The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-07-30
IN ROUMANIA.
At the Head OF Navigation on the Danube
RiXnr.


Rivcr.
We had padded along forty miles
againsta heavy wind and sea, and pre-
fcrring the quiet of camp to the con-
fusion of the busy town, landed on an
unoccupied meadow in full view of
Braila, extending fur along tne bluff
and looking down upon the forest of
masts upon the river, and with the
spires and domes of Galatz distinctly
visible on high point of land a few
miles below us.
Braila is at the head of navigation
for sca-going vessels, and as it is only
about one hundred and twenty-five
miles from the mouth of the river, is
practically a port on the Black sea. A
few years ago it was of secondary CON-
mercial impor tance to Galatz, larger
town similarly placed on a bluff fifteen
miles further down stream. Since the
Turkish war, however, the grain trade
has been gradually transferred to the
former city, until it has now absorbed
the whole of this commerce, and has
consequently become the chief shipping
port for all the produce of grazing row.
ing regions of Roumania and northern
Bulgaria.
The army of the Car made the first
crossing of the Danube in 1877 from
Galatz, across the marsh to spur of
the bold hills near the village of
Matchin, and it was in one of the mar
row arms of the river here that the
Turkish monitors were entrapped and
destroyed. Galatz covers much more
territory than it's neighbor above,
spreading far out over level plateau,
along highways which are deserts of
dust in summer and sloughs of mire
in winter. Part of the town is laid out
with some regularity, and there are a
few streets well cared for and with new
buildings; but the thoroughfares on the
slope of the plateau near the river are
narrow, crooked and steep, and most
of the pavements are simply atrocious.
There is no gas manufactured, but an
abundance of water is brought into the
town, and fountain is in constant OPP
Grafton in the tiny park, w here mill
tary band plays lig hit French airs every
evening to a motley crowd of many
nationalities. The better class of Rou-
manians admire everything French, and
in all the ci ties there are curious and
often ludicrous attempts to initiate
Partisan architecture and to follow the
customs of that capital This is the re-
suit, of course, of the French educat ton
of the youth of the leading families for
generations past.
The larger part of the town consists
of houses only one story in height, with
c+, 10 %;1,1 L.
tain quarters the population is very
dense, and the streets and dwellings
are there in state of indescribable
filth. The crowded market places are,
in the morning, perfect museums OF
types and costumes Albanians in fus-
tinellas like ballot-dancers' skirts jostle
Slovac raftsmen in their skin-tight
woolen trousers; smart marines from the
naval station at the upper part of the
town haggle with peddlers of Turkish
tobacco; and horid- faced cooks of En-
glish steamers shoulder their way to
the meat shops, regardless of Rouman-
ian, Bulgarian, Russian, Greek, or jew.
In the outs llirts of the town several
large bands OF gypsies camp on the hill
sides; for here, as in most other places
in Roumania and Hungary, they are not
allowed to occupy houses Of all the
specimens of this remarkable race we
saw in our trip, those at Galatz were by
far the most savage and repulsive in APP
pearance AS we approached their
squalid cam p on the bare slope of a
great hill, exposed to wind and sun,
hundreds of half-cicthed maniacs
Swooped down upon us, wildly
gesticulating and shrieking for aims,
tearing open their garments to
| show their emaciated bodies, and hold
ing aloft naked children shivering in
the cold breeze. Raven black hair fall
ing over their faces in tangled masses
half hid their small cunning eyes, and
sun and dirt had given their skins the
color and texture of long tanned leather.
| Everything about them-clothes, blan-
1ets and tents-was of the same sug-
| gestive brown hue, and this monotone
was only relieved by gaudy trinkets in
the matted tresses of the women, and
| by an occasional ornamental knife han
die in the girdle of the men. We We're
unable to endure for any length of time
the filth of the camp and the proximity
of the evil-looking, ill-smelling crowd,
which at every moment became more
and more difficult to avoid, and we soon
retreated, followed for long distance
by number of urchins, all limbs and
rags, Who turned somersaults in the dust
and yelled frantically for money. We
did not feel purified from the contact
with these gypsies until we We're seated
| auain in the canoes and facin the briSl;
cast wind on the broad reach below
Galatz,-F. D. Millet, in Harper's Maga-
zine.