The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-08-10
BULGARIA.

Reading the fearful atrocities that are
perpetrated, now by the Russians when
the red tide of war gives them tempo
rary advantage, and now by the Turks
when by strength of opposing forces
they beat back the crimson torrent upon
their foes, one cannot suppress a shud-
der of horror that "man's inhumanity
to man" renders possible such terrible
scenes. The Inhabitants of hapless
Bulgaria, without regard to age, sex, or
condition, have been trampled upon and
torn, subjected to the most relentless
outrages, because fate had located them
in the path of the invader.
Bulgaria derived its name from the
northern hordes who invaded the coun-
try in the Seventh century, from which
time, until its final conquest by the
Turks in 1892, its history was one of a
series of conflicts with their final mas
ters, together with the Servians, Greeks,
and Hungarians. Since the date named
the once kingdom of Bulgaria has been
a dependency of European Turkey, its
entire northern boundary formed by the
Danube, and parallel chain of the Bal
kan Mountains forming its southern
limit. Its population prior to the pres
ent war was about 100000, of whom
about one aud one-half millions were
Christians, the rest Mussulmans, Jews,
Servians, Gypsies, Greeks, Germans,
Italians, and Russians. Agriculture
f1ourished here to a greater extent than
in any other portion of Turkey, and its
territory has been and is of first i'm
portsnce to the Turkish Empire.
} OF the sufferings of Bulgaria since the
commencement and Immediately priol
to the war, every reader of current
events is aware. Stung to retaliation
by the atrocities committed within theil
border, they have in turn been guilty o
2 the most shocking cruelties toward 9th
= ers, and the misery and woe and crime
= that during the past few months hal
: been the portion of this unhappy prov
! ince can never be pictured, painted, o.
= penned. Her waters have been dyeC
e with crimson, her cities pillaged anC
razed, her villages sacked and annihi
: lated, her fields laid waste, her peopl
s by hundreds wantonly destroyed.
D OF the occupations of Bulgarian WON
i en- ere yet the avarice and ambition o
t monarchs had let loose the red-mouthe,
, ''dogs of war" to desolate their homes,
a correspondent of London paper writes
: Every house has its rude loom, of a make s
n primitive that one wonders how such good ms
e terial is produced by it, for the Bulgarian cotI
though rather rough in texture, is of excelIen
quality, and Will wear for years; finer kind il
e however, produced in the towns and at KazaI
e in the vilayet of the Danube; 1 was assure
;, that they could initiate any quality or patter
OF cloth that might be given to them. Th
: other wooden articles made are chiefly carpet
s generally in long narrow stripes of bright colo
If something like the Spanish blankets; rugs
Il different patterns, cushions or pillow case
and bed coverlets; these are sold either in tn
u provinces or to the COnstantinople marke
and I do not think there is any export Il
J. them; indeed, as the sheep Of Roumelia giI
e only about two pounds and three-quarters
wool to fleece. the amount produced is pro-
y ably barely sufficient for internal consuml
ton. One of the most striking things in the,
villages is the apparently ceaseless industry
the women and girls, every one of whom
whether seated on the doorstep, walking
n the streets, or going to the fountain with h.
pals over her shoulder on a yoke like mil
maid, always carries hank of wool tied on
II distaff under one arm, and twtrls spindle. ]
7 for cxr-ffF, !,
being able to find one-literally one-woms
Ie or girl above eight years of age without this
)f compartment, and mothers carry their lit
babies in a sort of bag on their backs, so as
have their hands free to use the spindle.
If