The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-03-06
From Foreign lands.
ALGIEks.

AiNlhhS.
Editor Republicans
All day Feb. 10Th we sailed the Med.
iterranean. Toward night the shores Of
Africa appeared. l was awakened at
daylight by an infinite clatter, the run
ming Of ropes and pulleys, etc. l went on
deck and saw before me the city of AL
giers, covering the slopes OF a semi-circle
range of hills, thousands of its Arab pop
nlation squirlning about on the quay in
front Of the city and hundreds,oflnear ves-
sells loading or unloading all sorts of
merchandise. Aler breakfast we has
| tened ashore and passing through masses
of halfdreSsed and awful dirty Arabs we
found the carriage stand and getting on
| four wheels drove up broad incline TO
| the elevated boulevard and then through
the city TO the suburbs. My precon-
4 cieved idea of Algiers had to be changed
as soon as l saw TIE city. IL is now on
its main street practicallya a French city,
with streets after street of fine massive
business blocks. Trolly cars, American
make run to all principal points, Every
where French is spoken and the first day
was with a fellow passenger who could
talk French, so we had no trouble, But
the next day tried it alone. got on
street car and they asked me in French
where wanted to go, l wanted to 90 to
the end of the line, but could not make
him understand. l gave them ten CEN
times and the conductor gave me paper
with the names of two streets checked
Off: the place | started from and the
place my ten centimes would take me
TO. when we come there wanted to pay
more and stay on, but they could no, un-
derstand so was put off. | got on the
next car and had The same trouble.
saw sign English Tailors," and went
in nut not a word of English could they
talk. had some buttons sewed on my
coat for which they refused to take any
thing, but this was onlya bluff as they
expected TO get more thereby than if
they had set price. Algiers is one
of the most wonderful cities of the
world. At one time 1t was a grand
rendezvous for outcasts and criminals
from all over the world, and its govern
ment was an organized piracy that prey
ed upon the commerce of Europe. At |
one time ii had about $4,000 white Chris |
tians in slavery. In the year 1916 an
English general, Lord Exmouth, de- |
stroyed their navy and in 1880 the French |
captured their city and country, which it |
still retains. There are probably nine or
ten languages spoken in the city as the
world is here, but probably one nalr are
Arabs. You see them by the hundreds
everywhere. The men wear long cloaks |
with hoods attached. These cloaks reach |
to the knees or a little below. Their legs |
are bare, but they keep their heads COW
cred with the hood. The women wear a |
short cloak and wide wavy bloomers that
are gathered in above the ankle. Their
faces are covered with cloth below their
eyes. White is the only color the men
and women wear, but, alas! garments
don't remain white of their own account, |
so as a rule they are dirty set. There
are some beautiful palaces and gardens |
here aud many mosques and places of |
interest. visited the principal place.
One mosque we entered was a large one
and upon the holy carpet which covered |
the floor were probably three hunded
Moslems at prayer. They were prosirat.
ed on the carpet in rows with their faces
towards Mecca, and were chanting some
prayer. At times they bent forward with
their foreheads on the carpet 1t seems to
us a strange sight to see them so Jealous
in what to us is false religion.
The gardens and parks are beautiful
here. All kinds oftropical trees, orange
and lemon trees hanging full of fruit,
also date, olive and palm trees every
where. In some of the gardens there are
grottoes with large mirrors placed so you
think they extend on forever. Flowers
Of all kinds are in bloom. Whatever may
be true of the country back of Algiers
This part is veritable garden spot and is
l great resort for Europeans.
w. w. KRIBBs.
Written from Genoa, Italy, Feb. Il, 1901. ,