Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1916-04-08
IS OLD STRONGHOLD
ERZERUM HAS IMPORTANT
PLACE IN HISTORY.
Military State and Point of Strategical
Importance for Many Centuries
System of Good Roads
Leads to Coast.

Russians are hamnering at the
Turkish paddock upon the northeast
ern borderland of Asia Minor, power
full Erzerum, which has even more i'm
portance in the defense of the Otto
protection # the German boundary.
While dispatches from the Caucasian
war theater have been extremely
meager, the news that the forces of
the car are gathering for the as
sault of the famous gateway in the
mountains makes Erzerum one of the
points of greatest present interest in
all the thousands of miles of battle
lines. A description of the old for
tress, an Armenian stronghold when
history began for this region, has been
prepared by the National Geographic
society at Washington. 1t reads as
follows:
Where the Armenian plateau be-
comes bleak complex of gorge and
mountain, Is traced the present
boundary line between the Russian
Caucasus and Turkey-in-Asia; ard
the largest city and the all-important
fortress on this strong natural from
tier is Erzerum, which guards the one
convenient way through the ragged
heights tc the flatlands of Mesopo-
tamia and the lower hills of eastern
Asia Minor. The beginning of his
tory finds this city military station
and a point of considerable strategical
value; it Is the Armenian fortress of
Garin Kalakh of antiquity, the Arabian
raiding base of Kalikale, the Byzantine
frontier post, Theodosiopolis.
The Russians have twice decided
wars against Turkey In their favor
by the capture of Erzerum, and each
time Erzerum has been handed back
in the peace arrangements. While
the attacks of the Russians against
the fortress in 1877 were unsuccess-
full, their occupation Of the town dur
ing the armistice Of February, 1878,
finally brought the Turks to accept
the terms of peace. The assault and
capture of the fortress by the Russian
general, Paskevich, in July, 1928, de-
cided the campaign in Asia. The for
tiflcations of Erzerum have been
strengthened, however, since it last
withstood the pounding of guns forged
in the workshops of the great enemy
to the north, and its immensely strong
position has been improved and made
more difficult for attack
ErZerum bars the roads from Kars
and other points on the frontier.
These ways follow the valley of the
Aras river through the high noun
tains, and from Erzerum branch north,
west and south. North of the fortress,
leagues of impossible mountains ex-
tend from deep in Turkish Armenia
beyond the Russian border. To the
south, an equally mountainous coun-
try is broken through by rare, miser-
able trails. In the extreme south,
near the Persian-Turkish border, one
of the best of these routes into Tur-
key leads through the country near
Lake Van
Situated at the eastern end of an
open, treeless plain, 80 miles long and
IL miles wide, and surrounded on all
sides by lofty mountains, steep to
their bases Erzerum enjoys a splen-
did setting. Within the town, en-
circled by an earthen enceinte, how
ever, appearances are cramped, unfa-
vorable and gloomy. The streets are
many sizes too small, according to the
Western measure, and they lack ut.
terly in stability of direction. More
over, they are badly drained and dirty,
and the houses by their side do not
add cheer with their old UNMARRIED ia
cades of dark gray volcanic stone.
The town has always enjoyed fair
ly prosperous transit trade, for it is
on the main overland route from Ire
bizond to northwest Persia and to
the trade centers of the southern eau
casus. A good road leads from Err
zerum down to the coast Of Trebi-
zond, and the journey can be made
by carriage in five or six days. The
place has also been noted from early
times for the quality of its brass and
copper work. Wheat, barley, millet
and vegetables are grown in the
country around, and sheep are pas
tured. The population of the town
is $4,000, of which one-quarter is Ar
menian. A garrison is stationed here
in peace times 5000 strong and more.