The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-01-25
INVENTED
II. C. OF L.
Tel eran, Persia Claims TO Have Had
High Prices Day Before Cain
Killed His Brother
Abel
TBy United Press.l


TETIERAN, Persia, Jan. 2.-tby
mail)-This old town claims the dis
tinction Of having ivented the high
cost OF living.
1t is alleged that war prices for food
prevailed here before Cain delivered
the first sma shing blow in his Hun
Fish surprise attack upon that noted
neutral, Abel 1t must be true, for there
is no other way OF explaining the but
ter. Butter that must have been hoard
ed away in somebody's cellar beck in
those days Of the BEGINNING Of things,
is selling here now for SIPS per pound
It would not exactly pass muster out
in Iowa as strictly fresh"
Flour. MADE in Persia" is selling
for s55 a barrel, yet some stores, by
means of mystic figuring. manage to
sell Persian bread for 20 cents a
pound. Coal sells for $50 a ton, though
it is a local product, being transport
ed from mines only fifty or seventy
five miles away. Donkeys furnish the
transport. 1t is not known what the
coal is used for. Perhaps 1t is burned
in the tem7les instead Of incense, as
there is nothing too good for the good
old Persian God.
Sugar brings 81 per- pound, so tafty
nuiling rarties are not much INDUCED
in. Fairly good coffee may be bought
for $50 2 pound and tea for s1.65.
Flour from Europe, from which real
bread may be made. is held at S169 a
sarrel, and soap. which is classed as
an inexcusable luxury anyway. br1ree
anything the merchant can get. many
sales at 81 and more per cake being
made to foreigners, who imagine they
have to have soap. A fairly good pair
OF shoes may be had for s25.
Ii still is possible to exist pretty
cheapIy If one has no objection to a
constant diet OF chicken and eggs.
Chickens are produced locally in great
quantities, and almost every city dwell
Ter has his own feathered flock, SO
chickens may be had in the market for
80 cents each. and eggs for Go cents a
dozen. Sheep, too. are plentiful and
city broke, 80 nutton may be bought
for ~ cents q pound. The sheep pro-
ducing rural folk find that 1t would
take their whole nocls to buy shoes
for the family. so they go shoeless and
feast on mutton from sun to sun. The
butter is too much revered for its age
and power to be eaten by the proliter
ait
TRANSPORTATION facilities are scarce
" ideal here, and this always has been
given as the chief reason for the cost
Of living The war. of course has fur
nished another good reason and the
Persian pe5dler has been as ready az
the American butcher with that patri-
otic slogan Its on account OF the war
you know The Persian. too. shares
with his American brethren that pain
fui and embarrassing hesitancy to
chance suddenly to. 'tOn account of
the peace. ycl' know" and compromise
By saying nothing excert that it is ter
ribIe about the bolsheviki and the dry
weather
Everything Is carried long distances
on donkeying or by camel. An automo-
bile IN .he streets OF Teheran attracts
as much attention as would camel
train opera tin on New York or Chi
cago elevated line
Persia once produced almost as
many Persian rugs as Ho5oken y. j.,
hut the war almost swept away the
markets for these Injuries Hence. the
problem CT unemployment has entered
into the simple life of Teheran. Crops
were bad last season. Americans. In
GTIding the missionaries. have been
active In distributing relief. by means
of funds collected N America
Read the classified column.