Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-06-23

after by stewards who have an organ.
ization that is complete and effective.
and subject more or less to the con
troll of the guilds as well as the gov.
ment. The bazaars are thoroughly
cosmopolitan. however and are crowd
ed with the representatives of every
race and nation from Nubia and
Abyssinla to Bokhara and AT
ghanistan. There is a perpetual
perpetual banquet of color
for costumes vary as much as the
faces. The artistic effect is some
what impaired at times by finding
prints. Waterbury clocks and German
merchandise of every variety. and
wise people will tell you thai a large
part of the so-called oriental wares.
the embroideries, brass work. harness.
iewelrv. old silever. scimters and 9th
er arms which are sold as souvenirs
of the country are imported from Ell.
rope.
In the goldsmith's bazaar. however.
there is no deception, and the jewel
ers sitting upon their little platform
will will manufacture n bracelet or
pair of earrings In gold fligree
work or make anv other article that
Won NAV desire from anv design while
vou wait If Won will furnish the nat.
tern or even n rude sketch vour order
will he filIed with marvellous rapiditv.
althoueh the work is roughly done.
EVERYTHING is sold hv weight. with
ten piclSs M rare gems at the gold
smiths bazaar which to me is the
most Fascinating Of all and more my
stnrioue for each dealer has n little
safe filled with tin cases in which
the rarest of precious stones and sur
prising examples of the art of the an
awav
The bazaar of the booksellers is
still place of interest and occasion
allv one may find a valuable volume
or piece of manuscript, but the agents
of European museums and rich col
lectors have been here so often and
have offered such great temptations
that the town and the country round
about has been pretty well searched
The street of the Greeks" is the
most attractive place for ladies. be-
cause they find there the curios which
are so popular for decorative purposes
at home. and unless you have more
than the ordinary degree of moral
courage and unusal powers of resls.
tance Won are certain to buy manv
manv things that YOU do not want
before YOU leave the place. Here
are all sorts of oriental articles. most
of them of gaudy colors and cheap ma
terials and poor workmanship. and sell
dom worth half the rice that is paid
for them-weapons. table covers en-
broideries, carpets, rugs pipes, cloth
ing. armor, tobacco pouches, silks, and
everything you can think of. Coins
and gems. oriental coffee cups. pipe
stems made of the wood of the cork
tree wound with gold and silver
thread. all kinds of antiquities and
fabrics or oriental manufacture are
are offered for about four times their
value to begin with. according to the
eastern custom, merely as a basis for
negotiation. The weapons are gen
orally modern, and most OF them are
lIdh' III Nf'l many llt ltUNdl toll''
cups and tiles come from Austria: the
glittering jewelry which the shopkeep-
er will guarantee as the genuine
product of the Bedouins is made in
Paris, while the fezzes usually come
from Marseilles.
The secondhand shops occupy
section of the bazaar known as Suk
el Kumelch. which literally means
'louse market" and If fleas are in
cluded in the designation it is very
properly applied. Brisk dealing is
the practice there, and the dealers
have curious custom of running
from one shop to another with an ar
ticle asking for bids. One speculator
will bid 5 plasters, while the auction
eer rushes on to the next until he has
encompassed the entire bazaar. In
the meantime he keeps the figures In
his mind, and after all the proprietors
of the slop-shops have had an oppor-
tunity to examine the goods and make
an offer he delivers the prize to the
highest bidder
At the Kahn As'ad Pasha. so-called
because it was built by governor
of Damascus of that name, is the horse
and saddle market Twice a week
| in an open court horses collected
from the desert in semi-wild state
and with shaggy and uncouth ap-
pear, although they are represented
to be famous Arabian breeds, are of
fered to the highest bidder. Some
times 300 or 400 animals will be sold
in morning for nominal prices. the
business being conducted very much
as at the Tattersalls in London. Ad-
joining the horse market are the shops
for the sale Of harnesses, saddlebags.
saddlery and other equestrian fittings.
and many of them are attractive be
cause of their bright colors, gold en-
broidery. and silver and brass mount
ings Turkish saddles are charac-
teristic and unique, but are not so
handsome as those of Mexico.
The coppersmth's street is a noisy
place where hundreds of skillful
artisans, including many children, are
working constantly upon those brass
and copper trays. bowls and dishes at
home. The Damascenes have always
been famous for fine brass work, and