The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-05-26
QUAINT FACTS
ABOUT TANG|ER
AND MOROCCO
Vehicles Are Not Used Because
Most of the Streets Are Too
Narrow for Them.

The possible lines of American trade
with Morocco are indicated by the fol
lowing review of conditions in that
empire by Special Agent Julien L.
Brode, who writes from Tangier:
Economically considered, Morocco has
a fine future and is capable of much
development. The methods of trans
portation, agriculture and manufacture
are still primitive. The only mode OF
travel and communication between the
inland towns and those of the coast is
by donkey. mule, horse or camel.
Nehicles are not used. Many of the
streets of Tangier are too narrow to al
low massage Tor a wagon or carriage.
Most of the freight is transported by
donkeys. Farming is done in a very
simple manner. The pillow largely in
use is merely a forked stick. Modern
methods of agriculture, with their many
labor-saving machines, are not en-
ployed here. The ground is merely
scratched and the seed sown broadcast.
After planting there is little cultivation.
The land as a rule is fertile n capable
OF raising two or three crops a year.
Wheat. barley. orarges lemons, dates,
figs. and almost all vegetables, are
easily grown. Manufacturing is most
ly by hand, with the aid of a few
crude mechanical devices. The ar
tlsans. however, are skilful, and, con-
sidering the simple tools at their dis
posal, turn out very good work.
Morocco is inhabited almost entirely
by Moors. No census has been taken
of Tangier, but from an average of the
estimates furnished by old European
residents there are approximately Co.
900 people here. The Moors, consider
ing the climate. wear an unusually
large amount of clothing. The fez,
almost universally worn as a covering
for the head, is made of a heavy wooden
cloth. The natives may, if they wish
adopt the European form of dress, but
are required to retain the fez. There
are no correct figures obtainable on
the quantity of these hats imported,
but they are supplied almost entirely
by Austria-Hungary. The merchants
buy them at about SO per dozen and
retail them at about 40 cents each. The
married Moors wear a white cotton
cloth around the fez, which is about
Ave yards long. Those Moers who have
been to Mecca can wear a red cloth in
stead of white. The outer garment is
a loose-htting robe, coming down just
below the knees. 1t has a hood and
baggy sleeves and In appearance is not
unlike a bath-robe. This garment is
usually made of wool, although many
of the poorer people and the women
and children wear robes made of cot
49, M---l- TT1I-- Ala Lo@a% sr a I
elose-1tting Jacket made of wool. and
loose, baggy trousers, made of cotton
goods. Under the jacket is worn a
wooden shirt, and under this a cotton
shirt, both long. In summer the
wooden shirt is discarded. Some of the
Moors wear wooden stockings. others
wear socks, and a few wear European
shoes. The vast majority go bare
legged and wear leathern slippers. which
look very much like bath slippers, no
heel guards being used. The slippers
are made in Morocco and are sold very
reasonably, 70 cents to s1.25 a pair.
Germany. Austria-H Hungary and Eng
land supply the bulk of the wooden
goods and England nearly all of the
cotton goods.
The people eat no hog fat, and In
cooking make liberal use of vegetable
oils The most popular of these as
olive oil, the best grade of which COM
mands a high price. The lower grades I
are selling at higher prices than are
obtained for ~cottonseed oil. They have
a strong flavor, to remove which, when
cooking with them, the Moors use some
article such as a piece of a potato.
The samples of cotton-seed oil shown
the writer were off summer yellow,
fully ] per cent. off prime, but looked
fine in comparison with the lower
grades of olive oil. The dealers heat
the co~tton-seed oil to clear and make
It more liquid. The large dealers say
that some of the Moorish shopkeepers
are familiar with cotton-seed oil, but
most of 1t goes to the consumers under
some other name. or is mixed with
olive oil. They further say that the
Moor is so conservative it is difficult
to get him to buy anything new and
to get him to use cotton-seed oil,
as such. he must be gradually educated
to 1t.
There is considerable sugar sold in
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