Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-02
W. Fox AHEz1en @r7ow

horses, Cdttfe OF HuleS. 1t FOulO Uc iii
possible to carry thrashing machine
through the country for the lack Of roads,
and in many localities 1t would be difficult
to supply the fuel to run it.
Saddles and harness, such as. we nave
are in no demand, and the hardware used is
of the cheapest home made variety. There
are some sewing machines in use, put the
favorite ones are those run by hand. Inere
is some sale for mirrors, darninS needles
and sewing needles. These, as well as nalis
and wire, are now sent in by the Germans
Much of the Moroccan earthenware is nome
made. Some china is imported. and also
many of the drinking glasses in which tea
Is served.
Mint Juleps Made Of Tea.
Most of the other Mohammedan nations
drink coffee. These people drink tea. and
are especially fond of it when favored with
mint. The way to make it, am told. is to
put a good lot of sugar into the teapot and
a spoonful or so of green tea, together with
some mint leaves. Now pour on boiling
water and let the stuff steep. If you make
1t right you will have drink for the gods,
and at the same time free from the intoxi-
eating properties of the mint julep of the
Kentucky colonel Such liquor Is furnished
in tumblers at tea houses all over this coun-
try, and the Moors drink it boiling hot sit
ting cross-legged on the ground as they do
So The most of the tea used comes from
England, London alone sending as many as
twenty thousand chests in one year. In 1904
Morocco bought Of England more than
seven hundred thousand dollars worth Of
tea, and it's sugar purchases then amounted
to considerably over two million dollars in
value. These people are fond of sweets, and
their consumption Of sugar Is so great that
1t has almost ruined their teeth. This any
one can see whenever Moor opens his
mouth.
1t will be long time before the ordinary
Moroccan will want American furniture.
The poorer classes sleep on the floor and
they are SO hardy that man will wrap
himself in his gown and lie down anywhere
for snooZe There are men sleeping on the
stones out in the streets here every night,
and that by the hundreds. Many houses
are guarded in this way.
Spring beds are unknown to such people
and they seldom have chairs. When they sit
they do not hang their legs down, but
double them up under them or lean back
against the wall with their long boards rest
ing on their knees. If they use bench or
divan it Is to sit cross-legged upon it. The
tables are rude, and are often simply low
round brass pans upon legs Some such are
beautifully carved. Candles are in demand
and the British are now sending almost
quarter of a million dollars worth of them
here every year.
Jews Monopolize the Trade.
The American drummer who comes to
ness largely through the Jews. They are by
far the best business men Of the country
and they have the bulk of the wholesale and
retail trade. There are Moorish bazaars, it is
true, in all of the cities, and there are
Moorish commercial houses with large cap
ital in Fee. but the Jews are everywhere,
and they deal with all classes. They are as
business men the equals of any of their
race, and as a rule they stand well.
The Jews came to this country along
about the thirteenth century to do bust
ness with the Moors and they have been
here ever since. They are despised and at
times ill-treated by the other races and
are still compelled to do certain mental
things. When they first came they were
required to wear black clothes and shoes
and they had to go on foot as they passed
through the cities. Today they wear black
skull caps, black slippers and long black
coats. belted in at the waist. In the Ber-
Der districts the Jews have curls hanging
down in front of their ears, but otherwise
they dress like the Berbers.
About the only women's faces one sees
in this country are those of the Jewesses.
beauty behind the cotton sheets or wooden
blankets, which they drape about their
heads when they go out. The younger
Jewesses are often good looking. They
have fine dark eyes and ivory white skins,
with cheeks tinged with the hue of a
dark moss rose. The older women run to
much flesh and seem coarse.
The dress of the. Jewish women is much
like that worn by the sex in our country,
save that the richer ones gold en-
broidery for trimming. They wear silk
handkerchiefs tied about the head, half
concealing the forehead and covering most
of the hair. These Jews marry young
Girls are often betrothed at six or eight
years, are sometimes married at ten, and
have children at fourteen. The marriage
tie is not strong and divorces are common.
In the Jewish Quarters.
In all the Moroccan cities. except Tan
ger, the Jews are still confined to t.eir
own section, and in some they are shut
off at night from the rest of the town.
These quarters are known as mellahs, and
they are among the most squalid parts of
every city. Their streets are narrow and
dirty. The front doors are little more than
holes in the walls, and most of the houses
contain many small rooms in which the
people are herded The homes of the
rich are much better.
The mellahs are governed by the Jews
themselves. They elect council and a
judiciary, and they have the right of appeal
from the latter to the Moorish governor.
The rabbis are about the most influential
of the Jews The people are religious and
attend their synagogues regularly. They
do no business on Saturday, which is the
Jewish Sabbath, and on that day many of
them will not even open a business letter.
l attended one of their synagogues here. It
was dark little room. surrounded by
dwellings.
The Jews now have their own schools in
Morocco and great deal Of work has been
done among them lately by the Universal
Jewish Alliance. This alliance Il now car
rying on schools at Tangier, Tetuan. Mo-
gador, Marrakech and Fec, in which there
are more than twenty-five hundred chill
dren. They are giving the young Jews a
sort Of modern education, although much
of the time Is devoted to teaching of He
brew and Spanish, They also teach French
and English, geography and other studies
In the reorganization OF Morocco which is
bound to come about sooner or later these
children, with their knowledge of the mod
ern languages and Of Arabic, as WELL may
form an important factor.
FRANK q. CARPENTER.