The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1919-10-02

y
who cross the mountains from the sea
coast IN the small hours and reach
/ Caracas az sunrise He viii remain
| open long after the shops 81 the
Venezuelans are closed and their pro
/ prietors thinking Of theaters and din
ner parties
As a general rule. when a 4Turco"
I has accumulated sufficient amount OF
money. he win close up shop pack up
! hts belongings and return % his native
land. where the means acquired IN the
western world enable him % 1--we In
grand style" according 20 the stand
ards prevailing IN the home town.
Once IN while. however. one OF the
little shopkeepers VIII decide 20 -
main in South America and branch
out" As result some ~ the most
important shops IA Venezuela are
owned by "Turcos." Further.
The ~Turcos" who run these big
shops naturally need employees % help
them, bur the employees are never
''Turcos." for. as I said. these people
insist on being their own bosses. So
the strange anomaly IS presented Of
Ian merchants being served by vene-
zuelan employees. Customers entering
several OF the principal crv goods
shops OF Caracas viii find behind the
counter n young Venezuelan clerk. who
win obligingly hand down goods from
the shelves. while. tucked away In a
dark cubby hole. barely visible from
the front Of the shop. Is a swarthy
'TurcO" proprietor bent over his
ledger. trying 20 figure out how soon
he can return 20 Mount Lebanon and
cut a swath among home-folk-
Observe Mohammedan Forms
-Turcos- are born traders and shun
other forms OF business Their idea
OF line Of endeavor worthwhile is
one why're they have 20 TAKE no
chances; hence they never speculate.
not even so much as 20 extend credit
TO their customers. practically all their
transactions being conducted on
cash basis. And they refuse 70 change
their oriental ways. II seems.
When they close their shops they
hurry % the quarters where they live
In Caracas they are packed togerh-
or In one OF the worst sections OF the
city-and take up mode OF living
which Is not bit different from that
Of their Kin along the eastern shore OF
the Mediterranean At sunset the Mo-
hammedans among them PROSTATE
themselves toward Mecca and recite
the prayers enjoined upon them by
the prophet. Old Moors oriental to
the finger tips. In spite OF their occi-
dental garb. SIT az the doors OF Span
ish-American novels and chatter IN
Arabic. quite as n they were IN Fec
or Algiers. Now and then n feud [
started AT home before they emigrated. I
bursts out In the Arabic puriieus OF
some Venezuelan city. and then news
paper readers running over the police
news see a wonderful collection OF
names. Abu this and Mohammed that, /
all run IN for disturbing the peace. 4
Once zone Of these feuds took on the 4
proportions OF n regular Tong war OF .
New York's Chinatown. and resulted 4
in half a dozen murders before the
passions aroused In northern Africa
could be Gained down In Venezuela
There have been some amusing In
eidents connected with the rise OF the
'TurcOs" I'm Venezuela. For one thing.
they throw dignity TO the winds and.
there. too. they get under the skins OF
the Venezuelans. who. like everybody
OF the Spanish race. are nothing IL not
dignified- While the native merchant.
however humble. will stay inside his
shop and wait upon his customers with
grave courtesy. the ''Turco." as like as
not. will stand az the door and urge
passersby with an engaging smile 10
enter and look over his wares