Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-12-08

proper inquiries from enterprisins
nationals who would extend the coun-
try's trade into remote parts. AS the
ultima thule of civilization, Bagdad
is chosen by many of these inquirers.
whose knowledge is not always equal
to their spirit of enterprise. One
American manufacturer wanted to in
troduce the garter business into Bag
dad; but the people do not use hose.
Another was keen on making mar
ket for American bathroom fixtures;
but there are probably not a dozen
modern bathrooms in all the Turkish
| empire, outside of Constantinople,
with its few modern hotels. Still an
other wanted to sell sanitary appli-
ances, which, 1t must be admitted. are
sorely needed, but not wanted at all.
| Another wished to be in early on the
| toothpick market; but the natives
have natural toothpick, thorn,
| which they might profitably export
| Others wish to sell electrical appli-
ances, when Bagdad is rejoicing over
the introduction of oil lamps. In a
word, the backwardness and barren
ness of life in this part of the world
| is beyond the imagination of the west
| erner Nor do they reckon the worth
| of the consuls time. On man wrote
from America for postage stamps and
| n list of the edible fish In the Tigris
river. Mr.. Levack courteously sent
him a few stamps-and then got an
| angry reply for not sending that list
| of fish!
l III fpr. n
strong, simple oil-engine pump, to take
the place of the Anticipated water
lifts. for irrigation purposes; for a
windmill that will work and stand
rough usage; for tools and simple
articles of household convenience,
| America may find a market here. in
exchange for the oriental rugs, hides.
wool and dates which Bagdad ships to
America in large quantities.
Successive American consuls have
resigned this post because unable to
live on the salary, which is less than
a fifth of what the British resident
gets. The post is hard one from the
climatic standpoint. In summer the
people live underground In ''serdabs."
which are nothing less than furnished
cellars, where the punkah flaps to agi-
| tate the oppressive heat. The German
invasion has made the little company
oil less than half a hundred Britons
work hard for their not very princely
livelihoods, so that there is compare
| lively little diversion to this exile.
One of the interesting places in
Bagdad is the antiquated Jewish syna-
gogue, which is SO old that the rabbits
do not know its age. 1t looks it. And
1t is not a magnificent ruin, but a
squalid, dirty old place, Uttered with
torn mating and rugs, with a more
respectable court adjoining in which
some of the rabbis live. The meanest
of synagogues in America is finer
than this. And 1t is probably des-
| tined to be succeeded by a better, for
the chief rabbi told me with pride of
the success of the young Jews who
| have gone to America, and of the In
| creased prosperity that is coming to
| the Bagdad Jews. He says that he
| does not believe in colonization of
| the Jews in Palestine or Mesopota-
mia; let them go to America or Great
Britain, the real promised land. lie
| also told me that two thousand OF the
young men of his community are
learning to speak English, for that is
to be the language of their new life.
None the less. the Jews in France
have helped to build two large schools
for the boys and girls of their faith in
this city, and the school buildings are
the finest in Bagdad.
The Jews in Bagdad have been
very poor, and a people suffering
affection. They have been in igno-
rance, in consequence. and even the
rabbits are not very learned. 1 had
| a conference with several as to the
identity of the Jews up and down
Mesopotamia, who must number sew
eral thousand, if not millions. There
are from sixty to a hundred thousand
in Bagdad alone. The old men agreed
that all the twelve tribes, from both
the early captivities OF the children OF
| Israel, have remained to this day in
these regions where they were once
taken captive. There are also great
numbers across the border in Persia.
Thus the mystery of the lost ten
| tribes" ceases to be mystery: the
Jews are still here, and now sharing
in the new awakening of this oldest
| corner of the world.