The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-12-18
THE CITY OF SOFIA.
A Bright aad nusslisg Town That d
Many Respects Resembles
Paris.

wide. smiling valley. and, far ke-
You'd, the steep incline Of an endless
mountain range. the Vitosch chain, still
snow-capped when we saw II, says q
writer In Pail Mall Gazette. against
a bright blue sky, while nearer the earth
was clad with a cloak Of the softest YER
dure. lush green seeming to round the
contours OF outline here and there.
Such was the first impression OF the
panoramic setting within which we
found enshrined Sofia. the Bulgarian
capital. as bright and modern looking
little town as. say, Baden Baden. and.
indeed. more reminiscent Of some small
German ''residenz stadt" in style and
structure than anything one generally
associates mentally with the near east.
Two days are, OF course. not much in
which TO judge Of any place. II In
merely the obvious then that strikes
the visitors eye and is retained upon
his mental retina. and therefore to our
mind the name of Sofia is lastingly as
ISOLATED with sundry broad and shady
streets. boulevards beneath which we
slant flow OF traffic. the coming and go
Ing Of soldiers. mondaines. peasantry
and curious semi-oriental figures, very
evidently jewellers beyond that towering
mountain range, whom a desire 10 bar
ter, or-who knows possibly even the
ever-present masma of intrigue in
these Balkan principalities had brought
hither.
II was late spring and the suns
heat had something of the coming sum-
mer in IL, yet these stolid slowly moving
ngures wore their fur caps and long
skin coats, of which the sleeps wool
turned inward forms the lining. with
out apparently the least discomfort
Most OF them led their oxen, harnessed
TO cumbrous carts. while again near
these the smart electric trans whizzed
Dy-a strange and incongruous mixture
OF the east and west The most pic |
turesque element in the street traffic |
was the peasant women. many of the |
girls being quite beautiful, their gar
ments gay with red and blue embroid- |
cries. and their persons loaded with bar |
baric looking silver ornaments. silver
coins even glinting here and there amid |
their long. thick raven plaits. Another
touch OF color was given to this scene |
by the numerous different uniforms /
which distinguished lie militaire. the
general appearance of which reminds |
one OF the Russian military dress. al
though the men seemed of better
physique. generally speaking. Toward
evening this picture became even more
animated, for the inhabitants Of Sofia
love the open air; the cafes and restaur-
ants then assume the aspect Of some
lesser Paris. pretty faces. elegant
toilets, music and laughter dominating
The scene in the smartest town quarter
Beyond this actual center of life
stretch rows of villa residences. half
buried. at that time of year. amid leafy
-rees while the ceaseless song of birds
here. there and everywhere seemed TO
attest a scarcity of cats in Sofas sub
irban districts. and certainly stamped
as veritable paradise for the feath-
red creation. The royal palace. now
8 correct" a residence as any prince
ould desire. was. We were told. not al
Ways so; In fact. at the time Of Prince
llexander's advent it was with some
imculty that two water-tight rooms
ould be found for the accommodation
his highness. while the unmade roads
'ere then still dimly illuminee with
anterns. making darkness visible.
ince those days however. the little
capital has certainly gone
head. and at all events brushed itself
p externally. I