Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-11-03
LETTER FROM TURKEY.
Cholera Treated Through n Telescope
PsculiarIties OF tho Turkish Domestic
Arrangt mcnts-Othcr Notes.
TErBizoND, Turkey, Oct. 5, 1S9


ArranCt mcnts-0thcr Notes.
TErBizoND, Turkey, Oct. s. 1892.
To the Editor OF the Free Press:
We have had great cholera scare. but,
for the most part, have been free from the
scourge itself. Early in tho summer the
cholera appeared AZ Bsku on the Caspian
sea in a very fatal form, From I'nliu it
moved westward, appearing at TIhis, and
then at Batoum, which is ouIy II hours dis
tant from this place, though the main
forco of tho disease turned northorly toward
tho famine districts Of Russia. Naturally
the Turkish government was most anxious
to prevent this plague entering Turkey.
| quarantine OF 10 days wGs therefore order
ell for all arrivals from the eastern shores
Of the Black Sea. Two quarantine stations
were established. one at Plntana, a Greek
village on the coast some 10 miles west of
this city, and the other at Snope, &c hours
s;eaming from this place. This latter sta
! ton, with its fine haGor, has been fitted up
at lorgs expense aud will be continued as
| long as the cholera remains III these parts.
The disease is pronounced cholera, but
! there are intelligent physicians who refuse
| to believe 1t to DO cholera, but say 1t is
Some form Of malignant fever. The physi
clans in charge refused to so to the bedside
of the sick, but | am told, viewed them al
a safe distance through spy glass.
The news of cholera at Platana created
| great excitement il town. The governor
cSerted himself to his utmost to cloaa the
city. Suddenly the police mads E raid ON
the fruit and vegetable shops, Selling near
| ly everything indiscriminatey and dump
| Ing it into the sea. strict orders we.o
issued to The chiefs Of the different wards to
give immediate notice of ell the sick in
their respective quarters, that they might
! he conveyed to hospital. This order stimu-
g cd the rush Of The people out Of the city.
, mere is great zeal on the part OF local gov
errors to lake measure against the cholera,
as by this means they hope to gain the
favor of the Sultan, WHO is terribly nervous
| about the cholera As a consequence
stringent quarantine regulations in
many localities established hundreds OF
miles away from ell intimation of cholera
Tho folly OF such course is beyond char
ucteri2ation Trade and intercourse are
crippled, and thousands are thrown into a
stat, o: great desttutlon.
With the crowd, are spending a sea-
son at a village somo five milcs from town.
The scenery is very striking, made up OF an
amphitheatre OF mountains, clothed with
forests and ripening fields or corn and to-
and shingles only, put on light frame
work OF tinbers. 1t is built only for sum
mor renting. Unti! this year it had no
glass windows but only shutters. A few
steps away is beautiful forest and smooth
lawns in every direction afford ample play
grounds for the children. Some lod Sors
from the city are taken into the ample
houses of tho villagers and others occupy
| the ''serander ~ That j., storehouss for
corn, set on high posts with large caps so
that the mice and rats cannot climb up to
| it. Each summer the peasants in this way
gain q handsome addition 10 their income.
The peasant family here consists OF some
- or 20 souls, made up of four generations.
Their number has moro tnan doubled dur
ing the last 80 years, and they are unable to
gain a support from their lands, though
they have purchased additions whenever
possible As indicated above they get what
they can from summer rents. They also
keep 4 few horses, which in summer are
mostly employed running between the city
and near villages, but At other seasons go
on longer journeys. The crops are chiefly
corn aud tobacco. The corn i. all consumed
at home. Rarely do these people taste meat
or any other kind OF bread than that made
of corn meal Each house s provided with
what was known in New Eng land 90 years
ogo AS brick oven, only that they have no
tlue, the smoke rushing out Of the oven
door and working slowly out through the
openings in the roof Once a week this
oven is heated and On enormous quantity of
corn bread Is baked This hrsad, with beans
planted with the corn and a few onions or
locks or garlic, constitutes almost the entire
food Of the peasantry.
THOR chief income is from tobacco which
is the mild kind Of which cigarettes are
made. ii the peasants we're able to reap
the full advantage Of th.s crop they might
be quito Independent But they do not, for
the government has sold the tobacco mono
poly to n company called the Reggie. Under
heavy penalties enforced by the govern
ment, the peasants are obliged TO sell all their
tobacco TO this company at its own price
inspectors examine tine fields OF each pro
Queer while the crop is growing and ap-
praise tho harvest The farmer mast pre-
sent the appraised quantity whether he sue
ceedi In getting it from hE own fields or not.
\ second inspection il made while the to-
bacco Is drying, and the estimate Is often in
creased but very rarely decreased. The
la docs not allow man TO supply himself
I with smoking tobacco, but the villagers are
usua!ly sharp enough to smuggle out a sup
ply for themselves and something more.
! Inc price phli Tor the tobacco is usually
less than half its renl value, the balance be
ing about equally divided between the gov
ernment and the company. II monopoies
are TO exist it is doubtless better that they
should not rest on articles like coal or
sugar or kerosene, but on useless and
harmful article like tobacco, and should bo
source Of revenue for the government.
) Many of these villagers 80 to Russia to
earn money. 1t is not their plan TO locate
there. One young man from this family is
now IN Russia, but his wife and babe are
here, and in due timc ho will return, an
other member OF the family taking his turn
the next time. But frequently a man be-
comes so fixed in Russia to take on his
family. Other families 20 to the city and
the peasant population 10 thus limited 10 the
the capacity Of the lend.
; The most common tree in these parts i.
! what tho dictionary calls elm but resembles
our elm only in the style of its leaves and
the color OF its bark. II lacks the ma estc
spread of limb that charactor2os the Amer
lean elm. 1t IS much priced here because its