Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-16
Our Foreign Correspondence.
Letter from Turkey.
AMERICA LENDING MATERIAL As WELL As MORAL
LIGHT To TURKEY.

AMERIC, LENDING MATERIAL As WELL AS MORAL
LIGHT To TURKEY.
EazRooN, Feb. %, 1875.
DEAR FREE Press AND TINES
trust there will seem no Improperly in
using the above form OF address, since YOU
have 80 endeared yourself to me, by carry
ing me back weekly to the scenes and faces
of former days Your visits are like those
of an old friend, bringing news, sometimes
Joyous and sometimes sad, bit always full
and interesting. And now what can say
of Turkey that shall be as interesting to
your home readers As you are to me
Perhaps your readers would like to know
what next t. Yourself there Is in this coun-
Try to remind Us most of home. should
say it was boxes and cans marked " Desoe's
Patent Can" or " Pratt's Astral Oil,
which are met with in hundreds of shops
and are seen on the roads moving into the
remoteSt corner Of the land
Ten years ago kerosene was unknown in
this part Of Turkey. n those DAYS linseed
oil was the cheapest and most common ma
terial used for lights The lamps were a
small, shallow, open cup with nose at one
side, over which the lighted portion of the
wick projected These lamps were some
times made Of tin, but more generally of the
cheapest pottery. of course everything be
came creased with the oil, which % easily
spilled, and their smoke blaekened walls and
timbers in II disgusting manner, to say moth
ing of tie damage to eyes and lungs. This
was the d" smoking fax which our Saviour
would not quench.
10 the city many burned tallow candles,
and among the rich spermaceti candles,
imported from Europe, were III common use.
We had old-iashioned lard lamps, in which
we could barn the fat of the sleeps tail,
very good substitute for lard, or linseed oil.
1t did not occur to us to bring kerosene all
the way from America.
About seven years ago kerosene began to
find its way into some Of the Turkish ports.
At that time We supplied ourselves from
Irebzond Bat soon it began to appear in
this market and to pass on to regions be
yond. until now it has swept liaseed oil and
candles almost entirely out of the field. 1t
i put up in square tin cans holding about
four gallons each, two of which are packed
in box. A. most steamers refuse 10 carry
this kind Of freight, sailing vessels are
loaded with these boxes at the New York
wharyes and proceed direct for Constantine
rle. whence they are scattered in every di-
rection Tour Of these boxes make horse
load and rarely Is caravan seen moving
towards the interior without more or les
Kerosene. 1t may be bought in this city for
about 20 To- 50 cents per gallon.
Lamps OF every style are imported from
Europe and axe in general use. Bat for the
poor people aud the villages a small tin lamp
Is made here in which kerosene Is burned
withou. any chimney OF course it gives
little light and smokes badly. bat has the
quality, which TO a poor native of tins
country Is the main consideration, OF con-
suming very little OIL
All this Will. | trust, be- interesting t.
You rs showing one Of the sources of wealth
Of our native land But to Us who have
come to sympathize heartily with this i'm
poyerished country Il !, a must painful
spectacle. Far better were the old DAYS
when the country produced it. own material
for lights even though inferior to kerosene
oil. And IL severe commentary on the
intelligence Of the government and people,
that country Whose nain exports are hide-,
ierkeI meat aud wool, Whose soil Is capable
of producing linseel IN abundance which