Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1913-09-11

Steamship Kaiser Franz Joseph
Aug. s.-There is a comparatively
new road TO the east. Instead OF fol-
lowing the old highway across the
northern Atlantic via England
France or Germany. this trip is on
the southern route through the
straights OF Gibraltar, along the
Mediterranean, and up the ancient
Adriatic to the Austrian port OF
Trieste. II is 5000 miles from New
York to Trieste but when the trip
per gets there he will be on the 9TH
err side of Europe, beyond the resu-
lar haunts Of tourists. safely past
the delights and delays Of Paris and
Berlin, close to the classic lands OF
Greece and the crescent of the dis
appearing Turk. In many respects
this is an unexplored country in re-
cent year, for the civilization OF the
east practically stopped short a Few
centuries ago, and the active, enter
prising people of the west kept on
toward the setting sun. The far
orient Is in India, China and japan
but the near east of the Slav, the
Greek and the Turk, with their
numerous cousins and aliases, is the
east of our school books. 1t is the
country of which Homer sang, where
Alexander conquered, and Paul
preached. It has been a battle-ground,
from the time of the siege of Troy
and the later fall Of Constantinople,
for the hostile forces that came out
of the mysterious Asia. Just now
the near east is looking up and with
the success of the Balkan states, is
doubtless on its way to civilization,
as we call it, and to the destruction
of its own delightful differences
from everybody and everything else.
The near east ought to be worth
a visit and a story, for very few
travel writer's have gone in among
these folks who disregard the GUS
toms and the sanitary regulations
that have become almost universal.
In order to get to the Turk and his
n~eighbors before the advance OF civ
flization has converted or killed
them it will be necessary to move
quickly, for capital is going in to
develop the Balkans, and then there
will be nothing more novel among
the Bulgars and the Serbs than there
is now in Pennsylvania.
The ship Kaiser Franz Joseph, the
First" is the largest, newest and
best equipped boat regularly in the
Mediterranean service. 1t is of the
Austro-American line and is probab-
ly the finest ship of it's size on any
of the oceans, and that is saying a
good deal, for in these days an ocean
liner compares favorably with an
elegant hotel. In addition to the US
ual accommodations the Franz Jo-
seph has a gymnasium where the
passengers exercise and keep them
selves in appetite, for the meals, a
palm garden, and a winter garden
on deck enclosed in glass. A fine
band plays three concerts a day and
turns out yards on yards of Wen
nese waltzes, with an occasional rag
time, out of consideration for the
Americans. There is eating and
drinking and smoking and dancing,
with games and jokes and stunts
that are possible in a jolly company
brought together for two weeks of
close association. The people who
go down to the sea in ships during
the present age are as differently
fixed from those who crossed the
ocean to settle the new world as a
Pullman passenger car journey is
from a ride behind an OK team. We
even have a daily newspaper every
day and it is decidedly interesting
when in mid-ocean to pick up the
Franz Joseph Evening Herald and
read the news of the world received
by wireless. 1t enables us to keep
in touch with the events of the day
and especially the baseball scores.
Re&
Coming on the Franz Joseph has