The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1915-08-06
WAR ST|RS 7EHEDOS
Peaceful Life of Little Island
Becomes Distracted.
MosIens and Greeks Watch EattIe for
the Dardane!les With Conflicting
Emotions-Piace Of Vantage
for Correspondents.

Tenedos.-War is a good teacher OF
geography. The attack on the Oar
danelles has brought into prominence
this little island, whose existence was
previously unknown to the millions.
The peaceful and uneventful life of
its 5000 inhabitants has been dis
tracted. The sound of the guns, the
upheaval of a world-war has come to
their doors. 1t has one dominating
height, this little island of six by
three miles-Mount Elias-and to this
height during the commandments
f1ocked all the Tenediotes to watch
the epoch-making fight.
Before the Balkan wars the Moslem
inhabitants were in the majority;
with the advent of the Christian rule
of the Greeks most of them left, cross
ing to the opposite shore only four
miles away, where the half-moon of
Islam still floats. A few still remain,
forming a group apart, keeping to-
themselves and avoiding their fellow
Christian citizens. If you want to
get them you must go to their spir.
itual chief, the Multi.
On the day of the attempt to force
the narroWs all of them climbed up
to Mount Elias, but they kept apart
from their fellow islanders, forming
group to themselves, with the Mutt
at their head, silently watching the
drama of their country enacted be-
fore their eyes.
No sound was uttered by them that
day; only on the intelligent face of
the Mufti could one discern relief
that the day had not gone SO we'll for
the allies, that another respite had
been gained for the Empire of Islam.
Tenedos, besides it's normal populal
ton supports 1000 Greek refugees
from the opposite shores, prosecuted
and expelled from their homes. These
also flocked to Mount Elias. Many of
them were from Chanak and the vii.
lagos in the straits. They were
watching their hearths and homes
shelled by the fleet, but they cared
little whether their belongings were
set on fire, hatred against those who
drove them from their homes being
in thought
Every she'll from the ship that was
seen to go home was acclaimed by
them, after the excitable eastern
with loud shouts of hatred.
such as Burn the tyrants! Kill the
dogs!"
When night came and it was seen
that the allies would not pass that day,
they silently and sorrowfully descend
ed from Mount Elias, with bitterness
in their hearts that the day of their
deliverance had not yet come.
It was not likely that, with the
unique position Tenedos afforded for
the naval operations, ii
would have been left for long undis.
covered by war correspondents. Tele.
grams flashed to the worlds press
from it's shores, stirred editors and
soon correspondents from all parts OF
the world were on their way to this
unknown spot.
One by one they arrived by the
weekly boat service to the island. un
til with the last batch, their numbers
grew to a score.
The one sleepy official who acted
as postmaster, telegraph director.
clerk and telegraph boy, saw with re,
greet his peaceful life invaded He
was called upon suddenly to do the
work that ten men could not cope
with. lie was taking more messages
in an hour than he would ordinarily
be called upon to deal with in a year.
In despair he allowed his little den
on an inner Office to be invaded, and
he gave himself UP as lost when ten,
fifteen and even twenty correspond,
ents at once called upon him to take
dispatches.
There was nothing to be done but
turn the correspondents themselves
into telegraph clerks, registering and
taking in their own money, and car.
rying their own dispatches to the
Eastern Telegraph Office.
And what bewildering variety oil
currency there was to deal with: Sow.
ereigns and louis, shillings, French
pieces, and French and English bank
notes, intermingled with Turkish and
Greek coins and paper. A Babylon OF
rates, values and exchange to deal
with. 1t was sufficient to drive crazy
a much stronger brain than that OF
the old telegraphist