Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-04-25
nONGOL FARMERS

FAl2r1ERO
for his last rest. Excepting for a few
rich men and princes, who have built
Chinese houses, all Mongols live In
''jurts." ,t
Food Of the Mongols.
The food of the Mongols consists of
mutton, beef, milk, butter and various
kinds of gruels made from millet,
wheat and other grains which they
purchase from the Chinese. Buttered
tea and milk are the most common
beverages. On festival occasions the
Mongols drink clear, transparent
liquor made from mares milk Being
a nomadic people the Mongols have
almost all Of their wealth in the shape
OF herds of cattle, horses. sheep and
camels. l visited one Mongol who
had 600 horses, 500 head of cattle,
1000 sheep and some fifty camels. He
was considered a very rich man.
Mongols live life in the open air
very much like that of our western
cowboys. They spend a large part of
their time on horseback and are there
fore wonderful riders Not only the
men, but the women and children ride
horseback with that natural ease and
dignity which comes only by contin.
ued practice. The Mongol herdsmen
perform all the dashing feats of horse
manship for which our cowboys are
famous. They lasso horses and cattle
with rope which is fastened to q
long pole, forming a loop at one end
and passing along the pole to the rid
er. who can loosen or tighten the moose
at will. They brand horses and cattle
much in the same manner as 1t is done
on our western plains. The horses,
cattle. sheep and camels are out of
doors the whole year round. In the
winter they scrape the snow away with
their hoofs and are thus able to find
their sustenance from the dry grass.
so as not to stray too far from the
"jurts' Of their owners. Several herd
ers can be seen with each herd at
any time during the day or night.
The invigorating, open air life of the
Mongols make them a strong, healthy
race, free from most Of the diseases
which afflict more civilized but less ac-
| tive nations, Rheumatism is, how
ever, very common among them, ow-
ing to their sleeping on the ground
with only some skins for bed and to
their being exposed to extreme cold
winters, against which their huts do
not afford sufficient protection. Many
Mongols are also afflicted with diseas-
es Of the eye caused by the smoke
which fills the "jurt" when a fire is
kindled, and on rainy days when the
smoke vent at the top of the "jurt"
must be made smaller or even closed
entirely.
When a rich Mongol dies he is
placed on funeral pyre and cremated
On such occasions hundreds and some
times thousands of Mongols come to
witness the ceremony. After the Gre
nation the ashes are collected and
placed In covered jar, which is
buried. A poor Mongol has less class
ic but more picturesque funeral. The
body is stripped Of clothes and placed
on low cart, which is driven at break.
neck speed across the prairies. The
driver, who never once looks behind
him. does not turn homeward before
he feels, by the way the cart Is run.
ming. that the corpse has been jolted
on. Some time later a small stone or
perhaps only piece Of wood inscribed
with Mongol and Tibetan characters
is placed near the whitened bones of
the d,cedent.
The Mongols are good natured peo-
pie friendly and kind. They are "a
nous for their hospitality and are al.
ways ready to give the stranger the
seat OF honor opposite the door Of the
"1urt." He is welcome to partake of
anything they have to snt or drink,
and Is as safe at their hearth as he
would he in his NUN ,orna