Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-10-06

The city Of Baku Is very rich. but
II Is very ugly.
Approaching II by sea the whole
character OF the landscape changes
as soon as the steamer rounds the
point Of the Apscheron peninsula.
thirty miles from the town. North OF
the point there were vineyards and
gardens running down 10 the shore,
and white. twostoCied Eonses. the
summer homes Of The rich merchants
Of Baku. South Of II lies the naDhtha
land: and where God planted the
naph,ha He lets nothing else grow"
say the Tariars. Grey rock and yellow
: sand, white patches Of salt CRYSTALS,
black patches OF naphtha outcrOp:
fantastic npheayels OF volcanic mud
such Is the country round Baku. One
can imagine such a landscape In the
vnooa.
The first impression IL a dismal
one: nor Is a closer view much more
inviting. Round about and over the
town hangs a dense black cloud Of
smoke; and long before you reach II
you perceive the all.peyvading smell
Of oil, which you win breathe every.
where and taste In everything so long
as you remain In Baku.
The Tartar Way Out.
The town itself lies right in the
angle formed by the Apscheron PENN.
suia and the mainland. It's suburbs
stretching away on both sides along
the coast. east and south. The brick
walls OF the old Persian citadel In the
middle Of the town are still standing
almost intact. and below them rises
the Maiden's Tower. a double struc-
tire also Of brick, about $50 feet high.
According 10 the legend. "a Tartar
Khan and his son were both
cd OF the same maiden. and being I'M
able TO decide which should marry
her, solved the question By throwing
her down from the top OF the tower.
Through the middle OF the citadel
ran the Tchornl Ryad BLACK Row,
the bazaar. II was a dark, narrow.
winding arcade. with stalls on either
side. where silverware, knives. car.
pets, and silks we're made or sold.
Bur the Tchorni Ryad was considered
rnsanitary, as II probably was. and
was reformed out OF existence a few
years ago.
West Of the citadel lies the public
garden, where some dusty-looking
trees do their best to keep up appear.
snces. and the asphalt walks are soft
like india rubber In the heat. In the
middle OF the garden stands the club
pronounced "kIoob"-where fabnl-
y sums are said 10 change hands
ait .yint" a species OF bridget. or
another native game bearing the sug.
zestiye name Of ramps" The Tartar
Bey who has sold his land to the willy
Armenian exploiter In the morning,
may be brought here In the evening
" lose the price back again. The
building stands on a slope, and the
roof forms a terrace on which supper
and sweet champagne are served all
through the snmmer nights. Broad
steps at the side lead down to the gar
den. IN those steps one night-or
rather about 3 o'clock In the morning
q Cossack officer once brought half
a troop Of his men on horseback: and
then after they had drunk the health
Of the emperor, rode down again at
the head Of them and round to the
Governors palace on the quay at the
foot Of the garden. There be babe
them sing the national anthem; and
they went on singing until the gov.
ernor, fearing lest his loyalty might
be impeached II ne remained In bed,
came out on the balcony In his
dressing gown and sword and return.
ed thanks.
poiyoot Market Place.
East Of the citadel are the business
quarters. the shops, and the market,
where, II Ii said. You may hear sixty
different languages spoken at once.
Further away are the refinery sub
urbs, spreading along the coast Of
the peninsula. First, and dirtiest,
comes Black Town (Tchorni Gorod).
Select the dirtiest town in the Black
country at home; imagine something
three times grimier, and you have
Tchorni Gorod, Baku.
Black dust overs everything. and
lies q foot and a half deep In the so
called roads. Here and there water
and oily waste escaping from a re-
finery have turned the dust into a
filthy mOrass In which your phaeton
wallows until the mud IN right