The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-12
oUn CONSUL AND MS 1SAvAssEs.

! OUR CONSUL AND HIS ISAvAsSEs.
the front OF the temple.
Among the ruins are the remains of
| stores. houses and markets. / climbed
over marble blocks along the street
| which led to the ship canal and stood
among shattered columns in what was
once the stock exchange and wool mar
| kct. In one place is an artificial ter
l race. on which stood the great gymnn-
STUN. and in another a market place
200 feet long, surrounded by a portico,
J back Of which were halls. in which the
| marketmcn stood. In the mosaic floors
| OF these halls thirteen different kinds
of marbles were used, and marbles of
various colors were employed in the
| structure
Farming the Ruins.
To-day the peasants are working all
over these ruins. Here they are plant
ing grain and there cleaning the fields.
| a gang OF a dozen girls working under
II turbaped man, In full, baggy trous-
ers. Here women are digging, and far
Their on a man drives "A camel hurnessed
to one handled plow.
The only town near Ephesus is Aya-
saIouk, which has few hundred in
habitants It has, perhaps, a dozen
small stores, g railroad station and a
hotel. While at the station I saw a
white, fat-tailed lamb awaiting ship
ment Il was tied TO the platform. and
a card fastened TO one horn bore the
name of the commission merchant in
Smyrna to whom 1t was consigned.
! Running past the hotel are seven high
columns, which once supported the
! aqueduct which supplied Ephesus with
water. Each OF these has now u storlS's
nest on its top, and the great birds may
"a ach
! stor!s supports itself OH one leg. l am
told that they como here only for the
E.winter, and that they leuve every spring
for Holland, or, perhaps, for some other
far-away part of the world, each trans
porting Il baby.
In Smyrna.
] spent day III Smyrna before COM
ing to Ephesus. and L shall return
there to so on to Constantinople and
Greece. Smyrna is the largest city in
Asia Minor, and IL has about the same
position here now that Ephesus held.
IT Is the chief port OF this part of the
n Levant, and does big business in ship
ping wool. wine, grapes. olives and figs.
1t has Il foreign trade Of abou. S5oO00.-
900 a year. and steamers from all parts
| OF the Mediterranean come to it's docks.
The city lies at one end of the great
Gulf OF smyrna, which is thrty-four
miles long and surrounded by silver
gray mountains. some OF which are a
mile high It's harbor is excellent The
town begins on the shore, with the
slopes of Pagus in the rear. 1t is
largely composed OF modern buildings.
and among it's people there are more
Il Greeks than Turks. They are shrewd
traders. and just now are alive to the
possibilities of doing business under
tho new Turkish government, which
promises TO be far more liberal in mat
u tiers OF trade han that of he mast
Smyrna is much Interested in the
railroad projects for tho development
tn and the an, are aiss
concessions. The various roads plan
ned TO reach Persia will open un Asia
Minor. and there will be considerable
same conditions prevail In Syria: and
the United States should wake up to
great part OF Turkey is practically un-
deveiope'i. and If an honest govern
rnpt rule Of the past. the population
VIII rapidly increase In numbers and
we. tnro a i there VII be de:aand
american Opportunities In syria.
While travelling in syria saw many
centuries ago. and our p!ows. rea pcrs
and other agricultural machines might
be sold understand that The more
progressive Of the ma tive landlords are
ready TO buy. One man, who owns
more than thousand acres of rich
grain land on the high plateau between
The two ranges Of the Lebanon noun
tains. has offered to lease it to any
American company who Will cultivate
/ it FOR two or three years at 10 per cent.
Of the profits and Will bring in Amerj-
Il | can machinery for the purpose The
landlord also agrees TO pay for the
machinery at the regular price upon
the termination OF the contract
Some of the Syrian farmers are now
using American threshcrs and reapcrs.
| and some arc bringing in Anne ricui II
| plows. The first thresher imported was
upon tho advice Of g. Bic Ravndal,
Mr. Ravndal, is q Dakota man. who IN
derstanis the farming conditions in
tho Northwest; He tells mo that the
possibilities OF grain raising in this
part OF the world arc remarkable, and
that dry farming might be practiccd
in many localities which now go TO
! waste. lie thinks that old Mesopo-
tamia can besredcenad by irrigation.
and a new Egypt created thare. He
says the new governmental conditions
point to revolution along many lines
OF industry and commerce, and that
] American capital should take advan-
tage offtho SITUATION
Rnw SILK From Syria.
Syria and Asia Minor arc nov IA isinr
J = great deal OF silk, which Is sent la
France and shipped from there Ia the
United States The American residents