The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-20

Ne 41 - $50
ment.
lie baths have fallen into disuse;
the wonderful gardens and avenues
OF luxurious trees, caressed by cas-
cades Of purest water, are over
grown with weeds and scraggly
shrubs.
Great Fertility.
The decline of the city has not
robbed the surrounding plain OF its
great fertility, however. 1t is a land
of fruitful orchards and groves; OF
fields of wheat, rice, barley, cotton,
peoples (opium) and tobacco. The
Zayendeh river supplies the water
necessary for irrigation, but In the
fall the size Of the stream is reduced
to one-thtrd its volume OF the early
spring.
With genial climate, owing to
its elevation OF more than a mile
above the sealevel, Ispahan occupies
the site Of the ancient royal city OF
Gabae, which flourished up to the
time Of Tamerlane, who is supposed
to have punished It's hostile populace
by erecting skull tower Of 10000
heads near the chief gate of the city.
This colossal crime against human
ity occurred durin gthe last quarter
Of the fourteenth century, and it
was nearly 200 years later that Ispa-
han entered upon its happiest days
under the Safavid dynasty, OF which
the most distinguished representa-
tive was Shah Abbas the Great, the
builder OF the palace of Forty Pill
lars beautifier of the city in a
thousand ways, and the sovereign
who attracted to his court ambassa-
doris from England, Russia, Spain.
Portugal, Holland and India. Skilled
artisans from many European cOun-
tries were induced by him to settle
in Ispahan and employ their talents
In adding to the glory of the great
capital.
with the invasion of the bar.
barous Afghans under their youthful
leader Mahmud, Just a hundred
years after the brilliant reign Of
Abbas the Great, the glory OF Ispa-
han faded rapidly. This ruthless
soldier, at the head of a DESERT
scorched, ragged army OF less than
$4,000 men, met the richly decked
Persian army of $4,000 on a plain
about nine miles from the walls of
the capital. The defeat of the de-
renders was overwhelming, $1,000
Persians being left dead on the field
Shah Hosain succeeded in staylng
off the evil day for six months but
in September, 1922, he went himself
to the camp of the invader and with
MS own hand fixed the royal plume
OF feathers in the turban of NAH
mud.
"Hosain had the year before APP
pealed to Peter the Great, Gear OF
Russia, for aid in driving back the
Afghans, and the Russians, in an
swer to this invitation had embarked
a force upon the Volga. This army
reached the Caspian in July, 1899
the first time in history that the flag
OF the Muscovites had floated over
the great sea-but succor never
reached the hapless Hosain.
Mahmud's Sway.
Mahmud's sway of less than
three years-happily for the world,
he died at the early age of 27-waN
period Of frightful cruelty and
bloodshed in Ispahan. On one occa..
sion he invited 300 of the chief
mobiles of the kingdom to a banquet
and when they were assembled he
had them all massacred. Then, to
complete the work, he sent his mes
sengers to the homes of the slain
mobiles and murdered their children
and wives. On another occasion he
assembled all the members Of the
household OF the deposed Shah Ho-
sain and butchered them, beginning
the slaughter with his own hand.
Only Hosian was intentionally
spared, but one of his sons, Tahmasp,
who had escaped to the mountains,
returned and drove out the invaders
few years later. Upon his re-en-
trance into the city Tehmasp was
suddenly clasped in the arms of
wretched creature who appeared to
be q slave, but who in realty was
his mother who had succeeded in
escaping Mahmud's massacre by af-
fecting this lowly disguise and per-
forming the most mental labors for
many months.
The length of the Afghan regime
was only eight years, but in that
time the heart of Ispahan had been
bruised so that 1t was never healed.
Lack Morals.
The people OF Ispahan today do
not enjoy the most enviable reputa-
tons. They are skilled artisans,
making artistic articles of silver,
gold and leather, and excelling in
the manufacture of fire arms and
sword blades, but they are held to
be somewhat lacking both in cour-
age and morals. The lutis, the vaga-
bond element OF the population, are.
said to be the most turbulent and
disorderly citizens in all Persia.
Among the sights which always
attract the interest of travellers
through Persia are Ispahan's nina
rets of the twelfth century the ia
nous shaking minarets of Guladan,
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