The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-01
Strange City Of Fee,
Home Of Abdul-Aziz

river into Old and New Fee. the former
being by far the most extensive and the
seat of the great industries of the place"
We rode through very long street but
and west through the whole of Old Fez-
the Oxford of the place. 1t was paved
IN some parts with stones the size and
chape Of cocoanuts. and actually POLISHED
by constant traffic. The shops were the
usual square cells. raised some feet from
the ground, open entirely in front, but
larger than in other towns They were
Well stocked with all kinds OF merchan-
disc. The Moorish shopkeeper, who sits
precisely In the same way as the Turk
ish. with all his wares within easy reach,
Is a less dtgnified parsonage, being more
astute and eager to make sales. The
Fee traded is. however. polite enough,
and will ask you to take coffee. always
obta1nable from neighboring stall. to In
duce you to stay and bargain for his
Many OF the Streets" we read further
on, were covered with an open roof of
interlaced reeds, over which vines spread
in great luXuriance These roofs and any
projections from the houses were fes-
TONED with cobwebs. while the pathway
below was covered with dust and dirt. It's
production of which 1t Is famous, Is uni
versally known by the name of the place
itself. The sitting heat. increased by
the crowd which always followed US made
shopping in Fee irksome work. But we
We're treated always with courtesy and
Edmondo De Amicis has given us a de-
scription Of the center of the city as he
first saw 1t. How shall [ express tie
wonder the pity the sadness that over
came that grand and dismal spectacle?
| The first impression is that of an i'm
| mense city fallen into decreptitude and
slowly decaying?
Tall houses, which seemed formed of
! houses Piled one upon the other. all fall
ing to pieces, cracked from roof to base.
propped up on every side. with no OPEN
ing save some loophole In the shape CT
cross; long stretches Of street flanhCd by
| two high bare walls like the walls Of q
| fortress; streets running up hill and down.
! encumbered with stones and the ruins of
| fallen buildings, twisting anu turning az
every thirty PAGES; every now and then
| a long covered passage, dark as q cellar
where you have to feel your way; blind
! alleys, recesses, dens full OF bones, dead
! animals and heaps OF putrid matter; The
| whole stepped In a dim and melancholy
! twilight. In some places the ground IS so
broken, the dust so thick, tic sIrell so
| horrible, the flies so numerous, that we
have to stop to take breath In half an
| hour we have made so many turns that II
| our road could be drawn 1t would form an
| arabesque as intricate as any In the AL
| hambra. Here and there We hear the noise
! OF mill, a murmur OF water. the click
| OF a weaver's loom. chant OF nasal
voices, which, we are told, comes from
| q school OF children; but we see nothing
/ and no one anywhere. We approach the
| numerous the men stop to let us pass
! and stare astonished the women turn
! back or hide themselves; the children
scream and run; the larger boys growl and
| shake their fists at a distance, mindful
| OF the soldiers and their sticks We see
! fountains richly ornamental with mo-
| sale, arabeSque doors, arched courts, some
| few remains of Arab architecture I'm de-
cay. Every moment We find ourselves in
| darkness entering one OF the many COW
| cred passages"