Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1912-09-10

rocco, which explains it's predomin
ance in Tlemcen, on the border of Mo-
rocco. His adherents are bound to re-
peat 200 times day the formula: 20
God, prayer and peace upon our lord
Mohammed and his companions"
But l cannot write history OF
these Mohammedan fraternities, for
Abderrhaman and l have already
reached the ruins of Mansoura one of
the sights of Tlemcen, in our walk,
They now consist of ruined old
mosque, the minaret of which, still
standing. shows 1t to have been won
der of architecture.
Built by lnfidel.
Every tourist Is told the story
Of its origin, how Abou Yacob con-
structed 1t in 1903, A. D., during his
eight-year siege of Tlemcen, then one
Of the most important cities of Afri-
ca. The wall incloses gao acres Of
forty feet high.
Abderrhaman recalled these details
to me and then proceeded to supply
the imaginative element which every
recital of a Mohammedan demands.
when the sultan had decided to
build this mosque" he explained, che
called for the most distinguished arch
fleets known, and two were presented
to him, Jew and Moslem."
should explain that, although the
Jew Is despised by the Mohammedan
almost as much as the Christian Is,
yet the former has always been al
lowed to live in Mohammedan COM
munities, whereas Christians have not
been tolerated in places where piety
reigned. Every good Mohammedan
hates them alike.
Examination of the plans of these
architects showed the two masters to
be absolutely equal. Unable to de-
eide between them, the king finally
conceived the happy plan of dividing
the work.
"'You shall design the outer half of
the minaret, he said to the Arab. and
you, Jew, shall design the part that
faces the interior
THE competition produced marvel
of beauty such as Algeria has never
since seen. When 1t was finished, the
sultan dedicated 1t with pomp never
euualed. Then he called for the arch
fleets.
Your work is so beautiful that |
know not how to reward you he said.
But for the Moslem. here is bag Of
gold.
"As for you, dog of an infidel !
should take your life for having dared
pollute. by your presence, our place
of prayer Nevertheless, as am
pleased by your skill, have decided
to extend mercy to you, and 1 shall
content myself with imprisoning you
in the top story of the minaret.
"'But take care that you are not
found there after the setting of the
sun tonight. or by my fathers beard.
your life shall pay the forfeit
THE Jew, from his elevated prison,
surveyed the situation coolly. He was
a man of energy, and 1t never &C.
Cured to him to resign himself to the
fate which the treacherous sultan had
designed for him.
"Soon he gathered up material
which the woodworkers had left,
found chest of tools, and feverishly
began to manufacture a pair of wood
en- wings 1t was slow work, and he
finished just as the sun was sinking to
rest.
Remembering the words of the
sultan, he did not stop to inspect and
test his handiwork, but rushed to the
balcony facing on the inner court, for
he had seen a squad Of soldiers in
front of the portal. He fitted his arms
to the straps and jumped over, just as
the executioner opened the door.
But in his haste, he had over.
looked some details. The wings
] tapped uselessly and he crashed to
the ground. dying before he had time
to utter anything except a curse
against Mohammed.
yet this was enough AS the words
left his lips the earth trembled
thunder doomed deafeningly, and q
bolt of lightning struck the tower.
THE beautiful structure was cleft
In two from top to bottom. The outer
half stood intact, but the inner por
ton toppled to the ground, burying tx
its ruins the infidel who had builded
u"