The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-11-16
by WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

N1neveh-that IS the striking Symp-
tom which l have to report from this
city, itself ancient, across the river
from the capital Of world dominion
during the height of Assyria's power
These paradoxes Of progress may be
found all along the Tigris river, as
prophecy of the not distant day when
this now somnolent region, once the
center of the world, will have been
awakened to the modern civilization
which is the most powerful of all the
conquerors that have swept over the
earth.
The very day I arrived here 25 Chi
cago reapers came also, to augment
the pioneer six already here. The
city seems quite aroused over agri-
cultural machinery and I was en-
treated to urge American manufac-
turers to send catalogues, If not
statesmen, as well as a goodly supply
of duplicate parts; for your oriental
is rather hard on machinery, and he
has no faculty" in improvising
makeshifts or repairs after an acci-
dent. And he is long way from
base. These Chicago reapers came
from New York to Liverpool, trans
shipped 10 Port Said; thence up the
Persian gulf and the Tigris river to
Bagdad, and then on the backs of
camels for the twelve-day journey to
this place. Soon the hum of Ameri-
can machinery will be heard over
the palaces and temples and streets
of old Nineveh, which is now all farm
land. Even Jonah could not have
prophesied this.
An Ice Machine and "Allah."
The morning after my kelek, or
raft, tied up above the bridge of
boats which links Mosul with the ru-
ms of Nineveh and Nebi Yunis
prophet JONAH" the name Of tomb,
a mosque and village amid the ru-
ins) / was visited by an American
from Providence, r. l., who saw the
American flag flying above my tent
Since the new regime he has re-
turned to this, his old home, bringing
various improvements for this un-
touched section of the Orient.
The most marvellous, in the eyes of
the natives, is an icc-making machine,
which is surely needed, since a sum-
mer temperature of 10 degrees is
common in Mosul. The ignorant and
fanatical Moslems look askance at this
interference with the ways Of Allah.
According to their reasoning, If Allah
had wanted it to be cool he would
have made it so. "In'sh Allah"-"It
is Gods Willis the phrase that
paralyzes progress and destroys an
Americans temper, as the natives thus
lay all their laziness, lying and general
cussedness on the Lord.
''In'sh Allah" stood seriously in the
way OF this ice machine, but even 1t
had to stand aside when an American
saw clear profits of $40 a ton in plain
sight. Next an American soda water
fountain will follow the Ice machine,
for Ottomans are very fond of drinks,
and the Prophet forbids alcohol--al-
though the use of intoxicants Is on the
increase among Moslems. IN summer
the Weather classes in Mosul pay
three cents pound for snow, brought
from the mountains, packed in straw.
Where muslin" Gets Its Nanc.
Aside from being generally consid-
cred the most inaccessible OF all the
cities in the Turkish empire, and
apart. from its long and romantic his
tory, Mosurs chief link with popular
interest is the fact that from its name
Is derived the word muslin, that ar
ticle having originated here. Like
most Turkish cities, its glory lies
chiefly in the past. 1t has NJ manu-
features at present, although 1t ex-
ports largely OF wool, hides and gall
nuts, for tanning. 1t was interesting
TO learn that much Of the wool Of the
fat-tailed sheep which l have been
watching day after day along the river
is consigned to a Philadelphia firm.
The hides, also, find their way in large
quantities to America.
The fanaticism of the city Is ia
nous, although 1t was a pleasant sur
prise to find natives speaking crate
fully of the memory of DR.. Williams,
father of DR.. Talcott Williams of Phil
adelphia, who lived here many years
ago, before this mission station OF
the American board was abandoned.
AS a rule, Moslems hereabouts have
scant courtesy for Christians. They
say, Allah made both heaven and
hell, so both must be filled; and that
Is the reason for Christians" An
other local proverb has it. Fire must
have sticks, and hell must have Chris
| tians."
Despite this prevailing sentiment,
the more intelligent citizens confess
that regardless of the theological prob
lens which the admission involves,
the Christian nations have been great
ly blessed by Allah, and It behooves
Turkey to learn modern ways from
them. There are only from six to a
dozen Europeans or Americans pass
this way In whole year, 80 IL seems
strange to find such a general awak-
ening among public men to the ad-
yantages of twentieth century civiliza-
lion. There are no native-born Amer
leans here, and only the one returned
emigrant, whom have mentioned. But
there has been an Inevitable reflex
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