El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-04

~ AMASCUS, Jan 25.-Come with
me for q walk through the ba-
IL zaars Of this, the Oldest of all
the worlds cities. They are more orr
entail than those Of Tunts or Cairo and
more quaint than those Of Constantine
pie. Take the street called Straight,
up which St Paul came to meet Anani-
as II IS a. vauIted tunnel lighted only
by q roof which rises to height OF
about 100 feet. Suppose you could oov-
re lower Broadway at the top OF its
third story windows. and in place OF
the doors and windows Of plate glass
have the walls made up Of cave-hke
stores opening out on the roadway. Let
each store have q floor about as high
as a chair, and let It be filled with the
most gorgeous goods Of the orient. Let
each have its turbaned or fez-capped,
ion9-goWned merchant sitting on the
floor at the front, and workmen sim
flar1y dressed laborApg away in the
rear and you have some Of the out
lines Of the picture. The bazaars OF
Damascus are made up Of many such
vaulted streets so rooted that only q
dim light comes in through the little
windows high overhead The shops
are mere holes in the walls. but they
are packed full Of goods, and they are
making all sorts of wares. The walls
between the shops are little more than
partitions Of boards, and there is hard
ly business establishment which the
typical bull Of the china shop could
turn round IN without losing his hide.
The customers bargain standing out in
the roadway, or sitting on the floors
Of the stores and hanging their heels in
the street.
Among the saddIers and CObblers.
The business is thoroughly classified.
Each trade has its own section, and
you can walk blocks which are filled
with booths containing only one kind
OF goods Take the saddle bazaar. 1t
is 500 feet long, and the air is loaded
with the rich smell Of leather Harness
hangs from the walls, and inside are
saddles for camels, donkeys and horses.
There are say trappings for Arabian
steeds. and leather buckets in which
one can carry water with him over the
desert. There are also necklaces Of
blue beads to put on your horses TO
ward off the evil eye, and other
charms for the journey.
The harness shops are II feet deep.
each being a little factory where two
or three sadd1ers sew at the back. In
some places they are making harness
of wool and in others Of leather beau
TRULY DECORATED
A little further on is q bazaar max
ing panniers for camels and donkeys,
and not far away is a street where
they handle nothing but shoes The
cobblers are making footgear Of wood,
wool and leather They are cutting out
sandals somewhat like the rain shoes
OF Japan. The finer ones are for the
better class women. and they are beau
ttfully inlaid with mother-of- pearl
Such shoes are used at home, and when
-, IL kn%
They are worn without stockings, and
cost from 30 cents to So a pair. In
another place the merchants are selling
shoes Of red leather, such as are used
by the country people and the poorer
Damascans- They are Of goatskin,
comelskin or cowhide and are without
heels The leather is not very well
tanned, the shoes being kept on the
lasts until sold.
The average shoe shop is about Is
feet wide. 10 feet deep and IL feet in
height. The stock is hung to wooden
nails driven into the walls, both in
and outside the shop. The men Gus
toners stand IN the street, and try on
the wares without the assistance Of
the merchant The women examine
the shoe through the eye-slits Of their
wells, and guess at the sizes.
A very odd boot is that worn by the
Bedouins. 1t is Of goatskin, dyed yell
low or red, and It has heels Of camel
hide with an iron strip running round
them. It reaches half way to the knee.
Tt retails at about 50 q pair. None of
the shoes are made by machinery, and
most OF them are sewed rather than
pegged-
Hats BIOcked-0ne Cent.
How would you like to have your
-
cent? That is what you can do in Da-
mascus. The hat bazaar has scores Of
stores for the purpose. The most com
mon cap is the red fez, a round felt
bowl which fits tight around the head
without rim or brim- 1t is about five
inches high, and must be pressed eY-
cry few days to keep 1t IN shape. The
halter has a uncovered table in
which are several small holes filled
with fires Of burning charcoal He
has brass frames or blocks, over which
the caps viii just fit, and shells of met
al which may be clamped upon them
10 mold the caps into form. After
this the frame is LAID over one of the
fires and in a moment the heat gives
II the latest and most fashionable
shape.
Other bazaars are devoted to the sell
ing Of silks and others to the finest of
cloths. The richer Mohammedans have
their long robes made of the best pos
sible stuffs, and they delight in fine
garments. The women shop in these
bazaars. They go out so wrapped up
IN black sheets, tied in at the waist,
that they look like gigantic sausages
waddling along. They peep out through
their wells as they examine the goods
and VIII bargain an hour in buying a