The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-07-20
AT FOOT OF ARAFAT.
Erivan, Capital OF Russian Armenia
Is Quaint Town.
CIV. E. Curtiss, Cor. Chicago eRcord
Herald.)

Herald.)
Erivan, the capital of Russian Ar
menia, Is thoroughly Russian in
spots, but the greater part if il is
thoroughly Oriental, and the bazars,
where most Of the trade is conduct
ed, are as interesting as any in the
East. The name of the town is pro-
nounced "Yer-ri-van," with the ac-
cent on the last syllable, and the
word means "At the foot" referring,
Of course. to Mount Ararat, the most
famous of al mountains, perhaps, as
well as one sf the most interesting.
The two peaks that compose the
mountain, the greater 1890 and the
lesser $4,000 feet high, are always
within view, barring the weather,
and there is a decided difference of
opinion as to the number of clear
days in this climate. People who
want to knock the town" insist that
the peak of Great Ararat cannot be
seen more than once a week, but the
more loyal inhabitants will assure
you that it is in plain sight every
hour, morning noon and night, and
every day in the year.
AS Ararat is the principal attrac-
ton that brings strangers here, and
as strangers spend money, it is nat
ural that the reapers of the harvest
should take a sanguine view of the
situation, but while visitors are wait
ing for the clouds to roll by they can
see several interesting monasteries in
the vicinity.
The streets of Erivan are wide, the
houses are of one story, built very
much after the Spanish or Moorish
plan, around a patio, and without
windows on the street. There are a
few good shops filled with modern
merchandise in the Russian quarter
with restaurants, cafes and other
modern improvements. There are
two hotels which are simply tolerable
and no more-the kind that you
would not 'patronize unless you had
to. The bazars. however, are very
pusy, because large population
come here for trade, and Erivan is
practically the terminus of the rail-
way, which brings vast quantities Of
freight that must be carried farther
on by camel caravans. These cara
vans meet and receive and discharge
their cargoes at a large open suare,
surrounded by kahns. the Oriental
substitute for hotels, and Such places
are always fascinating to people from
other parts o fthe world.
Most Of the goods that are carried
into the interior come from Moscow.
for the Russian government does pro-
tect it's manufacturers and promotes
their trade where it can be done
without interfering with military af-
fairs. Most of the goods that are
brought in are rugs. wool, hides and
skins from various parts of Persia
and Turkish Armenia, which are
shipped in bulk by rail and boat and
steiner to Constantinople and there
disturbed
There Is nothing to buy here;
nothing that any American would
want. Although the bazars contain
complex assortment of merchan-
disc of sufficient variety to suit Orien-
tai corners. they are not our kind Of
goods. Here as elsewhere the bazars
are made up of little boxes, not more
than six or eight feet -uare, lined
with shelves. filled with goods, and
the proprietor sits in the midst of
them, "squatting like a Turk" or
stretched out comfortably upon a rug
smoking cigarettes. You seldom see
the narghile, or Turkish water pipe,
with a long tube. The bazars, cover
many acres. which are cut up into
narrow, winding streets sheltered
from the sun by roofs of masonry or
awnings Of mating, and, as usual
the trade is classified for the conVen-
fence of the public. The vegetable
dealers, the butchers, the candIestick
makers, the hardware and iron mon
%ers, the leather mOngers and print
dealers all have their own streets,
and the shops are so close together