Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-10

grandfather was, so must ne he also
And never shall he marry into 4 caste
above his Owl.
in Persia for the western tourist is
herman. And u little visit to that
city in the Land of the Lion and tho
Sun as Persia is called by her peo-
ple-may give pleasure to the young
reader. The journey may he made in
the company Of the wife of Il mission
airy doctor whom We quote here (from
Behind the Veil in Pcrsia"D:
The first view We had of Herman
was Il very picturesque one, We had
been travelling Tor % days. and on
Easter Eve reached lovely garden
some four or i've hours ride from
herman, and her" we decided 10 stay
for Easter day. ON Monday morning
We started en the last stage of our
journey. Just as the sun was rising
We came tn the top of hill. and there
away in the distance lay the city of
herman.
herman Is very interesting old
city. having passed through many
Nieissitudes and seen changes during
its chcckcrCd history. 1t is sur
rounded on three sides by the eternal
mountains. With their ever changing
shades and shadows. and forming Il
magnificent background to the city
nesting at their feet. ON the fourth
side III" desert stretches away To Iczd
and lspahan.
Herman is said to have derived its
name from Il Persian word, Kern,
meaning worm. and the legend con-
neCtcd with it is as follows: The
princess who founded the city was one
day walking With her followers over
the site Of the future town and
plucked an apple from tree. Upon
eating it she found To her disgust and
annoyance a worm at its core. As
she threw it away in anger, she de-
elared that the new city should he
called k"rm-an. a worm. Herman is
certainly a very ancient city; the in
habitantS claim that it Was a large
city in the time of solomon But the
first time that ii is mentioned in his
tory Is by HerodotuS Alexander is
said To have marched his army
through Herman on his way to India.
Perhaps few places have suffered more
1T the hands al invaders than Kcr-
man. 1t has been sacked at least six
times, and in 1924 the city Was almost
entirely destroyed by Aeha Moham-
med Khan The city vas bravely
defended by the prince governor, who
was one of the last Of the lend
dynasty He sustained long and
severe siege. TIL two-thrd~ OF his
troops had persisted from starvation.
and then the city was betrayed into
the hands of the enemy and it's
brave defenders obliged to flee, only to
meet with cruel death some two
Years later from the hands OF the same
oppressor. This incarnation of
cruelty, Agha Mohammed Khan. gave
the city over to the will of his soldiers.
VINO resembled their leader in cruelty
and barbarity. There was no COM
passion in his heart for the unfortu-
nate inhabitants, nor would he with
IRA" MS troops from the city until he
nad received a gift of 10000 pairs of
human eyes. When these were
Drought to him. he insisted on count
INC them himself to see il the number
was correct.
The city never recovered from This
terrible blow, and today Herman is n
o5Word among Persians Tor it's poverty
ana extraordinary number of beggars.
Ii you We're to ride through the bazars
yen would be struck by the number Of
pessarS. all holding ont their hands,
beseeching YOU for the love Of God 70
give them copper
Ihere is quaint saying among the
oegsars of Persia, which one hears
very often. 1t is as follows: 'khuda
quit, "Beddeh;" Shaitan gut. Ned
ueh. Translated: God says. give
lhe devil say. mot give" kansas
City Journal.