The Press., 1902-03-27
SOUTH WELLINGTON.

The two following communications were
received last week from the Misses Ida
and Elizabeth Hall, and we take great
pleasure In presenting the same to their
many friends who may read this column.
"Hotel Grande Bretagne'' Athens. My
dear ones at home." We are safely ar
rived at Athens, and are waiting our turn
to go into lunch at the above named hotel.
We spent the morning on the 'Acropolis"
and while 1t was great effort to get up
to it, we all felt repaid for we saw with
our own eyes what we have heard and
read SO much about. A citadel on the
highest ground available and surrounded
by huge wall with its nine gates. The
rest of the city We saw from carriages. and
Athens as whole has made most favor
able impression upon us. And to describe
1t justly one must be POLITICALLY inclined.
The itinerary has been again changed and
from here we go to Constantinople and
then to Jaffa and Jerusalem and Egypt
last before starting for Rome. We just
follow the boat, hoping to have the good
fortune some sweet day to again set foot
in South Wilmington. We picked oranges
from the trees in Algiers and thus satis-
fed long felt want. Enclosed is little
daisy picked from the top of the ''Acropo-
lis." At this writing We are all well and
trust this will find you and the rest of the
friends the same,
IDA AND ELIZABETH.
"Pera Palace "Constantinople, March
1st, 1902. This has certainty been great
day for US all. We anchored In the "Bos-
phorus" last evening little way from the
city, and q. S. Consul Dickinson came
abroad and gave US little talk, which
had many valuable suggestions in 1t. In
cidently he told of the release Of Miss
Stone and said he hoped the Turks would
be made to pay back the ransom with
heavy interest. THIS morning we went in
steam tenders, ashore. And such a dirty
wicked lot of people as we saw, l shall
never forget to my dying day. The peo-
pie were not all that was dirty, the streets
were terrible. We hired a carriage and
drove to all the interesting places, but we
were obliged to keep our handkerchief
to our noses all the time. The odors were
80 vile. The streets are narrow, crooked
and filthy. We visited the Museum and
the Morgue of St. Sophia which was a
magnificent structure. We saw the
Turks at prayer and reading their Koran
and they had such distressed look that
we felt sorry for them. We saw the na-
tive women weaving Oriental rugs and
they were simply beautiful and they told
us that the expert weavers received from
ten to twenty cents day, according to
their skillfulness and swiftness. We
luuched at the hotel, but Mr.. Lemon,
Bertha and Lizzie did not eat anything.
They said the sights they had seen were
sufficient sustinance for them. I ate a
little, but the coffee was blacker than any.
thing that ever came out of the dyehouse.
After dinner we started again this time ir
street cars that were the funniest contri
vances you ever saw, little bits of things
with separate compartments for ladies anG
gentlemen, and drawn by two of the
smallest horses you could imagine. Most
of the women on the streets were yelled
and all the men from the highest to thu
lowest degree had the Turkish cap on
The streets were simply alive with al
sorts and sizes of dogs and they had the
right of way everywhere. They live IL
the streets and pedestrians have to turl
out for them, and should anyone moles
one Of those creatures they are quickl,
taken to task for it, dog is of more con
sequence than a man. We were all glat
to get back to our 2x5 bunk in the Celti
when night came. And our marrow
quarters were as palace to US after spend
ing the day in Constantinople. To-mor
row morning at eleven O'Clock we ar
going to sail up the Bosphorus to tn
Black Sea turn around and come bacl
and start for Symrna, leaving there tw
or three days later, when we shall b
headed toward, instead of away from
home, and how glad we shall be, for ther
is no land as fair as South Wilmington
and no country as sweet and so dear a
America. don't wonder that foreigner
flock to our shores. This will be the las
letter until we reach Jerusalem, wher
we hope to get some news from home
that we are so hungry for. Love to al
members of the family and inquirlnl
friends. IDA"
L