The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-05-14

She t4dE4G1 OF Alan ana EiSEfa us
-arital. 1t is the European capital in
.rality. It is the only part of this wild
waste of sand which can be safely and
Comfortably reached by Europeans,
nI every winter tourists and health
~eeiers by the thousands come here
}Ecr the railroad which the French
lave built. Large hotels have been
.reeted for them, and one can live
Iere comfortably at from two 10 five
lollars per day. There are altogether
half dozen hotels and, in addition,
casino and theatre. There are fire.
Iaant concerts and cafe chantants.
While the casino steadily runs its
'ouIette and rouge ct noir tables, that
h. place might be called the Monte
arlo Of the Sahara as we'll.
Horse and Camel Races.
The season begins in November and
osts until May. 1t is at it's liveliest
II February, at the time of the races,
when horses, donkeEs and camels take
part. Vt that time there are long dis
anco camel races run by Arabs on
Heharis 9r fast racing camels, which
an make twelve or fifteen miles an
lour. These camels are so tall and lean
hat they seem to be all legs. They
AVE saddles with high supports in
'front.' and behind. and the rider hobs
lp and down with q seesaw cores
gouding to the ticking of your watch.
Tho starting point is supposed to be
he oasis Of Tougourt, which is two
3NuQred and ten miles away. and a
a'r1T good camel ought to Y the
ground in less than q day.
Tho horse races are With Arabian
took and the riders are Arabs. who
n their skill might even rival Presi-
Lent Roosevelt, jumping everything on
He way.
IN French Biskra.
The city OF Biskra is composed of
F0 towns. One is known as French
"-fro and the other Old Biskra. The
"T-tr contains about 900 Europeans
's. -'o OF three times that many ma
-.s while the latter is altogether
.".. Hud is numbered more by the
..'- Of palm trees it owns than
'.' lumber of inhabitants. 1t is
".H,-l of six little villages scat
#''t tE-oughout plantations which
'-ln"r- about 10000 date rec
IT," french town is surrounded by
'a.~ #rl entered by gates. It has sew
rlI "-5e streets, the chief of which
I'LL. #Ee BeGtha. which runs from
ne T"t.road station past the public
gardens and on out toward the oasis
p t~tH@0urt. 1t goes by the oasis of
.-t kra which Is two miles off, and
tl"N il is q street car line ove which
s0" ram ride tbs whole of that disance
.F two cents. Another car line viii
him TO the hot springs three and
"+I| miles away for the sane money.
'-I '1-s Is far down in the Desert Of
..-ars. in the very ~backWoods of the
..''9 thc tWO-cent rate is made with
-"s tickets, and its less than half the
@el which we pay at home,
shall send this letter to the United
-'..'s for q five-cent postage stamp,
3D.. / can telegraph from here across
Mediterranean to Paris for less
..a YOU can send a message from
"# York tc Chicago. My eat ride
.t me thirty cents a trip or fifty
"1ts an hour; and if I prefer to move
.-aut on a camel the ate will be
sr1t 81 per day.
When take a Turkish bath in the
-'tel states / have TO pay ST. with
]emty-fiye or fifty cents extra for
@ ] had 4 Moorish bath here to-
-% for twenty cents in q bathing es-
"a-,slmcnt which would be consider
a. lin" in any American city and this
a..I-ad a thorough massage and a
@ IF delicious Turkish coffee at the
w. The men who bathed me We're
my Arabs. They were naked to the
and as yellow as gold, they spent
'.' thing ike an hOur on the job
N' mot by that mean to say that
nook that much time to get off the
-... Dat The hour vas used UP III mas
80 AL4 JlGeE extras, BiSkra was Il ia