Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-07-10
iR. WELL IN SMYRNA
Visits St Pelycarp's Tomb
He WHO Was a Disciple
of St. John
An Interesting and Instructive Review
of This Ancient City, Its Antiq-
uities and Its Modern
Present Conditions.
Present Conditions.

Dear Joe Argus: Our trip from
Constantinople to Smyrna was an un-
eventful one of about twelve hours
duration. We landed after breakfast,
which we had on board our steamer.
The carriages were in waiting to take
our company around the city and up
Mount Pagus From the top of this
mountain we have an excellent view
of the city and gulf of Smyrna, which
latter extends some thirty-five miles
in a Semi-circle. 1t is one of the
shows complete map of Smyrna and
its environs.
On our way up Mount Pagus,
which, by the way, is an excellent and
Of comparatively easy grade, we pass
some of the most interesting places of
the city-the old palace, now used as
a municipal building; the city prison,
an ancient theatre, supposed to have
had a seating capacity of 20,000 yet
much of this structure or ruin is left
to our imagination. We also pass the
strictly Turkish quarter, and have a
mode of 1iving-we do not have a
feeling of jealousy, neither are we
anxious to adopt their method for our
homes.
On top of the mountain we are
shown the tomb of St. Polycarp, a
wv iCI h. IL
of the Apostle John, and the second
bishop of Smyrna.
On our way around the city we pass
the remains of an old Roman aque-
duct, still in use, crossing a river.
This aqueduct is supposed to have
been built in the third century before
the Christian era. 1t is a splendid
example of engineering and shows
cOnclusively that the principles of
Ugh pressure were fully understood
at that time. The water is brought
some fifteen miles from the mountains
east of Smyrna by means of this aque-
duct We also pass the Caravan
bridge, over which the caravans from
Instant countries have to pass to come
nto the city. 1t seems the trade with
the interior is still carried on in the
same manner as thousand years ago.
We met several caravans of camels
aden with merchandise coming from
he deserts.
A large trade in Eastern rugs is
still done here notwithstanding that
over 5000 people in Smyrna are en-
gagged in the manufacture of rugs.
The bazaars here are also quite inter-
esting and are pretty much on the
style of those in Constantinople, but
owing to the short time we had at our
disposal, we could not do them JUS
ice; intact, saw but little of them.
We pass the Armenian quarters,
which are somewhat better built and
he habitations are more comfortable
than those of the Turks and Arabs.
The chief products sold in Smyrna
and largely exported besides rugs are
1ates, raisins, figs. Talking of figs
reminds me of the excellence of that
eruit to be had here, judging of its
'eputation abroad; our experience
liffers materially, from what We saw
# them and the manner in which they
ire handled by the natives, it is suffi-
cient to preclude their use as a food.
much less as a luxury. Many other
things, for which certain places have
acquired great fame do not always
make good. This the case with Turk
sh coffee. In all the places visited
Turkish territory I find the coffee
Unfit to drink-full of coffee seeds and
If rather bad flavor. The Egyptian
cigarette, world famed, is myth. The
tobacco grown in Egypt is inferior
and so bad that none but the natives
smoke it. What cigarettes are manu-
featured there I am reliably Informed
| than Egypt. This is the case wit
CASTLE soap, which has such world
wide reputation. This soap is not
manufactured in CASTLE nor in Spain
and very little, if any, I am informed
is used there; but it is made in Mar
seilles from olive oil imported from
Italy and other countries.
From a historic point, Smyrna is
quite interesting. It was the home
| of the rich Croesus, and the Smyrnites
| also claim it as the home of Homer
and the scene of his writings. Smyr-
ma was undoubtedly the scene of many
battles and much bloodshed. Alexan-
der conquered it, destroyed it and had
| it rebuilt. In the middle ages it was
the scene of conflict between the
Turks and Arabs on one side and the
Knights of Malta on the other.
The city has often been almost de
stroyed by earthquakes, in fact
very few years pass without some
seismic disturbances.
Our next stopping place is Beyreut
thence by rail to Baalbeck and Da-
mascus.
Yours very truly,
/ HENRY WE'LL.