Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-06-12

mA EMOIE as III lS from the tour
N ID list trail, the Middle East" is a
MA region but little known to
4A Americans. Each season scores
of "trippers" get as far as
Damascus, touch at scorching Adens
sandswept coast, or scurry by train
across upper India on the beaten path
around the world" They swarm
into Constantinople. too, and overflow
down the shores of the Mediterranean,
seeking the levantine delights of
Smyrna, Beirut and holy Jerusalem.
But Bagdad, Babylon and historic
Ninevah-in fact the whole OF Turkish
Arabia and most OF Persia-is still
terra incognita to even the most hard.
ened globe-trotters. Few travellers,
indeed. aside from those who are
forced by duty to make the arduous
trip, ever penetrate this isolate though
interesting region.
Shut Off from the outside world by
burning deserts and the hostile Per.
sian gulf the middle East-the birth.
place of nations-reflects to this day
the simple. primitive life of centuries
ago, uninfluenced by modern men
About Bagdad the desert Arabs live
as in Abraham's nomad age, observ-
ing the same rites and customs de-
scribed in the Old Testament
Now the average American knows
in a general way that Mesopotamia
Persia and Afghanistan are some
where of in the scrambled geography
of southern Asia. But let him be sud.
denly told to proceed. say to Bagdad
Heheran or Kabul-and he probably
wouldn't know Just which way to
start. 1t was so with me-when
was ordered to Bagdad, writes Fred.
erick Simpich in Los Angeles Times.
On the Map.
II took the tourist agency almost
week TO route" me. The ticket ven.
der at the desk-so often an omnis.
cient person goaded to sullen silence
by myriads OF fatuous questions. hon.
estly admitted his ignorance when
named my destination.
"There Is Bagdad?" he pleaded, In
a voice that spoke his shame.
proudly showed him. on the map
but / did not tell him how long had
hunted for II myself-locked in my
room with an atlas OF the world Be
tween US we discovered that freight
for Bagdad and Persia is sent through
thu SueZ-mostly via Bombay-and
then across the Persian gulf and up
the winding Tigris.
SO It was my ticket read via Ma.
pies. Alden. Colombo. Bombay. Maskat.
Bassorah, etc. But 10 the very last
the agent was dubious. He was loath
to admit that Bagdad was really a
town. and not n cigarette. a dead hero
or strange disease. His last words
were, III you ever get there. let me
know"
At Naples the company's agent ex.
changed my ticket for another-bigger
than the first-a sort OF poster effect
printed in four languages. and on
which Bagdad was spelled with an n"
in the middle. And by the time the
Lutzow had slipped through the suez.
and over Pharaoh's bones In the Red
sea and down past "old Alden, bumped
above" was a marked man on board.
I was known as that man who is
going TO Bagdad."
At Colombo a Portuguese sailor got
n a,glimpse OF my trunk. with "Bagdad"
painted on It's end. He crossed himself
nervously, and hurried into drink.
Ing place run by n Malay. Later. at
the Gale Face hotel. n Singalese man
garbsd in womans clothes. selling In.
dian sapphlres made in Paris. told me
his brother had saved rupees II years
that he might visit Bagdad. lie had
his mind at last. however.
and bouaht n moving picture show.
Here in Colombo. Bagdad seemed
FULLY as fnr away as Il had in New
York. But ! owned a tlcket-which |
taid ! might ride all the way-and
three days out Of Colombo landed in
reeking. mildewed Bombay. the mar.
tet.place OF the East
I was glad when the red.faced
clark" Of the British.India Steamship
Office cautiously admitted.
with frugal use Of words, that a steam.
lr would sail up the gulf" next morn.
Ing From the reluctant way he LET
The information clip, | felt that | must
bo robblng the firm OF an important
locret The clerk was not sure nj
what hour the Kola would sail;
tould find out ut the dock-"Really.
Tou know. you Americans are deuced
nquisitive!" Finally coaxed him 10
|he counter and induced him to sell
ne n ticket
IN h. XAtat.