The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-02-07

DID h&N, W.. >>'N
Market-Korans Not for Christians
The Great MOhammedan Stom-
ach. and How 1t Is led@Qu
Street Cries-The Wholesale Estab-
the Silver and Gold
Bazaar-What One Can Buy.
downright, 1910, by Frank CT. Car
penter.)
DAMASCUS.
Come with me for a walk through
the bazaars OF this, the oldest Of all
the worlds cities. They are more
oriental than those Of Tunis or
Cairo and more quaint than those
of Constantinople. Take the street
called Straight, up which ST. Paui
ZANE to meet Ananias. 1t is a vault
ted tunnel lighted only by a TOOL,
which. rises to a height of about Luz
feet. Suppose o could cover lo"el
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-like stores
opening out on the roadway. LEI
each store have a floor about as hlsn
as a chair. and let it be filled with
the most gorgeous goods o, ths
orient. Let each have It's turoaneu
or fez-capped, long-goWned merchant
sitting on the floor at the 'front.' win
similarly dressed lahorlns
away in the rear, and you have some
of the outlines Of the picture. Inc
bazaars Of Damascus are made up or
many such vauIted streets so rooted
that only a dim light comes in
through the little windows hfgh up
overhead. The shops are mere holes
in the walls, but they are packed full
of goods, and they are akin all
sorts Of wares. The walls between the
shops are little more than partitions
Of boards. and there is hardly a bust
ness establishment which the typical
bull OF the china hop could turn
around 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 Soldiers and Cobblers.
The business is thoroughly CLASH
fled. Each trade has it's own sec
ton, and you can walk blocks which
are filled with booths containing
only one kind Of goods. Take the
saddle bazaar. It is 500 feet long.
and the air is loaded with the rich
smell of Gather. Harness hangs
from the walls, and inside are saddles
for camels, donkeys n horses.
There are gay trappings for Arabian
steeds. and leather buckets in which
one can carry water with him owe
the desert. There are also necklaces
Of blue beads to put on our horses
to ward off the evil EYE, and other
charms for the journey.
The harness shops are twelve feet
deep, each being a little factory
where two or three saddlers sew at
the back. In some places they are
making harness Of wool, and in
others Of leather beautifully deco
rated.
A little further on is a 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 foot gear 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 beautifully inlaid with
mother-of-pearl. Such shoes are
used at home, and when madame
goes to the public bathhouse. They
are worn without stockings, and cost
from 40 cents to IS a pair. In an
other place the merchants are selling
shoes Of red leather, such as are
used by the country people and the
poorer Damascans. They are of goat
skin, camelskin or %cowhide, and are
without heels. The leather is not
very we'll tanned, the shoes being
kept on the lasts until sold.
IlS SLUG SlOp Is ABOUT fif-
teen feet wide, ten feet deep and
twelve feet in height. The stock is
hung to wooden nails driven into he
walls, both in and outside the shop
The men customers stan in he
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 bv
the Bedouins. 1t is of goatskin.
dyed yellow or red, and it has heels
of camelhide with an iron strip run
nins round them. It reaches half
way to the knee. It retails at about
81 a pair. None Of the shoes are
made by machinery. and most of
Shem are sewed rather than pegged.
Hats Blocked-One Cent
Hpw would you like to have vour
hat blocked. ironed and brushed for
a centG That is what you can do
in Damascus. The hat bazaar has
scores Of stores for the purpose. The
~oSt common can IS tba ro1