The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-03-12

AGO.
The ~splendors OF Tlcunccn and It's
Wonderful Moequc--IIou u Candy
Pcddicr became a eaint-iiic isuin-
ed City Of Mansoura and Its Mighty
WalI@-Iiou II WAS Built in a Night
Among the Natiycs-i Land OF
Queer Costumes and Customs Where
the Men Wear Eight Dollar Hats
aud the Women velvet Caps Enf-
%broidcrcd With Gold-Arab House
Understanding ABOUT the New
French Towns Of Algeria.
Tlemcen, Africa.
Come with me and my Mohamme-
dan dragoman. Mustapha, and axe a
walk tins bright Sunday morning
through the Delhi of North Africa
We are in Il city which was famous
when Agra was at the height OF us
glory, and one which has mosques ana
Iombs containing Moorish decorations
which will compare in their beauty
with those Of the famed cities Of india.
There are doors of bronze IN me
Mosque Of Sid Bou-Medtn as beautiful
al those at the entrance to the Capltoi
at Washington. and equal in their fine
workmanship to those of Ghiberti at
Florence. There are temples of Mo-
hammedan worship hundreds Of years
old which have a beauty greater tina
the mosques of cairo n Constantine
pie and all were constructed when
Europe was std semi-civilized and q
hundred years or so before the new
world Of America began to be. Not far
from these mosques are the remains OF
a ruined city. which surpassed POM
ppii in extent and glory, and in an
other direction is the tomb Of the man
who built tina city, with the Arabs
praying in and about it to-day.
The Ruins of Tlcmccn.
All this is not in Italy, Greece or In
dia. the countries to which we look
for the monuments of the past. 1t is
in this black continent Of Africa. on
the edge of the savage. turbulent ana
warning Morrocco, thirty miles south
of the Mediterranean and about 100
miles from Oran. the chief seaport of
western Algeria. 1t is so far out of
the line of travel that strangers sell
dom come here. but it is one of the
most interesting places on the CONT
nent.
The Tlcnccn of today is Il city of.
perhaps, $4,000, situated in Il beautiful
valley, at an elevation about as high
above the sea as the average height of
tie A~llcghanicS. 1t was behind it
great bare. rugged mountains, which
are capped with huge rocks, making
them look like Notifications thrown up
ny Nlt gus, diu ~ ms L GO
tiications was probably one OF the rea-
SONS for the site of these ancient cities.
Another reason was the valley and
plains lying below. They are among
the richest in Algeria. Standing upon
the walls here. as far as the eye can
reach there is nothing but vineyards
and orchards and rich fields of gram.
There are hundreds of thousands of
olive trees loadcd with fruit. There
rich gardens and fields of potatoes
making Il patchwork of green of diff
feTent shades which extends out or all
sides below the city until it meets the
hills on the horizon. White roads cut
here and there through this eXpanse of
green all lead up to the walls of ITEM
cen.
\ Fortified City.
The city is entered by gates. 1t was
q fortified town in the past and the
French have fortified it today. The
high walls have port holes at every
few feet. through which rifles and
other gun can be thrust. companies of
soldiers are always moving to and fro
through the streets. and the citadel,
where the sultans of the past had their
gorgeous residences many centuries
ago. is now a barracks, prison and hos
Hital for the Algerian troops. It's old
walls ana GatcWays still stand. and the
ninarrt of its mosque. ninety feet
nigh. oNeriookS the rest Of the city.
Nf'ffA 'NV N13lS dSO NAIS CIldttl toI1-
aIn"d some of the wonders of the
World. 1t had q clock which was ceIe-
GRATED two centuries before that on the
Ntfashurg Cathedral was made. and in
>he Of the galleries. which was paved
with marble and onyx. stood a solid
silver tree upon which were MANY
species of singing birds made of gold
and silver.
The Grand Mosque.
Within Il stones throw of the cita-
del. surrounded by buildings which
would not look out of place in any
country town in France, rises the
mighty mosque DIANA el Kebir. 1t
was built in A.. d. 1886, but it is in as
good condition today as when the
MoOrs first Worshipped in it $40 years
ago. The buildings Of this mosque
cover about an acre II the ROOF is
supported by a vast number of col
ufnnS which end in great arches hung
with many chandeliers. The BUILDINGS
run around he court. in the center of
which Is a fountain of onyx about
winch. as | passed through. the Mo-
hammedans were sitting and washing
themselves before going in to pray.
We were allowed to enter the mosque.
but had first to put on slippers. and
he walked about through the worship
pers, who We're kneeling on their pray
er rugs and bowling again ana again
as they looked toward Mecca.
Built to the Ghost OF Il Candy Man.
When Tlemcen was in the height of
lis glory it had seventy mosques. one
of the most famous was built in honor
Of 4 confectionef saint who preached
10 the children as they gathered
1rouad his candy stall and whom, ]
I"1bt not, he attracted by giving them
-Neots. He became so popular that
.he sultan made him a tutor to his
'ur"" sons. This angercd the grand
'"f, and he had the candy saint con
''''Hlitd rs Il Sorcerer and beheaded
'.''0la" the gates. Shortly after this
.''' -h"st Of he candy saint appeared
n,t"t' the sultan. and made u COM
j"'lul. the sultan tied NJ, the
"i3t"t NEsicr hand and foot ana thrcw
".h' INTO = vat of cement. As the CO.
.l'Nl hardened the grand visicr har-
''f"ft With it. an,i lac WIS Thus buried
'.t" in - solid block oG stone. After
ihl- tho sultan built Tire mosque. which
ia.slus - This DAY This ]happpncd
Ju-' $50 odd years before Columbus
..~tt E"fci America. have nn doubt
'l true, for I saw the mosque here
'H| nay own matter Of fact American
Mother mosque. built il 1928. was