Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-08-27
is THE WORST CITY.
At PORT SAID VICE IN IT'S LOW
EST FORMS REIGNS SUPREME.
THE oFFsCoURINGs OF ALL NATIONS
GATHER Al ms IMPORTANT POINT
ON THE MEDITERRANEAN.

On the baking sands ~ tbs southeast
corner Of the Mediterranean. Just where
the Suez canal gives birth 10 tons Of steam
ers, ships arl every sort Of craft lies Port
Said, the wickedest city IN the whole
world
1t y not lightly nov vainly shat this
dirty, unattractive town on tho borderlsud
between Asia and Africa half mud walls
and hall brick, has been given this name
for II ever locality deserved sueh an op
probrious designation II is this same Port
Said
Not in any single particular hAs For.
Said any advantages, commercial or atmos-
pher1e Seven months in the year It is
piping no, and fever breeding, tAe other
five mouths hardy Isss dangerous 70
health. Trading business thsrs Ia al
most none In the ordinary way. not even
II the oriental sort Few cities, indeed.
have ~ ss>s ~ offer In she way of shops
and goods for .ele Port Sisid's sole bust
ness importance, ia fact, 10 simply that II
ser@rs rort Of call for the vessels Just
goiu9 into or Just coming out OF the Suez
canal
Thsrs are Is 900 O. 80, coo people in the
town wlss srs permanent rseidsnts, but
there not being any business 70 speak Of
four nfths of tt,ese lsaA idIs, wandering.
dissipaeed livsA Their numbsrs are cen
stantly added 70, for, with the arrival Of
each ship IN The roadsts0A-A ship u always
bound 70 stay thess ten or . dozen hoHrs
81 Seast-orSw and passengers come ashore
for strolls through the dirty stySetS, and
the lower minded Of them drink and gam
Bile IN the dens that dot ths town on every
hand
Under these conditions there has sprung
= L. - a
constant imnor.lity, which never isssens,
but increases yearly No law, 60 reSula-
lions, no Police for-e hold any If theec de
hauoher.es in check. All Il spsn and free
Vice lot only e1t.... but cAunts Itself
on every hand
No Other city offers Ike soil for @.c- 70
grow IN. lrresuiariy Port Said LA4 sprung
W ever Aac. the opening Of the Sucx
canal WREN II v-s only handful ~ mud
huts on TIE Mediterranean shorss, Until
the rr'ecnt time. when 10 Ia - populous
city, while sttil a struggling oriental viii
laFe, Of miles q. crooked streets, harrow
lanes with many = turn lending FOR tn
most part in cul de- s,c.l ard grim look
ing by~.ys between dirty walls
II rely \ .t--~+ u TIE whoi- town can
boast q such = thing - pavement. Even
the clkt 4Vs,-u". ;ae RueG- Commerce. 10
ankle dt--f in il.t and sand and ,->ru,s
Il.o-e L. stun g....-ts-i =. q l.ur,,,A!
city IT,. til 60 rte. O, any ...e;r..,a
Is hey-Vc- s.E4aN
In Il u Pr, Sold t',ere arr only two
BUILDINGS -. commend c.tc-,.ion t-r.,l
the vistt.1r-tile casino and u big mos ae
in tie Arab 4cartur q tie town. Tie
casino II The great ..ltsI 7iln., he'll of this
end u tie Med!ter-a,t..il .!.,,r,. AID to IL
auck IL Of the 80. ars u. that part Of tie
world ,-aticr.I. thcrv, In IN. dirty. l.al,dr
hall 10 iut down their III cotton cold
pieces upon the faded green cloth 1t isa
Mont, Carlo, with all the charms Of its
svt4lritic luIurtance and cleyauc. gone. a
t4wdry pL.oe frs. uoutod by the lowest
types II = there hat the street tel-gArs,
Of which Port Said Is full como 10 squAn--
der away What they have gained from the
pockets Of syIulathizins visitors
The mosque Ia the Arab quarter has
but one rally interesting feature and
that Is a feature elles, with unp,ea.artncss
The traveller who goes 10 visit IL needs nee
esSarily to take ttf his shoes. in accordance,
with The Mos!e.n rite. and his ONLY sats.y
is 10 carry them ~ he wandcrs ntyDut.
for the piiIcriur Ar7.bs In this otlart.,r of
the town think nothing OF purlo,uiu., the
foot coverings of any one, and there is
many a fureig ner who has hs.d to hobble
back 10 bis shipin a p4i- OF uncomfortable
shoes Il ort-yitx.I inunufarture, pllr,,h as.d
speedily and .s a i.4su time. their actllal
value in some shop near the mosque
Two things 90 to keep Port Said the
wicku.est city In existence, one being the
climate. which makes hard drinking "A
necessity for the residents, and the other
the fact that for some r,sl-or or other the
of soourinss o. all the nations ne.E, by.
pour them selves !2to It Italians. Rus
slams Austrtans, Turks Abyssiniaps.
Ecyp.inns Art.f-I Srun!a-,!s. French,ren
and even I. lew degraded Brit!shors are 70
be found in every corner Of this profli,,,.t.,
settlement, III o. the worst rvr,es their ~
spective nations can pr,siuc,-blacklers
swil.d,or~. gamhlers- forgers 1nurtier,,rs
and professional ha,zars. Whose ART. have