News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1911-05-03


der, For five hundred years this coast
was infested by pirates, who with fleet
of three thousand sail boats, terrorized
all Europe, demanding tribute, seizng
ships and selling captives into slavery or
holding them for eXorbitant ransoms
Cervantes was confined, a prisoner, in
Alglers fve and one-half years, but was
finally ransomed. AS this was before he
wrote Don QuiXote, it is surprising that
he could have produced book in so hu.
morous vein.
History tells us that 100000 Christ
ians were sold under the hammer, many
ofroyal blood. They were compelled to
toll in chains under the sting of the lash
and burning sun, building the ancient
walled city, the greater part of which is
still extant. Several attempts were made
by the different powers to put an end to
human traffic, One notable and seeming.
ly impossible failure OF Chas. Y OF Spain
in 1901, who, with the sanction of the
Pope, set sail with $50 sloops and 2,40O
men, made successful landing, cut of
the water supply and encamped above
the city, prepared to make an attack the
following morning. During the night,
however, fearful storm wrecked $50 OF
his ships, and the Arabs, not waiting for
his advance, literally cut his army to
pieces and he beat a hasty retreat to his
ships.
After this the Algerians were more in
solent than ever, and it was not until
1916 that the English under Lord Ex-
mouth, bombarded the city, destroyed
it's Notifications and forced the Dey to
sue for mercy, thus putting an end to
Christian slavery forever.
To-day the sun shines softly on the old
slave market-now a public square-and
the llght.hearted theatre-goer strolls
thoughtlessly across the blood soaked
soil where hundreds were executed, and
their heads used to decorate the pickets
of the city gates.
One slave, Neapolitan architect or.
dered to erect mosque, built it i'll the
form OF cross and paid for his little joke
by being impaled.
Over in the French cathedral is a mar
BILE tomb which contains the bones OF an
Arab canonized as saint. When small
child this Arab was taken captive by the
Spanish, sold as a slave, baptized as a
Christian and treated kindly. When eight
years OF age he was returned to his peo-
pie, living among them as a Mohammedan
until twenty-five years of age, when he,
OF his own accord, went to live among
the Spanish the life of Christian. After
wards he was captured and brought to
Algiers. Every effort was made to com
pei him to return to the faith of his faith
crs, but to no purpose. His obstinacy so
enraged the Pacha that he ordered him
entombed alive in block of cement and
built into a fort then in the process of
construction. This order was carried out
and three hundred years atterward when
the fort was demolished, his bones were
removed and plaster cast made OF his
body. This cast shows plainly the ropes
which bound him, every feature of his
fearless face and the texture of his cloth
ing. Many visitor to the Museum
stands silently before that speaking, up
turned face, feeling somehow, that the
ever elusive spirit of man has here Great
ed spiritual body, body that is never
i'll, never weary and all enduring.
There are several ancient mosques in
the city. One built in 1O1Sis still we'll pre-
served. Always there are kneeling fig
ures upon its carpeted floor, their faces
turned toward Mecca for an Arab is
supposed 10 pray five times a day after
having previously bathed hands and feet
at the fountain. Those who have made
a pilgrimage to Mecca wear a green tur-
ban. Every Friday, which is their Sab
bath, the women take their lunch to the
cemetery and spend the day with their
dead. Water and food are placed on the
graves tor they believe that on this day
the spirits oitheir friends in the form of
birds return to eat with them.
TO an American, the cemeteries of the
French present an almost ludicrous APP
pearance. In place of natural flowers,
the friends of the deceased purchase i'm
mense bead wreaths from two to five feet
in diameter, and these are hung in profu-
sion upon the iron monstrocity, very like
a crib, that encloses the grave, and when
the sun shines on the glittering mass the
effect is startling.
Over on the bluff stands the Notre Dame
d'Atrlque, noted as being one of three
cathedrals in the world in which a black
virgin is worshipped. Inside are numer
Gus crutches as testimonials of the cures
performed by her. Every Sunday after
noon priests and congregation repair to
the edge of the bluff and mass is said for
the souls OF the sailors. 1t is an impress
sive ceremony.
Side by side live the ancient and the
modern, the receptive and the non-recep-
tive. But 4" the old order changeth, Civ
ing place to new" and slowly but surely
the active mind of the Frenchman is
the sluggish and Indifferent
of the Arab and the new genera
ton is being educated to do its share of
the worlds work.
While foreign life in all its phases must
always hold for an American the great.
est interest, what must be the feelings of
one, like the unfortunate Queen ofMada-
5ascar, who knows that SO long as she
ives she may never return to her native
and
Life for season in a foreign land is de-
ightful, because the sojourner knows that
n few months he will again hear the
music of his own tongue, thoroughly en-.
oy his daily paper and revel in the lux
lry of real bath. thankful IN his heart
Of hearts OF being just PLAIN American
,itizen. c. B. SL,AYToN.
Restraint.
$50 you think woman has a sense
Of humor?"
Yes" replied Miss Cayenne But