The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1913-05-03

one of it's three rivers, or
by carriage, the quaint old
city of Adrianople, next to Constan-
| tinople, the last stronghold today of
the Turks in Europe, is most attrac-
tive one. Founded centuries ago,
years before Hadrian, in the fourth
century, rebuilt it and newly christ
ened 1t in his own honor, Hadrianopo-
lis, its position at the juncture of
three navigable rivers, the Martha.
Arda and TUNA, gave it leading COM
mercial Importance in the early days
Of ancient Thrace. 1t was also, al
most from the first, at the crossing
Of several overland routes, which gave
an added dignity of position.
With a hundred thousand popula-
ton. half Of which Is Turkish. the re-
mainder Bulgarian, Armenian and
Jewish. Adrianople, but 14O miles
northwest of Constantinople, is SO
close to the border line between the
Occident and the Orient, that the
streets are filled with the seeming
masquerade of all nations. A red
fezzed Turk passes, followed by
brown-skinned son OF the desert, re-
splendent in his Arab jacket and tur-
ban embroidered in gold; a weary
camel driver jostles a ragged Mecca
pilgram; slender. yellow-coated Jew
walks beside a prosperous English
merchant: Bulgarian fruit merchants
and water sellers are everywhere and
instead of cabs at the street corners
there are groups of saddled donkeys
patiently awaiting passengers.
Streets Narrow.
Stretching for a mile down one of
the city's odd, narrow ten-foot streets,
with the balconied housetops fairly
meeting overhead. is the famous long
bazar" of Adrianople. Here in the
tiny shops, where we would think no
business could possibly be transacted,
and Of which there are literally thou
sands, vast amount of industry and
commerce are concentrated. Silk
shops with thousands Of dollars worth
Of rare and fllmy fabrics are separated
by but thin partition from a busy
cabinet maker with his exquisitely
carved work, or on the other side,
from noisy coppers NTH, who all day
long pounds industriously upon his ar.
tistic vases and basins. Small don
keys, abnormally wise, and awkward,
shambling camels carry loads of mer-
chandise up and down the narrow
streets. urgent drivers clearing the
way before them. One other large
bazaar. and innumerable small shops
crowd the leading streets, but the
greater part OF the daily business is
done in the long bazar," which is al
ways visited by strangers and tourists.
Even more noted than this long line
OF little shops and revered by all Mo-
hammedans next to the wonderful
mosque of San Sofia at Constantinople,
is the famous mosque of Sultan Selin,
in the heart Of .Adrianople Towering
high above the huge central dome, rise |
the four tall minarets of purest mar
ble No cities in the world, save those
Of predominant Moslem faith, know
the singular architectural beauty of
these dainty. slender. and almost
ETHEREAL, minarets. In the bright morn
ing sunlight they seem, in their mar
BILE wilderness, almost like waxen tap
ers ready to light at Allah's great al
tar, but the early evening shadows,
they CLEAN as If they were silver
spears, each tipped with golden star.
In some of the Oriental cities hun
dreds of these graceful minarets rise
into the bluest of skies, a constant
delight to the artists and architects
eyes. Constantinople has over a thou