The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-02

erected az great cost, THIS balaar, however
has entirely failed 10 draw the trafic OF Nhe
town from the native quarter. and thus TO SUD
Jeotit more compile tely 10 Government influence
The natives did not take kindly TO the PROPOSED
arrangement. and the trade Of Tashkent IL
sull carried on In the old bazaar. which has
probably existed in much the same form Tor
hundreds Of years. Certainly no changes have
been made In II since the Russian occupation
The street, NJ II approaches the gate grows
narrower. and little shops are clustered on
either side. In the bazaar itself the stree' II
exceedingly narrow. rough and nl-paved' \
~fayorite method Of paving 10 central ASIA N
W lay large blocks Of stone. between whlch are
channels 81 mud In winter and In summer OF
thick white dust. over these the hirRhiH
bumps along on his camel. and II the pedes-
TRAN docs not keep carefully TO the raiseu
sidewalk Of mud he may he knocked over OF
jostled. The shops are small wooden NUS
Of one or, at the most, two rooms. inc Iroh'
Of which Is taken down bodily to show the
interior. In the centre, on a mat, sits the seller
cross-leggcd. or. perhaps. II is a Manufacture
with his tools In hand. Around him are dis
played his WIRES and there is little room for
his customers, who mus, stand outside to do
their bargaining. The merchant displays no
undue eagernees 10 sell his goods. and the
buyer Is equally self-possessed and leisurely'
Theoret ically there are thir ty-two differentiated
guilds which must be represented in the bazaar
prac tically there are more. Each gnlld II
supposed 10 have thirty-two branches, ana
each must have a different shop; thu in brass
working, sometimes very beautifully done one
shop will make the bowl or ever, another the
bottom, another the lid, a fourth will solder them
toge Their. while at a Nth, with a sharp chisel'
the decoration Is worked out.
Almost every trade has its own street, the
shops on either side being devoted to shoe
making or harness-maklng. or crockery max
ing, in all their different branches. Al a tea
shop. sometimes kept by a dancing boy. tea
only can be obtained, and the natives bring
their own bread. or little round cakes, which
they can buy ct a neiRhboring baker shop,
and which they fold up in a corner OF their
girdle, and spread out. the girdle being used
as a tablecloth. when they desire TO eat. The
Jeweller has a little fumac and bellows, and
a few rude instruments with which he man
ufactures earrings, amulets and anklets. gen.
orally In silver or thin gold. set with turquoises.
or other stones Of an inferior quality. The
Ice cream man Of Western countries finds his
counterpart In an individual who sells a sort
Of powdery white sugar 10 boys for a trifing
sum, while in a small clearing. p erhaps, IL q
grinninR crowd watching the antics OF a couple
Of comedians. The Kirghiz have a special
quarter Of their own In the Tashkent bazaar,
and here Is sold the really beautiful felt made
by their women. also coarse carpets and other
articles Of nomad manufacture, The barber
shop is also the chemists, and here soap, very
unpleasant In smell, Is sold. and also the cos
metics which a good Mohammedan woman
Is enjoined TO use in order TO preserve her
beauty and thus please her husband. Cotton
and silk goods occupy a large part OF the ba-
zaar, and In the booths may be seen men at
work with rough machines dextrously manip-
ulating reels and turning spindles. The EN-
broidery OF robes is also done by men. and Is
In very great demand. the material being
spread over a wooden hoop, the pattern roughly
chalked, and the embroidery executed with a
kind Of crocheting needle, with which the silken
thread II pulled into a sort Of chain stitch.
II should be noted that there IL no LIQUID meas
ure In central Asia, everything being reck-
oned by weight, and the standard varies In
almost every town. The coins also. the most
common OF which Is known as the ienod. have
different values in different parts. The Rus
SLAMS, however. have introduced their own
money, which now passes current all over CEN
trail Asia.
The natives OF Tashkent are mostly Uzbelu.
with a few TadJiks. Tatars. Kirghlz. Hindoos
and others who come TO trade. The population
is estimated at over 40, OOO. The Hindoos. by the
way. are the great money lenders in central
Asia, and In most towns have their own car
avanSaries. Under Russian rule. however.
unlike that Of the English in India. land does
not pas by sale and mortgage into their hands.
The Jews are also numerous. and have enjoyed
greater freedom since the advent OF the Rus
SLAMS. Formerly they were confined TO a GER
tain quarter and treated with much contempt.
having very few civil or municipal rights. and
being compelled TO wear a girdle Of common
rope as a badge Of their nationality. The walls
OF Tashkent are said to have been sixteen miles
round. but these were largely demolished by
the Russians to make barracks and parade
grounds. outside the walls and the gardens
surrounding them is the open steppe. over
which are dotted numerous villages. mostly in
habited by Tatars or Kirghiz, the races. which
mingle in the city here keeping sedulously
apart.