Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-21
A PEEP AT ALGIERS.
Wakeman Describes His Wanderings
Through the Enchanting
WHITE CITY UPON THE HILLSIDE.
Startling Contrasts in Nationality and
Costume.
STRANGE SCENES OF EVERYDAY LIFE
tcoRREsPoNpENcR OF THE p1sp


ALGIERs, March 4.-Although the envi
rons of Algiers are enchanting in theil
uniqueness of architecture in villa, palace
khouba and tiny Arab villages nesting be.
meath olives and palms, the larger human
interest will always be felt by the stranger
in what may be seen within the fine boule-
wards and ancient, unmodernlzed streets OF
"the white city upon the hillside" Nor
will you have to wander in search of this.
The great Boulevard de la Republique, the
chief street of Algiers, faces the harbor, and
on the city side are innumerable massive
structures for marine, governmental and
commercial purposes. Rue de la Liberte
and its continuation, Rue Bah Azzoun, run
parallel behind. Rue Bah el Oued is a sort
of extension of these, leading around the
base OF the promontory on which the city is
built, to Fort Neuf and the near town of St.
Eugene
From these streets as a base, and in a
measure division line between the new
Algiers of the French and the remaining old
Algiers of the Arabs, innumerable tortuous
thoroughfares, with defined boundaries in
Rue Porte Neuve on the left and Boulevard
Valee at the right, ascend sinuously over
a triangular qrarter to the Kasbah, the
ancient citadel, poised at the extreme point
Of the promontory, and the angle, perhaps
BOO feet above the sea. Within this triangle
are found the densest native population, the
strangest architecture, and all manner Of
scenes in the everyday life of the people of
more thorough Oriental coloring than can be
witnessed in any other equal space in
Algiers, Tripoli or Egypt.
A MAZE OF ACTIVITY.
The splendid Place du Government with
its line border OF trees is fairly between the
two exuemlties of this triangular maze of
Algerian thoroughiares and activities On
two sides of the square are masses of car
riages day and night. All lines OF tramway
and omnibuSes center here The hundred
thousand or so Arabs below the Kasbah.
stream through it at least once day
Trains from the desert and outlying villages
must pass this way. People reaching the
quays, coming from the harbor, passing to
and from different portions of the city, the
military in countless squads and detach-
ments, members OF foreign embassies. coun-
trymen with produce for the markets. eiti-
zens going TO and from the markets, in fact,
every manner OF being and interest centered
here must at some hour of the dav or night
AID In making up the studies thus presented,
so taking your station among the little
Arab bootblacks of the Place du Gouvern-
ment, few hours of quiet observation will
show you more of Algerian character and
life than could be told in an entire book
from the most graphic pen; while no art
could ever paint the movement and action
which lend such vigor, color and feeling to
the curious contrasts crowding upon the
sight In no city that l have ever visited
are found such startling contrasts both in
though representatives, of every nationality
and condition on earth were here, and,
within an hours time impressed your sight
and thought with the sharp distinctions of
varying civilizations, as we'll as conditions
of all men.
FOR AULD LANG SYNE.
had not stood contemplating the throng
hve minutes when an American tramp
printer edged up beside me and "nicked
the office for auld lang syne, to which. 1
pledge you, my heart made me respond with
more than ordinary lioerality. Near him,
against the wall, lounged Malay sailor. |
In front of him stood French priest. To |
my left lOitered clean bloused Chinamap. |
just landed, and gazing with his sad, soiled |
eyes as though for an available laundry |
stand. While within radius OF 10 feet |
square were grouped three Turkish mer- |
chants in earnest conversation, two Russian |
travellers, like myself interested as onIook- |
ers, kabYle man and woman with big, |
scared ewes, as though they were lost. a |
Church of England curate, with a pale, con- |
sumptlve face, two American sailors, dirty |
and drunken, scenting only Algerian posi- |
bllltles OF vice, and, more power to the little |
runt for his explorative prowess a tiny /
hump-back, sallow and shaven, wearing a |
stiff cap with the well-known red band of |
the Salvation Army, who deferentially |
handed us pulp-paper "dodgef" on which |
was badly printed in English, French and |
Arabic, Salvation is FreeI'-"Fly From |
the Wrath to Comer' upon the reading of |
which the two American sailors started |
alerlly toward the harbor, as if absent from |
their vessel without leave, and fearful of ap- |
prehension and punishment
But let US watch these strange and varied |
tides Of human travel setting past us in all |
directions. This group comprises a half |
dozen MoZabites. They are Svriaus by
descent, and are believed to be identical in |
race with the Scriptural Moabites. They
are the fercest money makers of Algiers,
and are butchers, grocers, bakers, ANYTHING
for riches. Their greed is prompted bv a
curious ambition. This is to gain independ-
ence and return to their homes at Hammada
Chebka, little oasis surrounded bv lofty
rocks in the most arid and burning portion
of Central Sahara.
MoZABITE'S AMBITION.
In this little blistering beehive, contain.
ing about 20 square miles, are countless
cultivated gardens and five populous cities
and to some time come back here and idle
and dream, the Mozabite will work and
starve half lifetime. You cannot mistake
him in Algiers. He is darker than the
Arab, not so black as the negro; his skin
has the appearance of continuous oiling; he
wears white turban, but is chiefly distin-
guished in dress because of invariably
wearing a sort of sleeveless tunic. called the
gandoura, which falls straight to the knees,
like my blue denims tunic when 1 was a
country boy, nearly 40 years ago. The
stripes and zig-zags in this garment are
marvellous. His wife wears the
adjar or veil, like the Arab women, but her
haik (shawl or wrap which covers her
head, falling nearly to her feet, is of blue
and white checked stuff, similar to that
worn by negresses in Algiers. These Moza-
bites have with them a bevy of Ka5yles.
who are in from the farther Atlas range of
with animals for the shambles
They are butchers; are on their wav to the
abbatoir at HANNA, along the shore to the
south of the city, and are volubly depressing
prices in excited banterings.
Staggering at their heels are a dozen or
more navies from the grim old German man
'i-war in the harbor. They have sat all
night, drinking aud singing, and nothing
worse (all honor to the German man for it0
n the cafe de Bordeaux, just across the
Place there. Tnev have fair skins curling
boards, clean, honest faces, these gay fellows;
ind though little rosy from the wine and
he choruses, pass along civillv, keeping as
rood step as could be expected, and, hand
n hand, are still softly singing as Germans
.nlE sing that h,,r,daSIiad -. /