Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08
Women Famous for Centuries.

THE Georgian women have been IA
nous for centuries as the FOREMOST
beauties of the near east. and the men
are the greatest handles In the world
The latter are tall and athletic, the
natural slenderness of their waists be-
ing much accentuated by the custom or
wearing their belts SO tight that the
use OF their legs Is hampered. giving .
peculiar. jerky character to their car-i
riage. The women, as a rule. have
large eyes, delicate compilations. small
hands and abundant black hair. which
is worn in braids down the back. and
the lower classes, are much addicted to
the fiery wines produced In the coun- y
try. and 1t is said that the reguiarl
daily dram allotted to each field
laborer used to be half gallon OF this
Intoxicating beverage.
while thievery is almost unknown
among the Georgians themselves, there
are highwaymen in the mountain fast
nesses who make 1t extremely unpleas-
ant for unprotected travellers, inasmuch
as the bandits have a habit not only Of
depriving their victims of their valua-
bles. but of their clothes as well. And
there are said to be numerous instances
where parties Of men and women trav-
cling in coaches have been ordered at
pistols point to dfvest themselves OF all
raiment and been forced to make their
way to the nearest village in Adamic
garb.
'The home of the Georgians is a re-
gion OF many tongues. the priests de.
claring that 1t was in this land that
the Tower Of Babel was begun. They
speak Of It as the Babylonian Steeple.
Even in the days of the Roman repubsi
lie. the language difficulties Of the re-
gion were notorious. and Pliny, quotine 8
Timosthenes; says that there were goo
tongues spoken in Colchis. necessitat-i
ing the employment Of 100 interpreters
by the Roman administrators.
Greatest Progress in Queens Reign
"Just as England had q golden age
under Elizabeth, Austria under Maria
Theresa. and Russia under Catherine
greatest culture and prosperity during
the reign of a woman-Queen Thamara
11S4-1212). This gifted sovereign mar
ried a Russian prince and thus initiated
the Muscovite country's interest in
Georgian affairs, an interest which cul-
minated in the last year Of the eight
zenith century when George XIII re.
signed his throne in favor Of Tsar Paul.
Three years later (1802) Tsar Alexander
proclaimed Georgia a Russian province.
Prior to this conclusion to Georgfa's
national existence. however, the coun-
try had been subdivided, and at ono
were ruling simultaneously. Today the
title Of prince IL very common through.
out the land, and this fact has given
rise to jocular saying among the Rus
slams that every man among the Geor-
gfans is prince
For many years the Georgians'
seemed to be quite content under their
new masters in st. Petersburg. and the
elder Dumas testified to the fact that
the Georgian IL a light-hearted slave.
gay even in servitude.' In more recent
times. however. the people have mani
Tested a certain restlessness and the
Georgian papers have been fostering
old traditions and encouraging all
movements to break away from. Rms.
sianizing influences. This tendency
has been quickened from time to time
by the shortsighted policy of the tsar's
representatives, who endeavored to sup
press the natural exuberance Of the
people. as, for example, the Georgian's
delight in singing while working in the
fields. This particular restriction was
soon abandoned, however. for 1t was
discovered that with the imposition Of
silence upon the laborers all work Jagged"