The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-11-01

A Of Arabs, Moors or Turks with
the picturesque cities OF the
Spanish main, yet there is a
hourislling colony of these orientals
in Venezuela, hailing from northern
Africa and Asia Minor. They main
tain among their foreign surroundings
all the>customs of their brethren in the
Old World except that Of plural mar
rlage, or which institution the Vene-
zuelaD government has put its foot
1T is q strange thing to walk along
| one OF the main business streets. say,
OF Caracas. essentially Spanish in
| every respect" says Il writer in the
New York Times, as quoted in the Lit
er;uy Digest, 'and suddenly see along
| side Spanish names OF merchants
strange Oriental inscriptions, such as
Abu Amad, Ben Sid, Chalaa, Benatar
One might easily imagine ones self in
the bnZaars of Tanger or Damascus"
They are an Interesting lot, these
'"Turcos." as the NeneZuelans call
them, irrespective of whether they
came from Turkish territory or not.
They will not work under Il boss"
and so all of them are in business for
themselves, mostly as peddlers or
small shOpkeepers; and all of them
make money hand over fist. Not only
do they take in the coin, but they also
save ii, and it is no uncommon thing
for an humble pet,dier to come into Il
MI nj in, Il
ask for n receipt and check book
They don't like banks and therefore
keep their money at home until the
amount becomes so large that they
fear for its safety. And they WILL un-
der no circumstances, mix with the
native population.
Live Their Lives Apart.
These Arabs and MoOrs and Turks
live life entirely apart from the
Venezuelan community. Whereas, il a
Venezuelan has half Il million dollars,
he Is, known all over the country and
poinhed out as one of the leading men
In ti.ve community, a "TllrcO" in Cara
Gas, Ahe Venezuelan capital, may have
that amount, Or nearly rs much, and
live h entirely to himself that scarce
~ .ybody in the city can even tell
you ,.'here he dwells. There are "Tur- |
cos" with big accounts in the leading |
banks of Caracas who are still living :
in the wretched novels they occupied |
when they first reached Venezuela, |
with ten or fifteen of their race packed |
into the same house, several in q
room. And when they return TO north
ern Africa or Asia Minor they often go
back as they came, in the steerage,
crowded in with hundreds, OF other
though the purser OF the
steamer may have locked up for safe
keeping thousands of their dollars
which they have earned by years of
hard work in Venezuela.
The "TurcOs' never accept job.
They want to be their own bosses first,
last and all the time. They began by
going to some old-established firm In
asking credit of s. to $40,
and taking out basket of trinkets and
dry goods to sell from house to house
In the capital or some of the lesser
titles and towns. They start out
shortly after dawn and work until
lark. Their cry of "Coinpre, mer-
,nante" (''Buy. customary, in al
strange. Oriental singsong, is well
Known all over Venezuela. l.
Prosper and Grow Rich.
Gradually, as they prosper-and they
almost invariably do-they get more
,redit from the big firms and eventu-
lily open a little shop, mere 'hole-
n-tlle-wall,' where there Is scarcely
Dom for person to turn around.
They put in stock of dry goods,
novelties and the like, or per- ,
laps the lighter kind Of hardware.
Then they get rich. Their money null
iplies in ways that strike the Vene-
uelans, who are inclined to take life
asy, as miraculous.
The quitting whistle means nothing
0 ''Turco." He will start a little rat
ole Of shop near the market place ,
n Caracas, for instance. and open M .
t dawn in orderstO catch the sellers
L vegetables and fruits, who conc ,
'to the market from the Villages ,