The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1909-05-06
GETS A GLIMPSE
OF THE DARK AGES
Tangier, in North Africa, the
Wheelless City, a Place
IS Bereft Of Ambition.
The Marshalls Leave Spain and
~
:. Make for Italy on the
"Jackrabbit" Barbarossa.

iterranean Sea, April 10, 1909.
Across the straits twenty miles away
from Gibraltar, is Tangier. We went
there in small boat and over water
rough enough to give three-fourths of
our passengers two very uncomfortable
hours. Landed at Tangier we found a
city without vehicles of any kind-and
very few horses. There you either ride
a burro or walk. Tangier and the sur
rounding country is under the domina-
tion of France, but the people are
mostly Moors and Turks. There is little
of interest to see there aside from the
people.
The streets are very narrow and
crooked and filthy beyond anything we
have seen. The mystery is why the
people do not all die of pestilence and
fever. We viewed the city from the
backs of burros, and we seemed to be
greatly admired by few and source
of much amusement to many. 1t was
as good as a circus. Our saddles were
built up of something like old blankets
and covered with burlap, were per-
fectly fiat on top, and about three feet
square, better adapted to stand up on
than to sit down on, and none of us
could do either with grace or comfort.
Vegetation is luxuriant and the country
naturally rich. 1t only needs the magic
wand of modern civilization to make it
a land of milk and honey, but with little
or no government and the spirit of the
dark ages dominant, poverty, destitu-
tion, degradation and filth hold full
sway.
Returning to Gibraltar, we missed
Ex-President Roosevelt by an hour or
two, he having come and gone, while
we were away. I was greatly disap-
pointed, as I.wanted to shake his hand
once more and wish him well. In our
travels it is plain the worl comedies
him to be the greatest living American.
He well deserves it, and when he comes
back he will receive such a welcome
home as no man has ever had. In the
meantime we all look forward with
hope to the time when he will return
to public life. -sa9. re,~~
For three days after we turned
around Gibraltar we faced strong
hard wind, bad weather and very
rough sea, which put many of our pas
sengers in their hunks and made US lose
nearly two days. This added to two
days we lost waiting for this boat at
Gibraltar, sets US away back in our
journey. Sometimes we hear steam
boats compared to greyhounds, but the
Barbarossa has the gait of a jackrabbit.
For three days she took short jumps
and long jumps. Stood first on one end
then on the other. She may have done
it gracefully but you cannot prove it by
me. But when it comes to speed the
jackrabbit comparison ends and the
snail comes on the scene. Nevertheless
we hope to reach Naples this evening
and begin our travels in earnest.
Columbus, a Spaniard, discovered
America, but am something of dis
coverer myself. I discovered town in
Spain where there are no carte-postales
(postal cards) for sale. l refuse to
give the name.
You can get your wits sharpened up
in Spain. The different kinds of money
there will do the business for you.
When you come to do business in
sontimes, centicini, pesetas. pounds,
shillings, pence, to say nothing of dol
lars and cents and change one to the
other and back again, you need all the
mental arithmetic you ever knew.
Speaking of money I find that making
counterfeit money is fourishing in
dustry in Spain and many seem to be
glad to get it and pass it along. 1t is
about as good as the real thing. The
mixed money of the country, however,
was nothing of handicap to our ladies
in shopping. I did not discover that they
got hold Of any money good or bad that
they could not get rid of in exchange.
Second hand embroidered petticoats
supposed to have been discarded by
Indian princesses and trimmings from
other wornout garments, over which
they went into ecstasies and freely
gave upall their money United States,
Spanish and English.
We were greatly disappointed that
our ship did not give us time to 60
off board for few hours at Algiers,
Africa. We dropped anchor near the
dock, but for too short time. The