Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-01-20

yet ne VIII not grusge you his hospitality
ana the savory cup of coffee. 1t is not
the splsndor of the bazaar that strikes
one; indeed as We have seen, the bszssr
Is dirty, in-lighted and cheap looking
place. 1t Is not she aspect OF multiferi-
Gus merchsndise,-rich stuff and all the
fabulous luxury of the East,-for after
all there Is little but paltry and current
goods IN the bazaar nowadays, and our
Western dealers. and even such establish
ments a. the Louvre, snd Bon Marche.
AMI the other grand bszsars of London
and Paris, can boast fiuer stock of stuff
carpets and Oriental arms than any OF the
dealers or Constantlnople. The routes
OF commerce. have changed, and the trsv-
eler who goes to STEAMBOAT thinking To
come back laden with TREASURES Is doom
&c TO disappointment. If he does han
pom 10 mud something exceptional. he
viii inevitably pay dearsr for 1t than he
would pay IN other parts of Europe; and
inst too, after having mad To 20 through
the dlsagrseaole process OF bargaining
ana beating down, which Is the begun
log aud end of Oriental idead of busi-
ness.
M! experience in the be.estiu revealed
TO me the fact that as a rule the dealers
ask for any object, even for a pair of
babouches, Just five times the price they
are willing 10 accept. Nor did they ask
me this price because | was Frank aud
a glaour, but because .uce is their habit,
whether they are dealing with Franks or
Musslemsn, or ZOarastrians. No; to my
mind the interest of the bazaar Is in the
general aspect. The bazaar forms sort
OF neutral grouHd, where you can observe
the Turk, and the Persian and al the
other people meet there, without their
resenlag Your curiosity; it is a plac.
where curiosity is legitimate, and where
every body INDUCES freely in the satisfac-
ton o. that sentiment,
Above all the bazaar Is an Oriental in
stltutlon, which has remained unchanged
except IN the character of the good. sold.
1t Is true one sees there bales of Man.
chester cottons, rolls of English cloth,
cargoes of Russian hollo.-uare, but this
fact does not prevent one seeing at ever,
moment details of life and customs which
are precisely noted in that iuimitsble
mixture of fancy and realism, the stories
of ShehsTazade. 1t is a perpetual charm
to the eyes to see this living exhibition
OF costume; to note here q deryish, there
turbaned Turk who has made the pill
grimsge to Mecca, there grave Persian,
and there q swaithy sunuch who cannot
fad diamonds big enough for his vanity
1t ls amusing too, to watch the coquetis h
ladies of the midi classes, who come in
groups OF two or three; followed by their
children and their negres.es, the latter
carrying big bags, into which their mis-
tre'ses pas their purchases. For al
though Moslem jealousy does not allow
women to keep shop, and although in the
whole quarter of St,mboul you will not
see single of any nationality engaged
III commercial occupations, there are no
more active buyers and no keener bar
gamers thln the Turkish ladies. Drap-
ed IN their long feridjis. and with
their faces and heads enveloped in the
white yachmach, they spend hours and
hours In the bazaars; chatting like mag
pies, and ievishing torrents of abuse on
the dog of a Christian, on the son of
father roasting in hell, on the siaour who
looks at them