Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-30
IN SMYRNA.
AMONG THE RUINS OF A GLORI-
Gus PAST.
pects-RailrOadS-
Fruits, Customs, Etc.
letter to the Inter-ocean.l

stl1d NliLS nv w. w AssSNS "a y
apparent in the politics of this part of the
old world The final dissolution of this
Ottoman Empire, the most rotten Govern
ment on earth, is not very far of; and the
the high road to political eminence. Greek
influence is powerful throughout the whole
Levant, while in Smyrna and all the islands
off the western coast of Asia Minor it is
supreme. The Greeks (Rayah and Hellenic)
are altogether the most numerous class
here, and represent the wealth of the place.
OF the European nations the French and
Italian are next in rank numerically The
body of the people, exclusive of Greeks,
are Turks of course. French is, as every
where on the continent, a common medium
of international intercourse, but Greek is
the dominant language. This Greek or
Romaic of Smyrna is a separate dialect,
spoken only throughout the Levant. The
Athenian dialect is not spoken here but it
is used in writing.
PRESENT POPULATION.
Smyrna is a port especially TO be cult
waited by Uncle Sam. 1t is par excellence
the commercial emporium Of the Turkish
Empire, Constantiuople being way behind.
Six times it has been DESTROYED and as
often rebuilt, we read in history: and it
must always thus perpetuate itself. for it is
the unchallenged entrepOt to Asia Minor,
one of the richest of the undevclOped coun-
tries on the face of the earth. The present
city, of approximately 100000 inhabitants,
is well built, and abounds in evidences of
wealth. If so much is done despite the
heavy curse of Turkish misrule, what may
not be expected when some beneficent Eu-
rOpean Power takes the helm? Asia Minor
is a country susceptible of the highest de-
velopment, according to universal teSti-
mony. Let Ottoman prejudices and cor
ruption be ousted, and miracles will fol-
low. Of course | have taken the cOnyen
tional walk to
THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT PAGUs,
The hill ON the slope and at the base of
which Smyrna is built. The mountain -"
is only 500 feet high, but the streets of the
city are SO devious and deceptive that it is
a long way down to the base. A clothes
pin on the nose is found conducive to Olfac-
tory comfort while passing through the
Moslem and Turkish quarters, and travel
ers Will do well TO provide themselves thus
beforehand. Pagus is always included in
pictures pl Oily TIA lOI lllt ICdSOll lIill us
top is crowned with such mighty fOrtifca-
ton ruins as to make it a conspicuous and
unique feature of the landscape Toward
these ruins climbed, and at length found
myself among them. The climatic saliva
ton OF Smyrna is a furious west wind
which blows every afternoon, and is called
the imbat. The strength of this wind is
remarkable down on the plain; but at the
top of Pagus / found Il regular gale blow
ing, for the imbat was on. 1t was with
difficulty that | could maintain my cquilib-
rum. The walls OF the acropOlis of Pagus
were manifestly of cyclopian proportions,
as is proved by the extensive ruins. This
part of the Leyant is especially susceptible
to earthquakes, but | do not wonder that
no CONFUSION of nature has been able to
COMPLETELY WRECK THOSE GIANT WALLS.
In some places they had been tumbled
down, and yet huge masses of stone and
masonry remained ccmented together.
Some of these Jumps would be fifteen or
twenty feet in diameter. In one place an
arch was complete and perfect. Standing
under it, | gaZed down at the city OF
Smyrna, which lay almost under me, and
off at the pale-green water of the spacious
bay. 1t was quite a remarkable picture
The arch formed the frame, Just as | once
looked back at Jcyporc, in India, through q
gate on a hill near Amber. The arch, dat
ing back to the time of the Byzantine En-
perors, was fitting frame for such an his
torical panorama. Below were meagel
remains of an ancient theater which had
been destroyed by an earthquake. To the
left, close by another peak, was the site OF
the Stadium, where Polyearp was muir
dered-with a tall cypress marking the
,,1-i+;,,, pf tta fprt,h Across thn lo,-hD,
was the large village of Cordclio, between
which and Smyrna the ferryboats of two
rival lines are ever industTiOusly plying
The little steamers that so feverishly pillow
through the waters Of the bay, and contend
50 camorously for patronage, looked like
flies struggling in the deep. Cordelio is
near the mouth of the HermIIS. In nearly
the same general direction were the castle
of St. jacques and the hot baths of Apollo
The monuments Of departed greatness are
layishlv scattered over the country The
size of almost every ancient city is TO-DAY
defined by quite well preserved ruins q
splendid theaters, stada, gymnasia, agora
and temples.
RAILROAD ENTERPRISE.
The indefatigabe English. who hay,
done so much to develop Japan, Australia
India, Burmah. and their foreign island
nossassions Inv means Of railvavs hove mo.
negiectcd Asia Miner What has hoe,
dC1n bora has boon done nv TnrIisb can;.
raj and FnaIish onfe-nris9 in he face -
he c,Ieton'9rv Turkish obstacIes Tbrr,
oro ot resent TWO Inns ono ,unnine
| through Mencmen. Maneesa. Cassaba. Sar
! (Sardis). SalikH, to Alaschcir tPhiladcl
phial, distance of l0j miles, and thu
! other through Ephea'iS Aldlh, and othe
towns TO Herdkeny, a distance 81 III miles
! The former Is known as the smyrna ant
CaSSaoa haiIWaY' ana the latter as the otto
man or A!dlh Inc. Inc Ottoman Haliwa,
was the pioneer Inc, and seems 10 be th'
most prosperous. In addition to the IA
miles 81 man me, II has one branch to th
| city OF Ilrch, thirty miles long, and two
( small branches TO other villages aggregaun3
! ten miles. The road has been running. a
least IN part Tor over two decades. Botl
roads are hOurlshlng now, though theV ha'
at first to pass through the fires OF sever
financial Vlclssitudes, because the peopl
We're so preJudlced against any such Lnno
Yah0n. Now the people III the VlliaSe
! touched have 81 much confidence III IN
iron horse that they paronize 1t nbcraily,
ana, II they have TO walk, select tne ran
road track III preference to the man ROAD
There Is one other railroad IN ASIA Minor
running from point nearScutan, opposite
ConStantinoplc, into the country some MI,
miles or so to lsmld. 1t was punt by W
! Turkish government but has been turhe'
over to the administration OF FRANKS,
| believe, as the Sick Man found himself To-
weak to operate 1t.
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