Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1919-10-02

u
of Arabs, MOors or Turks with
the picturesque cities of the
Spanish main, yet there is a
hourishing 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
rfage, on which institution the Vene-
zuelan government has put it's foot.
sit is strange thing to walk along
one of the main business streets, say,
of Caracas, essentially Spanish in
every respect" says writer in the
New York Times, as quoted In the Lit
erary Digest, land suddenly see along
side Spanish names of merchants
strange Oriental inscriptions, such as
Abu Amad, Ben Sid, Chalala, Benatar.
One might easily imagine ones self in
the bazaars of Tangier or Damascus"
They are an interesting lot, these
'''Turcos" as the Venezuelans call
them, irrespective of whether they
came from Turkish territory or not.
They will not work under 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 it, and it Is no uncommon thing
for an humble peddler to come into a
bank, plank down $4,000 in gold and
ask for a 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 a life entirely apart from the
Venezuelan community. Whereas, If O
Venezuelan has half million dollars
he Is known all over the country and
pointed out as one Of the leading men
in the community, ''Turco" In Cara.
cas-, the Venezuelan capital, may have
that amount or nearly as much, and
live so entirely to himself that scarce
you where 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 9
room. And when they return to north
'ern Africa or Asia Minor they often &C
back as they came, In the steerage
crowded In with hundreds of Other
passengers, though the purser of the
steamer may have locked up for safe
keeping thousands Of their dollar!
which they have earned by years O.
hard work In Venezuela.
The "Turcos" never accept a Job
They want to be their own bosses first
last and all the time. They began by
going to some old-establlshed firm II
Venezuela, asking credit of S. to $40
and taking out basket Of trinkets anC
dry goods to sell from house to hous'
in the capital or some of the lessee
cities and towns. They start on
shortly after dawn and work unit
dark. Their cry of "Compre, mer
,chante" CBuy, customary. In ,
strange, Oriental singsong, Is wei
known all over Venezuela.
Prosper and Grow Rich.
Gradually, as they prosper-and the!
almost invariably do-they get NOR,
credit from the big firms and eventu
ally open little shop, a mere "hole
in-the-wall," where there is scarcel.
room for a person to turn around
They put In a stock Of dry goods
trinkets, novelties and the like, or per
haps the lighter kind Of hardware
Then they get rich. Their money mul
tiplies In ways that strike the Vene
Zuelans, who are inclined to take lif
easy, as miraculous.
The quitting whistle means nothin
to "Turco." He will start little rat
hole Of shop near the market plac
in Caracas, for instance, and open Il
at dawn in order to catch the seller
of vegetables and fruits, who com
into the market from the village