Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-03-09


~ ATTARO, the last city in Dali
malta is a quaint medieval
walled town. Formerly 1t was
the southernmost of all Aus
tria's Adriatic possessions, which ex-
tend almost $50 miles down the east
ern shore from Grade, just above
Trieste, to the ancient fortress and
modern naval base on the Bocche di
Cattaro. famous alike for its wonder
full harbors and wild beauty, unriv-
aled even by the finest of the fjords
of Norway.
The city of Cattaro is situated on
the innermost of the chain of five lit
tie lakes or bays OF the Bocche. and
on three sides it ia inclosed with an
ampitheater OF rock, formed by the
mountains which almost encircle it.
1t Is very ancient stronghold and
even in the days of Constantine-Por-
phyrogenetus the city was described
by him as being "the city where the
mer." 1t Is actually true that the old
town covering at the very feet of the
great mountains which soar into the
sky Just behind it is as somber and
shut in as an alpine village in a mar
row mountain pass. but although
shaded from the sun by the soaring
rocks 1t Is insufferably hot in summer.
The city walls are enormously high
and thick and keep out any stray
breeze from the water, while the
streets of the town are SO crooked and
| narrow that they remind one OF the
dark little CALI of Venice, with here
| and there a small paved campo or
court. surrounded by low stone dwell
ings with tiny Sits for windows, which
add to the somberness and gloom OF
the breathless city, which for cen
turtles has been the scene Of such per
petual conflicts that the dwellings are
miniature forts, the tiny windows be
ing apertures through which TO shoot
rather than openings to admit light
| and air.
Gate to Montenegro.
The little strip Of alluvial land or
| which Cattaro lies has been formed by
| the rains of centuries having washed
| the soil from the gaunt sides of the
bleak mountains of rock towering
above it. The Montenegrin legend
states that at the creation, St Peter
was flying with a great bag of rocks
The bag broke and the rocks falling
made Montenegro. 1t is to the credit
| of King Nicholas warriors that no 9th.
err land as desolate, rocky and hope
| lessly sterile has ever been SO re
vered for centuries by its dauntless
sons. who, in its defense, have watereG
| its crags with their blood.
Cattaro has been long known as the
| gateway Of Montenegro. and years be
fore the famous road was hewn out
| of the sides of the rocks the Monte
negrins made their way down into Cat
taro from their little stony farms or
the bleak heights above, by the rough
goat track which for ages followed
| the bed of a mountain stream.
The cathedral Of st. Trifen, or the
dvomo, as it is called, Is one of the
oldest and finest buildings In Cattaro
One Of It's towers boasts OF a silvery
chime of bells. A fortunate thing, in
deed. Is the fact that the bells are
musical, as, apparently, they ring
every five minutes, night and day.
The Bocche consists OF several mar
row canals Of water, surrounded BY
lofty mountains rising almost directly
from the waters edge, between which
| lie broad expanses of water, produc
| ing very fine scenery. The first Of
the narrows leads into the bay Of
| Topla and the steamer heads directly
for Castelnuovo. leaving on the left
| the Sutomia, portion of Ragusan ter
ritory coded to Turkey in 1899 to form
a buffer between herself and Venice
The town was founded in 1873 by the
Bosnian King Tvarko !. Kokomanovic
In 1888 the Spaniards built the fort
| GROWING the hill TO the north. now
| split up good deal. but the splits are
| partly concealed by ivy. IL was the