The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-09-26
"Turco" Shop in Caracas.

room for a person to turn around
They put in stock of dry goods,
trinkets, novelties and the like, or per-
haps the lighter kind of hardware.
Then they get rich. Their money null
tiplies in ways that strike the Vene-.
zuelans, who are inclined to take life
easy, as miraculous.
The quitting whistle means nothing
to 'Turco." He will start a little rat
hole of a shop near the market place
in Caracas, for instance. and open up
at dawn in order to catch the sellers
of vegetables and fruits, who come
into the market from the villages
round about, and the sellers of fish
who cross the mountains from the sea.
coast in the small hours and reach
Caracas at sunrise. He will remain
open long after the shops of the
Venezuelans are closed and their pro-
prietors thinking of theaters and din
ner parties.
AS general rufe, when a "Turco"
has accumulated a sufficient amount of
money, he will close up shop. pack up
his belongings and return to lis native
land, where the means acquired in the
western world enable him to live in
"grand STYLE" according to the stand
ards prevailing in the home town.
Once in while, however, one of the
little shopkeepers will decide to re-
main in South America and "branch
out" As a result some of the most
important shops in Venezuela are
owned by 'Turcos." Further:
The "Turcos" who run these big
shops naturally need employees to help
them, but the employees are never
'Turcos," for, as ]. said, these people
insist on being their own bosses. So
the strange anomaly is presented of
| these keen competitors of the Venez1e
Ian merchants being served by Vene-
zuelan employees. Customers entering
several of the principal dry goods
shops of Caracas will find behind the
counter young Venezuelan clerk, who
| will obligingly hand down goods from
the shelves, while, tucked away In o
dark cubby-hole, barely visible from
the front of the shop. is swarthy
'Turco" proprietor bent over his.
ledger, trying to figure out how soon
he can return to Mount Lebanon and
cut Swath among hOme-folk.
Observe. Mohammedan Forms.
"Turcos' are born traders and shu
other forms Of business. Their idea
of line of endeavor worthwhile is
one where they have to take n.
chances; hence they never speculate
not even so much as to extend credit
to their customers, practically all theii
transactions being conducted on o
cash basis.
When they close their shops the,
hurry to the quarters where they liv,
lin Caracas they. are packed togeth
er In one Of the worst sections of the
city-and take up mode of Twin,
which is not bit different from tina
! Of their kin along the eastern shore OF
the Mediterranean. At sunset the Mo
hammedans among them PROSTATE
themselves toward Mecca and recirt
the prayers enjoined upon them by
the prophet. Old Moors, oriental t.
the finger tips. In spite of their occi
dental -garb. sit at the doors of Span.
ish-American novels and chatter In
Arabic. quite as II they were in Fes
or Algiers. Now and then feud
started at home before they emigrated
bursts out in the Arabic purlieus 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
an run In for disturbing the peace.