Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-27
THE ARABS AT NIPPUR
Experience Of q Woman at the Ancient
Center Of Civilization.
AMERICANS UNcoVERlNG THE OLD CITY
Discovery Of n Famous Library Due to
Chancc-IntcrestinE Meeting with
the Great sheik of n
District.
tCopright by c. II. Levy.)

her hands and go among the barbarous
Arabs OF Assyria to take part in the work
Of excavatlng ancient ruins is unique. This
has been done by an American woman, Mrs.
John II. Haynes, who accompanied her hus-
band in the latest expedition sent out by
the University OF Pennsylvania to continue
the excavations begun by him in c%onjunc-
tion with DR.. Hilprecht at Nippur some
years ago.
1t was during the last campaign in
which DR.. Haynes was accompanied and
assisted by his wife, that the now famous
library Of $1,000 clay tablets was discov-
cred. When deciphered these cannot fail
to shed a flood of light upon the life led
by the men and women in one Of Assyria's
greatest cities 1000 years before Christ.
The journey from New York to Bagdad
was no different from hundreds of sim
liar journeys taken by tourists-but at
that point Mrs. Haynes adventures began.
SOM of her adventures she described to
the writer in New York the other day.
I'VE stopped In front of a fruitstand in
the Bagdad bazar," said Mrs. Haynes, ito
look at the oranges. Soon a great crowd
gathered, completely blocking the street.
When we tried to move on the crowd fol-
lowed and at last grew so noisy that we
could not in safety remain. Koshoud, the
guide, walked In advance. scattering the
people, but they were much incensed at
seeing a woman in European dress in
public. as was evident from their jeering
and threatening gestures. Koshoud led us
safely up the street a short distance and
put us inside a door which led into a
private stall or alcove. Here he closed
the door and stood outside on guard. l do
not in the least question that we would
have been stoned had not Koshoud acted so
wisely.
"A few days after this adventure four Of
the workmen formerly employed by DR..
Haynes at Nippur walked in to pay a visit
to their master, after a trip of fifty miles
through the desert. They talked and
laughed vociferously, kissing their mas
ter's hands, kneeling at his feet, stroking
his clothes and calling upon God to bless
their Beg When DR.. Haynes told them
that Mrs. Haynes was his wife (harem)
she thought they would devour her upon
the spot. They at once began saluting and
greeting her, kissing her hands and telling
her that they and their wives would do
whatever she wished.
Finally all was in readiness for the de-
parture from Bagdad and the men and
boxes were ferried over the river. Then
the desert journey Of fifty miles to Nippur
began.
ut took ten days Of adventurous travel,
mostly on camelback. though the last stage
was by boat on the waters of the ancient
canal leading to Nippur. And all the way
the party was in danger both from the
savage Arabs all about them and the nat
ural rigors of the region.
ION arrival the clay house occupied by
DR.. Haynes on his previous stay there was
unsealed and found in tolerably good con-
dition, but further improvements were
necessary, for there DR.. and Mrs. Haynes
were to dwell for more than a year. The
walls were very thick to protect the Amer
leans from the extreme heat of the sum-
mer and yet the degree CO comfort attain
able was only limited, even after all prac-
ticable repairs had been made.
Fighting Public Opinion.
Mrs. Haynes had to hght her chief bat
tie with public opinion. Her husband was
popular with his workmen, but 1t was a
novel enterprise to bring a civilized woman
among them. Her reception was chilly,
and had 1t not been for the friendliness
Of the sheikh of the district, Hail Tarfa by
name, the outcome might have been dis
astrous. Knowing how much depended
upon him, all preparations were made for
receiving nim WIN uut lSihOh9' n ShSSP
was sacrificed and a tent was pitched for
the reception of the sheikh, who would not
enter the house. as 1t was considered a
harem on account of Mrs. Haynes living
in It. Her account Of this visit had bet
ter be given in her own words.
"As the curious crowd gathered many OF
the more o~ficious members Of the sterner
sex crowding around the place where my
maid and / were sitting, 1t grew to be a
serious question whether l should hold my
ground or seek the house. l decided to stay
where l was and seem not to notice. !
tried to read, and, indeed, was reading,
when l heard the name 'Hatoon' spoken.
Looking up l saw a very tall Arab, whose
whiskers would have been gray had they
not been colored a bright red with henna,
and whose dress Of yellow silk clearly
indicated that he was a man OF wealth and
position, standing directly in front of me.
He was introduced as the great sheikh,
Hail Tarfa.
~ quickly arose and salaamed to him;
then advancing and extending my hand,
salaamed again. AS he took my hand his
great black l~ustrous eyes looked kindly
down into mine with an expression which
seemed to say: You are very much out OF
place, but you probably mean WELL We
looked at each other only a few seconds,
I to see a great sheikh for the first tinei
and he to inspect the first white woman
he had met, and then / withdrew. The
crowd watched the introduction in silent
respect and then melted quietly away"
From that time Mrs. Haynes was pop
ular with the workmen and the natives
round about, and many Of the women came
TO her to be treated for sore eyes and other
afaictions. A child that had fallen into a
fire and been badly burned about the legs
was one OF her first patients and the skin
with which she cured its wounds did much
to establish her in the good graces OF the
multitude.
Popular with the WOTkmen.
After her popularity seemed established
when no danger to her person appeared
probable. she took her share of the direc-
ton of the excavation which was going on
simultaneously in various parts Of the huge
mounds Of Nippur. Ultimately the work.
men in her division became so much at
tached to her that at nightfall, when the
work was done, they bore her to the house
upon their shoulders. The finest flowers
and fruits and various curiosities were
brought to her by the Arabs, especially by
the children, whose devotion to the Beg's
harem," as she was called, was remarkable.
The workmen lived with their families
in little reed huts, and Mrs. Haynes was