Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-14

Samaria and Bethlehem and other
places in the Holy Land. The rich
Jews are generous. however. Ihey
medical relief for the needy members
of their race, as they do everywhere
But this striking contrast seems TO
me to have only one advantage, ana
that is to prove that all the children
Of Israel are not successful in bust
ness affairs. and 1T takes as much aoil-
ity, industry and intelligence for d
Jew to succeed as Christian.
Life and Property Unsafe.
Under a liberal, just and enterprisng
government Salonki would become a
city of great Importance, and Macedonia
would be one of the most prosperous
spots on earth, but there is no protection
for life or property: whoever invests his
capital or applies his energies here does
so at great risk. Indeed, until recently.
it has been unsafe for citizen to go
out of sight of the town In any dlrec-
ton, either night or day, for the suburbs
of Saloniki have been infested with des-
peradoes and either professional or in
cidental highwaymen. so that everybody
who cares for his life or his possessions
remains inside the town.
Conditions have improved since the
overthrow of Abdul Hamid, and a friend
of mine who lives a mile or two outside
the city on one of the main thorough
fares to the country tells me that no rob-
berry has taken place in his vicinity
during the past spring.
Saloniki narrowly escaped furnishing
an illustration of the old proverb that
wherever the hoof of a Turkish horse
has trod the soil, nothing will grow for
ever
From the time of st. Paufs visit to
Saloniki he has been identified with the
history Of the city. and all writer's, re-
CARELESS of their religion, seem to con-
slider this a matter of great importance.
Association With Great Names.
with it's past. Cicero spent several years
here while he was in exile, and Aris-
totle was born nearby. In the walls
of what is now the Mosque Of st. George
Originally a temple, and believed to
have been built by the Roman Emperor
Yrajan, in imitation of the Pantheon at
Rome, the Emperor Theodosius was bap-
tized, and St. Paul Is believed to have
preached from a marble pulpit when
was removed to the museum at Constan-
tinople a few years ago. Saloniki was
the terminus of the famous Roman road
which ran across the Balkan peninsula
from the Adriatic to the Aegean sea,
and was called the Via Egnatia. A fine
old arch of triumph, erected by the EN-
the effect is spoiled by the wretched
booths which have grown up around 1t.
and in one place a vandal has driven
two wooden poles into an exquisite mar
BILE bas-relief to support canvas awning
to shelter his fruit from the sun.
Saloniki has been a foot ball of ma
tons and races. 1t has been under the
sovereignty of Greeks. Persians, Mace
domains, Romans. Saracens and Venetians
in turn, until it fell under the dominion
of the Turks in 1870. and they nave held
it until now, although the people OF
Macedonia for 500 years have been tight
ing for freedom.
The city occupies a slope rising gradu-
ally from the seashore to the foot hills
of the mountains that incose it. and
from the deck of a vessel in the harbor
it presents a most attractive appearance.
1t was once surrounded by massive walls,
five miles in circumference. built by the
Turks as protection against the We
netians. and they are almost entirely
preserved. From the harbor they look
like the frame of a picture. The effect
is enhanced by an enormous White tower,
surrounded by hastions where the wall
upon the acropols back of the town.
which is crowned with seven formidable
towers.
The Bastile of Macedonia.
The White Tower, as it is called, on
the edge OF the water was built by the
famous Sultan Suleiman about the middle
of the sixteenth century, and l do not
know of a more imposing structure Of
the kind. It gets its name from the
whitewash with which the exterior is
covered, and up until the recent revolu-
ton it was used as prison for those
whose loyalty to the late sultan was
open to doubt. But when Abdul Hamlo
was showed off the throne OF Turkey, the
gates were opened and the dungeons were
emptied From out of them came men
who had not seen the light Of day for
score Of years; men who never knew why
they were imprisoned, for the officials
who arrested them, or those who ordered
their arrest, would not take even the
trouble to tell them how they had Of
Tended.
But today tho old white structure Is
devoted to a more useful purpose. When
we passed it this afternoon a gang or
soldiers were unloading a string OF
wagons which had brought bags OF flour
from a steamer in the harbor, ana the
air was full Of white dust.
The ancient Roman arch has been at
tributed to Alexander the Great as well
as Gallarius. and whoever built II sue
ceeded in securing an architectural trl-
umph as well as a proper commemoratien
of the sieges. battles and victories OF
some Roman emperor. The base on both
sides remains almost untouched. and is
covered with sculpture representing the
of troops and other scenes Of
military activity