The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-02-15
CIVILIZATION Is UTTERLY UNKNOWN
All Work Ia Done By Aged Women,
Camels and Donkeys-A Cod
Forsaken Country.

tion with reference to the country that
he visited and the manner in which the
people of Morocco live.
He was accompanied on the trip BY
John w. Rodgers, one Of Pinkerton's
best detectives, and they agree upon
one point, that Morocco is the widest
: and most uncivilized country upon
the face of the earth. In answer to
volleys of questions fred at him by a
group of friends. Mr.. Hill said:
ssMorocco looks as we'll as any 9th
er country on the map, but the map is
as dumb as soap statue when it
comes to telling anything of this dis
s tant land where the people know moth
ing whatever of liberty or what the
word implies. Morocco is neither an
empire or republic. 1t is simply a
great big uncivilized country owned by
the sultan, who though only seven
teen years of age, has two wives and
according to the laws and customs OF
the land can have as many more as he
desires. He lives at Fez, the capital,
but he was at Morocco when I was
there, where he spends good deal OF
his time"
Some member of the group of lis
teners at this point remarked: "Weli,
you did not see him?"
"Oh. no,'n resumed Mr.. Hill. "Why,
it would have taken me six weeks to
have gone to'where he was, as there is
! no way of travelling in Morocco except
on the back of donkey or camel.
] don't believe that there is single
vehicle in the whole of Morocco, not
even wheelbarrow."
stHow big is the country?" was
asked.
ssWell, from what I could learn.
about the extent of its territory,
would say that Morocco is about as
big as four or five of our states, but
when you get to going over it, it is
bigger than the United States, or at
least you will think so if you had to
rely on the speed of donkey or a
s camel to take you over it. And the
country. You should see it to sppre-
ciate what I say. There are no roads,
only paths running in every direction
b cut out by donkeys, camels and people
travelling on foot. Outside of the
cities the country is one dense forest
or jungle, and no one except native
could find his way through it. The
land is marvelously rich and grows ev-
erything in abundance without work
ing the soil at all. This generosity
upon the part of the soil has made the
B people indolent and lazy, and none of
them will work unless compelled to do
something for themselves that nature
will not do.
sThe land is also rich with minerals
of every character, and coal abounds
in large quantities. With all this,
however, Morocco gets her coal and
minerals from the outside world; not
that il is better than the home supply,
but because it is considered sacrile-
gious and even criminal to disturb the
/ deposits of the earth. The heaviest
punishment, which is imprisonment,
is imposed upon any one who will VEN
s ture TO disturb the wealth that is hid
den in the soil. The people regard
anything like this as crime of the
Worst character, and if hanging was a
punishment in Morocco for crime any
man who would dig coal in that coun-
try would be hung without the for
mahties of trial"
esWhat about the ccurts?"
They have none. Here and there
you will find lawyer, but he amounts
to nothing. Lawyers are not needed
there, as they can do nothing for a
man in trouble. The sultan of Moroc-
60 is boss and his will is law. If he
decides that a man is guilty he is
sent to prison, and the only way that
he can get out is for his friends to get
up good purseand buy his pardon
with ii. The country is divided up
into sections or states, and each of
these ispresided over by a pasha. He
is king of his domain and holds his Of
fee subject to removal by the sultan.
He purchases his Office from the sultan
with money and holds it by making
handsome presents to the sultan every
year. If he fails or refuses TO send
the sultan present then he is fred
out of his Office and into a prison,
where he is held until his friends come
forward and pay him out, and if his
friends fail to respond then the depos-
ed pasha is kept in prison until he
dies.
s'Until few years ago when man
was placed in prison he.was starved to
death, unless his friends fed him, as
the government did not feed any one
in prison. Recently, however, border
ing countries have taken hold of this
matter and demanded that provision
be made for feeding prisoners, and
now each prisoner gets a loaf Of bread
day and water. This scant ration is
barely enough to keep man alive.
There are no beds, cots or other COM
forts in the Moorish prisons. The poor
creatures sleep on the floor, and as
long as they live or are confined there
mire up in filth and breathe the sick
ening atmosphere of their dungeons,
that are located for the most part I'M
der the ground. All the time Mr..
Rodgers and myself remained in Mo-
rocco We were in Tangiers, and OF
: course most of our observations were
confined to that town. We were told,
however, that the same state of affairs
existed all over the country"
"How did you manage to get what
you wanted?"
"Oh, we had an Interpreter who
spoke half dozen languages, among
them English, and we got along very
nicely with his assistance. he went
about with US and did the talking for
u.s."
"How big is Tangiers?"
.'The population is about $4,000.
The town is cramped to death, as ii
covers only small area. A high wall
- Co.