The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-09-01

| l|] S}{3S s
A Land OF Strange Contrasts - Tur-
key in Its State Of Transition
Western Styles Crowding Out Old
Customs, Creating lncongruities.
By WILLIAM T, ELLIS.

Constantinople.-S on the
top of one of the ruined towers OF
the Bosphorus. which Mohammed the
Conqueror, built in 1853, when he laid
siege to Constanti2ople, l studied the
strange city which lay extended be-
fore me as a magnificent panorama.
Viewed from a distance, CONSTANT
nOple is city Of wonderful contrasts.
it links the present with the past.
Before these stones were piled. form
ing by the walls of the castle the
name of the Prophet, this was the cap
ital of Christian empire, and it still
bears the name of the first Christian
Roman Emperor. Many traces Of it's
ancient splendor abide. The ByZan-
tine glories may still be seen in part
by the tourist, who will also find evil
dences of the Crusaders activities
here where the two continents i'm
pinge.
Up these blue waters have sailed
throughout the centuries all kinds of
craft. Now in sight of one are few
Turkish warships, small American
gun-boat, the darting caiques of the
turbaned bOatmen and freighters of
many nations. together with cumber-
some large native crafts with the
hinged masts. This gateway is so i'm
portant to the worlds peace that by
International agreement no warships
may pass through it. European poll
tics are more concerned with Turkish
affairs than with any other single
subject. So the marvellous rejuvena-
ton Of the Ottoman empire is of deep
interest to civilization.
Paradoxes OF Progress.
The present stage in Turkeys rapid
awaking is that Of contrast The
palaces along the Bosphorus, practical
ly all of them owned, until the Revo-
luton, by Abdul Hamid, are rather
taWdry creations at best, but they are
in contrast with the miserable novels
of the people, whose dwellings are
meager beyond the western compre-
hension. The word 'home" as a
synonym for house can scarcely be
used here in Turkey.
Along the water front is palace
which was used by the Parliament,
until fire Quilted it, Not far away is
the present palace of the reigning Sui
tan. who is a mere shadow Of the alb,
solutism of his deposed brother In
terspersed between palaces are the
residences of Pashas, and more or
less prosperous citizens, with the lat
ticed windows of the harcms turned
toward the water. There is the ro-
nance Of the mysterious about these
dirty lattices-a western woman would
surely keep them clean--and about
the iron-barred tunnels that lead I'M
der the houses to the water. One
cannot help specializing as to the
tragedies that have been enacted
along these shores The system of
seclusion for women that Islam or
dams has many disadvantages, one be,
ing that it requires a man to build a
high wall alongside of his house, to
keep his neighbor from overlooking
his harem.
Schools are beginning to come to
their own in Turkey, but the mnaret
still dominates the landscape. and
the Wailing cry Of the mueZzin five
times day is familiar sound to all
parts Of the city
An Inadequate Fire Alarm System.
On yonder hill cannon booms when
ever there is fire in one of the vii
lagos along the Bosphorus. The plan
in the city proper is for Waterman
on one Of the great fire towers to re.
port to others who patrol the streets.
and these others go crying, in jackal
tones that make one think OF the
souls of the lost, the general vicinity
OF the fire. Whosoever will may then
'un to the scene of excitement and
share in the possible loot A few
modern fire engines have been intro
duced into the city, but it has been
my fortune chiefly to see the made
nuate box carried on the shoulders Of
runners. who are accustomed to get
to the fire sometime before the whole
city has been burned down, and hire
themselves out to the property own
ers. | have witnessed several con-
hagrations. one of them devastating
fifty houses.
There are no telephones in the city
except between government offices, no
public lighting system and no electric
cars. The streets are incredibly bad.
yet at one corner Of the foreign quar-
ter Of Pera | saw these three Won
ders: Constantinople street being
wldened, steam roller at work, and
the cypress trees Of the Moslem
graveyard being cut down. The god
Of change has certainly come to Tur.
key!
The Coolie and the Automobile.
That the old order is passing Is
patent to everybody who knows how
TO look at things in the large. People
cannot have even a form of constitu.
tlonal government, and yet treat one
section OF the community as mere
beasts or burden. The newspaper, a
moving picture show, the automobile
and the school book are forerunners
of the inevitable new day. Now that
Constantinople has reckless red autos
driven through its narrow overcrowd-
ed streets. 1t is bound to have also a
chariot OF progress of which this is 2
symbol
There is not room on the same high.
way OF civilization for twenty horse.
power automobile and a man strus.
Cling under the load Of an OK. Con.
stantinople has had the latter for
centuries, it is now getting tho form.
er. The Incredible burdens which
these Koordish coolies or h,u,,. ~.