The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-11-24
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

.oaners running over the ruins of
Nlneyeh--that Is the striking symp-
Iom which / have to report from this
nv itself ancient, across the river
trorn the capital Of world dominion
during the height Of Assyria's power.
these paradoxes of progress may be
,oupd all along the Tigris river, as
nyonhecy Of the not distant day when
M now somnolent region, once the
center of the world, will have been
,vakened to the modern civilization
vhich is the most powerful of all the
eououerors that have swept over the
earth.
The very day I arrived here rs Chi
cago reapers came also, to augment
tbe pioneer six already here. The
cIty seems quite aroused over agri-
cultural machinery and / was en-
treated to urge American manufac-
turers to send catalogues, If not
statesmen, as well as goodly supply
81 duplicate parts; for your oriental
Is rather hard on machinery, and he
has no faculty" In improvising
makeshifts or repairs after an acct
dent. And he is a long way from
base. These Chicago reapers came
from New York to Liverpool, trans
shipped to 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 "AIIah."
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,
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 I'M
touched section of the Orient.
The most marvellous, in the eyes Of
the natives, is an ice-making machine,
which is surely needed, since a sum-
ner temperature Of ITO 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 1t to be cool he would
have made it sc. "In'sh Allah"-It
Gods willis the phrase that
paralyzes progress and destroys an
Americans temper, as the natives thus
lay all their laziness, lying and general
eussedness on the Lord.
"ln'sh Allah" stood seriously in the
way Of this ice machine, but even it
had TO stand aside when an American
saw clear profits of $40 ton in plain
Sgnt. Next an American soda water
fountain will follow the ice machine,
iOr ottomans are very fond of drinks,
ana the Prophet forbids alcohol-al-
nougn the use of intoxicants is on the
increase among Moslems. In summer
ne Weather classes in Mosul pay
afee cents a pound for snow, brought
nun the mountains, packed in straw.
Where muslin" Gets Its Name.
Aside from being generally consid-
srea the most inaccessible of all the
ules In the Turkish empire, and
apart from its long and romantic his
Nf! Mosuls chief link with popular
l'efest is the fact that from its name
derived the word muslin. that ar
ueie having originated here. Like
Iost Turkish cities, its glory lies
.Ieny IN the past. 1t has no manu-
hctures at present, although it ex-
Wi's largely of wool, hides and gall
auS, Tor tanning. 1t was interesting
earn that much of the wool of the
.as'aiied sheep which l have been
sstching day after day along the river
consigned to a Philadelphia firm.
.ue hides, also, find their way in large
Quantities to America.
me fanaticism of the city is IA
auus' although it was a pleasant sur
n,se to find natives speaking CRATE
wy OF the memory of DR.. Williams,
Ief OF DR.. Talcott Williams of Phil
elpnla, who lived here many years
~ before this mission station of
= american board was abandoned.
: = rule, Moslems hereabouts have
.. at courtesy for Christians. They
IN Allah made both heaven and
u 50 both must be filed; and that
Al reason for Christians" An
s,usf local proverb has it, Fire must
~ sucks, and hell must have Chris
N espite this prevailing sentiment,
n, more intelligent citizens confess
~ regardless of the theological prob
~ " which the admission involves,
,snrlstian nations have been great
MESSED by Allah, and 1t behooves
a. y to learn modern ways from
a0,. There are only from six to a
NJ. = europeans or Americans pass
~, way In a whole year, so it seems
min ee TO find such general awak-
nn,s among public men to the ad-