Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-02
Turks and the American Mail.

The crusaders of old, from Peter the
Hermit to Prince MethusaIem, would
giro up their loins anew and raise
again the tattered banner of the cross.
writes Washington correspondent
to the st. Louis Globe Democrat. #
they could but know of the vvosr- r. orv
in progress between United States
Consul Selah Merrill, Of Palestine,
and the Turkish government, anent
the mail service of Syria. In one of
his reports to the state department last
fall, Mr.. Merrill took occasion to say
that Turkey is in the postal union,
and in Europe and America it is sup
posed she is sufficiently civilized to
deserve to be thus admitted, but those
Europeans and Americans who reside
here realize to their sorrow often that
letters IN the Turkish post are com
mon property when they see them
scattered promiscuously about the
single room of the p0stO flee, on VIM
dow lodges, tables and the tops of
boxes, on divans and on the floor. y
This was worse than charge of "of-
fensive partisanship" against the post
master at Jerusalem, and the state de-
partment of this country made up it's
mind to investigate him. This it did
by requesting of Consul Merrill bill
Of particulars.
The consul mas made lengthy re
pert, bringing exten sive and alarming
allegations against the whole postal
service of Turkey, but particularly
hat of Palestine. 1t seems that in
Jerusalem there are two mail services,
he Turkish and the Austrian, but no
complaint is made as to the latter.
The only seaport of Jerusalem is Jaffa
the ancient Joppa), forty miles dis
ant, and the mail is conveyed across
he country by almost anybody who
Will consent to carry 1t. The Austrian
nail arrives in Jerusalem about
slghteen or twenty hours after it's re-
seption at Jaffa, and is distributed by
[ o'clock IN the morning. while the
Turkish mail is seldom open until six
hours later. The consul says that on
one occasion the bag containing the
nail was given by the Turkish off,
cal at Jatfa to common peasant.
rho agreed to carry it to Jersusalem
br 1 medjidi, or about 81. The man
box the bag, disappeared, and has
lever since. been heard of, the author
ties claiming they could not be ex-
rected to find man of whose name
md residence they were ignorant.
The consul declares the mail bag is
sometimes taken from Jaffa and left
or hours by the side of the street out
ide the gates of Jerusalem, where
crowds of men and animals are con-
family passing. Near this point there
S large khan, where mules and
ionkeys are kept, and here the mail
rag is often dumped on its arrival
rom Jafa, remaining for the night |
n day, or until some official from the
lostoffice sends for it. In the mean
ime anybody and everybody takes
he liberty of opening the bag and
setting out his mail. Il frequently |
happens, says the consul, that during
(the great Mohammedan |
casts, which continues for a month"; |
he mudi Tolls down to the postoffice
It noon, opens the bag to give out |
government mail to some official mes>
enger, and then deliberately sits down
o smoke, leaving the European pats
on to cool his heel on the stone floor.
When the mail is finally distributed,
he Christian is quietly told there is
lothing for him, when the fact is the
9tters are scattered all over the room,