Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1919-11-07


fects of British control, Is Its
geographical situation. Mosul Is the
meeting point of roads and caravan
routes from everywhere. They wind
in through the mountain passes ana
over the rocky highland from Diar-
bekr and Bitlis, across the great des-
ert' from Aleppo and over the sands
from Persia and Bagdad. It's very
name, indeed, FROM the Arabic Al
Mousil, "the place of connection" tells
It's story. And as with roads and car
AVIAN routes, so II will be, some time
again In the future In the matter Of
railways, when the famous Bagdad
line Is completed, says the Christian
Science Monitor. At present Ger
many's great effort falls short of Mo-
sui by many miles In the west and
In the south, and the "ramshackle
city," as 1t has been irreverently
called, still depends for It's communi-
cations OH the road and the caravan
route as 1t has done through the ages.
OF all the cities in the Turkish EN-
pire, as one writer has well said @ II,
perhaps Mosul is the one that has
been least touched by western civill-
cation. Built on ground that once was
suburb Of Nineveh, II stands on the
western bank of the Tigris. looking
across at the mounds which are all
that remain Of the glories of the capl-
tai of ancient Assyria. Nlneveh has
a history that stretches throughout n
period nearly two thousand years
loag, ending with the fall Of the en-
plre OF Sennacherib about the year
600 b. G. From that time until Lay
ard unveiled the palaces of Ashur-
banipal and Sennachcrib, and un-
earthed the literary chamber contain
Ing the famous deluge tablet the ru-
ins Of Nneveh for $500 long years
have slept undlsturbed. As for Mosul
Itself, Ii Is particularly mentioned IN
all history since the Arab conquest,
and 1t is a checkered history indeed,
for II suffered pillage at the hands of
Tamerlane, was besieged by Nadlr
Shah. and endured host of other vi.
cissitudes.
Mosul's Many Storks.
The old town, with its strangely
narrow streets, even for the east, Is
surrounded by n half.ruiLed wall. built
In modern times as protection
against the Shammar Arabs. Every.
one remarks on the narrow streets OF
Mosul, on Its white. crumbling houses
on the gypsum dust which falls con
stantly from the walls over everything
and upon the storks. Indeed the
storks Of Mosul are apparently IT.
most remarkable feature
Discussing the matter one authority
tells how, In the cool of the evening
The citizens of Mosul share theli
! housetOps with innumerable stOrSs
who build their ragged nests on III,
highest places sin utter disregard OF
he laws of gravity" Four great pre-
)OsterOus specimens of the species
TODD, In the early morning, on wal
beside the room where he was, he con
lnues, and he dlmly realized thai
hey were performing their morning
tOl'et. They took no notice OF him
But loud noise like someone rattlinl
q stick in wooden bucket attracted
his attention. Then somebody 0ls(
with another bucket made similar
nolse in differcat key, and he won
dered what In the world could they b,
doing 10 the buckets. Then II dawnet
upon him that half the population OF
Mosul must be rattling buckets, fol
She sound came from far and near
faint or loud according to distance
and In hundred different keys. Their
came loud rattle close beside him
"Within nine feet of him" he says
"stood solemn stork, the toilet over
bis attitude of graceful balance on one