old town are still scattered
far around and beyond the limits Of the
mat huts that shelter the fishermen
and their families, about 1000 persons
all told, who now inhabit the place
The only industry besides fishing is the
production Of a very ordinary sort OF
pottery. There is plenty Of pottery
clay In the neighborhOOd and at one
time superior wares Of this sort were
made at Kung. Capt. Stiffe, in mar
rating his adventures around the Per
sian gulf to the Royal Geographical so
ciety, told this curious story OF the
days when one man made the earthen-
ware Of Kung that became famous IN
Persia The incident ne describes is
not at all improbable, considering the
government under which the Persians
live.
The people Of Kung say there was one
particular artisan among them who
discovered a way Of making far better
pottery wares than any Of his rivals
in business. He kept his secret to him
self and thriEed by IL, for the rich soon
began to show a preference for his
goods, and he had all he could do to
supply the growing demand. At last
the fame Of his wares reached Teheran,
and a few specimens Of them got into
the shah's palace. That pOtentate de-
cided that he wanted more Of the same
sort, and so he took steps TO change
the residence Of the skIIfuI potter from
Kung TO the capital.
His highness sent an order down to
the coast instructing the local gov
ernOr at Kung to Immediately dispatch
the man to Teheran, where he was TO
receive the appointment Of special
maker Of chinaware to the shah. The
order was communicated 10 the young
manufacturer and the intelligence
filed him with disuav. He was doing
a good business where he was and had
not the slightest inclination to place
himself under the eye and the direction
Of a tyrannOUs employer. Moreover,
from all he had heard, he had derived
a poor opinion of the shah as paymas-
ter, and whether or not he had good
ground for his belief, he felt certain
that If he went to Teheran he would
have 10 make pottery for everybody
connected with the court and would
receive little or no pay for the fruits
Of his ingenuity and industry except
the high honor Of securing the most
disting uished patronage in the land He
concluded finally that he would prefer
TO sacrifice almost everything except
his life rather than obey the behest
Of his ruler.
The mandate Of the shah was impera-
tive, but there are occasions when his
highness may be hoodwinked and his
commands circumvented, and this was
one Of them. The potter took all the
money he could raise to the local gov
ernOr, and after that high-minded OIL
ciaI had pOcketed the bribe he and the
potter concocted a plan to deceive the
ruler Of Persia. They hit upon the
scheme of notifying his highness that
most unfortunately the man whose
earthenware had conferred such credit
upon himself and kung admysterious-
" disappeared a short time before the
arrival OF his summons to Teheran, and
no trace had yet been found of him
The governor deeply regretted his in
ability to deliver the desired person, but
he was unable to materialize him.
The plan worked like a charm. The
deception was practiced upon the shah,
and more important matters, doubtless,
Z Il h
potter of Eung. But that worthy had
to make a lifelong sacrifice to insure
his safety. He could no longer profit
by his superior knowledge Of pottery
making. For the rest OF his life he had
to content himself with making the or
binary clay ware, and this is the way
the people Of Kung explain the fact
that their town has lost its former rep
utatiOn for superior china products
y. Y. Sun.