East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-12-17

Into Dormltories-Austrian Prison
ers There.
NIsH. Servia, Nov s.-CBy Mail e
New York. )-Nish has become the
Bordeaux OF Seryia. the provisional
capital. the seat Of government. and
the center well protected and far away
from the roar OF battle.
Nish contains today three times Il,
normal population. Thousands OF
fugitiyes have arrived here from Bel
grade, Semendria and Sabaz with all
OF the worldly possessions they were
able 10 carry.
Only a month ago. people were
obliged to sleep in the streets. and the
hotels and lodging houses let out
their beds TO clients turn about for
day and night Those who had the
good fortune TO have been able 10
engage the beds for the night would
not be out OF them long enough in
the morning for the sheets to cool
off before those whose turn was for
the day slipped in and fell asleep.
Never less than three persons occu-
pied a room servia prefers that no
one outside her borders know what
the largest number was.
All the cafes. the railway station
and the shops transformed themselves
into dormitorles. The moment the
dirty dishes were removed from the
tables they were turned into double
decker beds. The luckiest individuals
slept on top; the less fortunate ones
underneath.
Little by little. however. this sur
plus population began TO spread out
a bit, first into nearby villages then
even TO the summer resorts until to-
day Nish. while still staggering under
the weight OF population enormous.
Is able TO accommodate all without
at least making them sleep in the
streets
Just at present the population OF
the city Is burdened by the presence
OF between 5000 and 5000 Austrian
prisoners. These have lodging in the
fortress. They include representa-
tives Of practically every race that
goes up 10 make up the Austrian en-
pire with the exception OF Italians. OF
them there is not a one.
Every day these prisoners are seen
70 march out, under heavy escort OF
soldiers to the fields near the city
where they are made to help get in
the crops and carry on other import
ant public work. They receive the
same rations daily as the Servian
soldiers, and are treated with all the
humanity permitted by the conditi-
/ ons existing in Seryia after three
wars Those who are known to be
OF slav origin. that is, the same race
as the Servians. are allowed TO &c
about perfectly free, wearing merely
on their Austrian uniform a little
/ ribbon OF the Servlan colors.
The banks. which were obliged tc
move hastily from Belgrade when the
capital was transferred at the begin
ming Of the war, are now all estab.
lisheC in rooms OF some kind. They
lack only safes for their money. In
each room there is large table GOV.
cred with green cloth, over which al
banking and commercial affairs ar,
transacted. The employees are Obliged
I TO sleep in the same room and 20 tC
bed at night with a revolver under
the pillow and the banks funds under
| the bed.
All OF the foreign embassies and
I al. IL.
successful in finding some rooms ir
which TO establish themselves. JUS
at the present moment they are fur.
nishing the most amusement to be-
had in the city. Bitter rivalry is or
between all OF these Representatives
Of the worlds greatest powers for the
possession Of an Italian cook. lie 4,
a native OF Rome by the name OF
Spagnoletti, and is not only the bes;
cook to be had in Servia, but a tenor
of rare ability and even an impress
ario.
He was chef at the Hotel Bristol at
Belgrade when the war broke out He
is declared to have been bodily kid
mapped. by the French ambassador
when the latter was forced TO leave
for Nish, The French kitchen at
Nish. however, was hardly well es-
tablished, when the cook one night
disappeared. Later II became known
from the quality OF food served by the
Turkish ambassador that the cook
was in the latter's employ At a din
ner given to the entire diplomatic
corps, the Turkish ambassador even
exhibited his steal to his fellow am
bassadors, the exhibition of the cook.
however, taking place under lock and
Key, the cook ever remaining under
lock and key until servia declared
war against Turkey and the ambas-
sador had to leave.
When the bloody diplomatic battle
which followed was over the spolls
of war--or rather Cook Sparnoletti-
found his somewhat battered self in
the hands--or rather In the kitchen
of the English ambassador. 1t Is said