The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01
The Land Of Cheap Living.

What's the fare TO Baluchistan: An
article on Its Commerce and Indus.
tries" In our cosmopolitan contempt
rary Daily Consular and Trade Reports
makes the question inevitable. The
spelling Of the name was different in
boyhood Biographies; some Of us may
have thin remembrance or idea OF a
country full Of deserts colder than
Greenland where II was not hotter
than East ST. Louis. Gigantic men (the
Baluchis) do mostly nothing or take n
pot shot at their squat interiors. Tigers
roar. camels snarl. the native goat trips
up on his own elongated ears. which
rival those Of the 5l.614 donkeys re-
ported by the latest census
Our consular and commercial friend
furnishes this last detail and so mem.
DRY gets the sack. 1t seems that Balu-
chistan is highly boviferous. 1t has al
most 10000 oxen, a plough and n pair
OF oxen to every dozen inhabitants
There must be multitudes Of American
children to whom an OK would he as
many OF even the country born have
known the tottering joy Of trying to
guide a rickety two wheeled cart and a
pair Of rampant mad" steers rebellious
Of the yoke? Where are the ancient
snowstorms and the oxen that used to
'break out the roads" making white
tunnels and cliffs beloved OF childhood /?
Can all the long and wide horned white
Italian oxen, could the red ones that
used to ply along the Palazzata Of Mes
sinn. equal the much behaved and be-
! geed critters that yanked the "sled'
through drift and over bare groundi
But return to Baluchistnn and its
! thick tailed hornless" muttOns:
1.-The house of a we'll to do person gem
orally consists OF a courtyard with three
| rooms in line. They always face east
or SOUTH and consist OF a storehouse a
winter room and a summer room. In the
courtyard are a kitchen and a stable for
cattle"
| From the point Of view Of an Ameri-
can country gentleman whose little
place has, say. fifty guest chambers"
this arrangement may look scanty, but
how it simplifies housekeeping. Still
simpler and, to our mind, more attrac-
tive, are the homes OF the majority, the
folks exempt from the income tax, so
to speak:
| THE characteristic dwellings in Balu-
chstan are mud huts and black blanket
tents. The dwellings are usually parti-
toned In the centre, the family living on
one side and the fiocks and herds on the
other At the back of the family section
are piled the felts and quilts used for bed
ding: the other furnishings consist OF
wooden bowls, earthen pots. a fiat stone
griddle for baking and a few skins for
water and grain. Permanent dwellings
are numerous only In those parts where
they are required for protection from the
climate or where there is much cultiva-
ton"
| No rent; no trouble to move: no fifty
vans of furniture to lug about. Plenty
Of grlddle cakes. Here Is the chance
Of the outdoor man, the invalid the
camperOut, the tramp, be his passion
natural or acquired from BORROW,
GRooME. LELAND and the rest Of the
Romany Ryes, Don't turn up the nose
at mud" Adobe IL mud; man Is mud.
Tea prevails In Baluchistan; British
rule or control has done that. The
camel driver anchors his merry ship
the shepherd spreads out his Sleeps
wool rug; the ploughman lunches him,
self up Ivy the side Of his clod crusher
at the mystic and universal hour Of 8.
Dates and presumably one eyed cal.