The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1916-12-22


ical place for the landing of
Russian troops and supplies
bound for the Hungarian and Bulgar-
ian frontiers, it has been smitten by
the iron fist of war, and since its swift
capture by the Teutons has endured
the hard fate of being repeatedly bonn
barted by its friends.
Before the war this thriving little
city of 27,0OO inhabitants handled
by the Roumanian peasants which did
not find its way up the Danube to the
great -four mills of Budapest, says a
bulletin Of the National Geographic
society.
Until hostilities began in 1914, Con-
stanza was also the transfer point for
the extensive passenger service from
London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Wen
ma and Budapest to Constantinople
and the near East. Here express
steamers connected with the de luxe
trains from the west, making the run
to the Sublime Porte overnight.
Millions Of dollars have been spent
on the harbor and docks Of Constanza
since the town became a Roumanian
possession by the treaty of Berlin,
which transferred the Dobrudja prov
ince to this country. The principal
improvements were begun in 1896.
On Site Of Ancient City.
Constanza, or Kustendje, with its
wide, clean streets, its numerous
nd oh h.
cupies the site Of the ancient Toni,
Tomis or Tones, the metropolis of the
Euxine. The remains of many col
umns and fragments of statuary testify
to the Importance and the wealth Of
the city in those days. In the fourth
century Constantine the Great changed
the name Of the port to Constantiana,
in honor of his sister. During the
reign of Theodosius it experienced an
era of great prosperity as the metrOpo-
lis Of Pontus, but after 1t passed under
the control of the Bulgars and later
of the Turks its decline was rapid.
In the RussO-Turkish war of 1872 1t
was bombarded by the Russians, and
II years later surrendered to the same
power without blow in its defense.
Probably the most noteworthy event
in the history of ancient Toni was its
designation by the Emperor Augustus
as the place Of exile Of the great Latin
poet, Publius Ovidius Naso familiarly
known as Ovid. The poets offense
was the publication Of "Ars Amatoria," !"
which enjoys the questionable distinc-
ton, according to no less an authority
than the Oxford scholar, George Sid
ney Owen, of being perhaps the most
immoral work ever written by n man
of genius. Augustus had become pc
culiarly sensitive about such literature
and disinherit his own daughter, the
brilliant and beautiful Julia, on ac-
count of her scandalous intrigue with
the son of Mark Antony. This dis
grace was followed by q second scan
dal In the imperial family-the nOtori-
Gus behavior Of the younger Julia. the
emperor's granddaughter. As Socra-
tes was charged with having corrupted
the youth OF Athens, SO Ovid was
deemed by Augustus as at least In part
responsible for the corruption Of youth
Iul DOClcty III 1AOmcs 4hci cAoiC liC was
ordered to leave the capital and take
up his residence at Toni, where he
remained for the last eight years Of
his life, bitterly complaining Of his
fate In a series Of letters, compiled as
the i've books Of the 'Tristia."
Turnu SEVERN q Busy Town.
Turnu SEVERN was the first town in
Roumania to receive a baptism Of
iron after hOstilities were declared
between that country and Austria Hun
garia. 1t is an 11-mile voyage down
the Danube from the international
boundary line at verciorova to a point
opposite Turnu Severin. This busy
Roumanian town of 5000 Inhabitants,
pleasantly situated on high ground and
partly hidden from The river by trees,
has important shipyards and repair
shops for the Danube Steamship Navi-
CATION company, and is center for
trade in petroleum, cereals and pre-
served meats. 1t is supposed to derive
is name from the ruins of an old
over in the vicinity which is said to
nave been built in cOmmemoration of
oue Of the victories of the Roman en-
peror, Severus.
1t was at Turnu SEVERN that King
Charles I, who died only few weeks
after the outbreak of the European
WV IN 1914, first landed on Roumanian