The log cabin Democrat., 1916-03-22
" WE'RE the Armenian plateau
 "A becomes a bleak complex of " V gorge and mountain is trarnH tho Yracapt do rx,


 l V V gorge and mountain is
 traced the present boundary ! line between the Russian Caucasus and Turkey in Asia, and the largest city and the all-important fortress on this strong natural frontier is Erzerum, which guards the one convenient way through the ragged heights to the fiat lands of Mesopotamia and the lower hills of eastern Asia Minor and which recently was captured by the Russians. The beginning of history finds this city a 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 capture of Erzerum, and each time Erzerum has been handed back in the peace arrangements, says writer for the National Geographic society While the attacks of the Russians against the fortress in 1877 were un. successful, their occupation of the town during the armistice of February, 1878, finally brought the Turks to ac. cept the terms of peace. The assault and capture of the fortress by the Russian general. Paskevich, in July, 1929, decided the campaign in Asia.
 Erzerum bars the roads from Kars m 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 to beyond the Russia 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 Turkey leads through the country near Lake Van.
 Fine Setting but Dirty City.
 Situated at the eastern end of an open, treeless plain. 30 miles long and 12 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 utter ly in stability of direction. Moreover they are badly drained and dirty, and the houses by their side do not add cheer with their old, unvaried facades ! of dark gray volcanic stone.
 The town has always enjoyed a fairly prosperous transit trade, for 1t is on the main overland route from Trebizond to northwest Persia and to the trade centers of the southern Cau. casus. A good road leads from Erze. rum down to the coast at Trebizond. and the journey can be made by car riage in five or six days. The place has also been noted from e-.rly times for the quality of it's brass and copper work, Wheat, barley, millet, and veg etables are grown in the country around, and sheep are pastured. The population of the town is 43,000, of which one-quarter is Armenian.
 Hamadan, the Treasure City.
 Another interesting city that has is Hamadan, the treasure city of the great Achaemenian kings, identified with the resplendent Ecbatana of the Greek writers. The ancient city lies lS8 miles west-southwest of the Per sian capital, Teheran.
 All vestiges of the by-gone glory of the place have been destroyed, save alone a famous but battered stone lion, which lies in somber, mutilated deso- lation flat upon the plain near the road leading to lspahan. The old lion has lasted through all the ages of Hama. dan, guardian genius of the town; for it was set up as talisman to pro. tect the walls of the city The lions fate and the city's fate were connected in prophecy that the city and it's peo- pie would be safe so long as the lion was not thrown down or broken. The No"y SHJoyS Supcl stltlOus r veneration; mothers bring their babies to kiss the hugh carven face and pilgrims place offerings of stone before it. According to one tradition, the lion was set up to frighten away the severe winters of Hamadan.
 The name of the city can be traced back to earliest times, and it means literally "a place of meeting of many