The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-22

squalid flats of the West side IS
chaSm that requires a stretch of i'm
agination to bridge.
To these people, nevertheless, their
surroundings are delightful. They are
in the land of freedom, they say, and
are we'll cOntented with the land of
their adoption in general, and with the
West side in particular. No apprehen-
sion have they now of the terribly
bloody Turk and his Vengeful inquisi-
torial officers. They are insured of
protection and property as long as
they observe the laws and work.
The Syrians are singularly quiet and
rarely make disturbances. They never
apply to the relief agent for assistance,
for they have their colony organized on
a sort Of communistic basis. While
they do not share with one another all
| their property and earnings, they all
ways keep one another from want. If
one family is without an income the
others that are working contribute to
the support of the needy ones. They
mutually assist one another in bread
getting, and when one gets into trouble
the others are bound by their unwritte1t
laws to stand by him to the last ex-
tremity.
Peddling on Decline.
The Syrians of the colony in st. Paul
engage in all kinds of labor, and when
such employment is not to be had the
men and women shoulder boxes of no.
tons and go one the road peddling
There is but little pedling in the city
now, compared with what the industry
was few years ago. Not long ago
there were nearly a hundred women on
the streets with their boxes, now there
are not more than ten or twelve. Ped
ding in the country and villages, how
ever, still remains profitable, and sew
eral hundred men and women who have
headquarters in st. Paul are engaged in
this work in Minnesota, North and
South Dakota and in Montana.
Those engaged in this peculiar meth
cd of gaining livelihood are now hav-
ing hard struggle competing with
modern business methods. Not long
ago the innerant peddler played a
| most important part in supplying the
people with notions, dry goods and
| adornments, and to this day he is a
conspicuous figure in the countries Of
Europe. Peddling in the city is now
practically a thing Of the past, though
there are still a few girls who con-
tfnue to work" q certain territory.
Among those girls is one that probably
meets a pleasanter welcome. and dis
poses of large quantity of goods every
day than do any of her sister vendors.
Dark haired, slender. pretty and
81 dICLuiB otIc Is d HRuE0
walking along with her large box con-
tanning her stock in trade. Or still
more beautiful is she when squatting
in a charming pose absorbed intently
over her goods, picking out article after
article and holding them up for your
inspection. Your needs are not con-
suited by this ingenious saleswoman,
but each thing in the vast profusion of
her stock is put forth and submitted to
your examination. Finally you buy a
pair of suspenders or a yard of lace
and the sweet smile that overspreads
her features is reward enough for the
money you have parted with.
But not all are so pleasing Some
are ugly enough, and notwithstanding
their persistent efforts to induce you to
buy will you accept OF their wares.
Romance of Magdalen.
A romance that might be worthy Of
preservation in a story was enacted
within the Syrian colony not long ago.
Magdalen, who was an older sister Of
the girl just described, and who pos
sessed her sisters beauty, left the little
village on the slopes of Mount Lebanon
just ten years ago. Famed was this
girl throughout the country for her
beauty, and many were the admirers
she had. Her father had heard of the
great American republic, and being
dissatisfied with the Turkish rule of his