Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-17

all that remain to remind the Servians
that they were once under Turkish rule.
AS they wander round the old battlements,
which would not offer the slightest re-
sistence to an enemy now, the people re-
member with pride the names of their
two murdered heroes. Kara George and
Michael Obrenovitch-the latter having only
a year before his assassination succeeded
in banishing the Turkish troops from Bel
grade for the first time IN centuries and
terrifying the town with a Servian garri-
son.
An UnshOrp As~semblaRe.
Beside the ancient castle is a little park
where soldiers and civilians come evening
after evening with untiring energy to
watch the red gold sun set in a blaze of
glory behind the Hungarian plains. and
this sight, they tell you, makes up for all
that their capital lacks in interest and
! beauty. The men who saunter up and
d~own-from shop assistant to prosperous
merchant-all wear soft black felt boat
shaped hats and without exception have
a decidedly unkempt appearance, owing
to the fact that they wear their hair long
and so badly cut as to look IS IL they per-
formed the cutting operation themselves.
Nv NblitAl nllOSt ipphS are no DetteT
than the mems, appear to think it the
height of good taste to copy a friends hat.
furs, jacket or costume, for I frequently
saw several couples of them similarly at
tired. and as Vienna styles are Of course
firmly boycotted the women are obliged
to get their ideas elsewhere.
But the officers give an air Of smart
ness to the place, though probably they
too - -
would cut no better figure than their
civilian brothers, whose faces lack
strength of character and flrmness of
purpose and seldom display any extraor-
binary intelligence.
Gi0nts in COrsets.
These men, like the English guards.
are chosen for their size, and as you
watch them day after day in the hotel
cafes drinking and listening to the band
or sauntering up and down the main
street you realize what remarkably tall
fellows they are, for the Servian is not
a short race. In crimson brooches, pale
blue coat fitting tightly to the corseted
figure. which accentuates the breadth of
the well padded shoulders, with golden
epaulettos, riding boots and purple or blue
overcoat faced with scarlet. the Servian Of
ficer is an exceedingly ornamental person,
but he somehow conveys the impression
that his prowess is that of the tongue
rather than of the sword.
I In all my wanderings around the streets
! have not been beset by begsars. nor
had | ever seen a single beggar until
yesterday. But yesterday one forced him
self on my notice-and as far as l know
he may be the only one in the town.
He was an old, old man in a black
squash hat, evidently wearing the castoff
clothing OF a wealthy friend. and as l
watched him from the hotel WINDOW he
hoobled along feebly until he sank with an
effort into a sheltered corner just opposite
me. Here he seemed to collapse from
weakness, but presently he recovered suf-
ficiently to touch his hat respectfully to
passersby. -.
Poor Only GIVE Aims.
This is a busy corner, and men and
women Of all ranks pass continually. But
IL was not the rich who gave aims. These.
like the priests and Levites, passed him by
on the other side, 1t was always the pea
SAINTS or work people who gave the old fell
low a trffle in passing.
A couple of fat, lons haired. black
robed priests in purple velvet hats turned
the corner and came suddenly upon the
beggar. who touched his hat. One Of the
priests. swinging a silver headed cane
to and fro with negligent ease, paused.
then gazing into vacancy went on his way
uneoncernedly down the road with his
companion.
Immediately behind were two Albanian
peasants, woodeutters, in rough white