The Arvada enterprise., 1920-11-11
AN INTERESTING LETTER
FROM ARTHUR WHITE

White of this city, from Kars, Arm.
enia, who is laboring in the Near
East to relieve suffering in that
distressed country, will no doubt be
read with much interest by his many
friends here: ''si-'''ss fs
| Monday, Sept. 6, Kars.
Dear folks at home ts ~
+ This is Labor Day SO suppose you
Hare all out on holiday. In Europe
Fthey celebrate Labor Day on May l..
l think cur orphans in No. decided
it was the time to turn Bolshevik
for they beat up their manager and
the Chief Of our Guards. Broke in
to our orphanage prison where Mr.
Fox had confined about twenty boys
for stealing wheat in the fields, let
these boys out and then beat up the
two men. This sixth orptanage is a
problem, 1900 boys from eight to
sixteen years old in one building,
imagine what job to manage them.
had fine automobile trip last
week, was away five days. went
with my interpreter into the Kurd
district to buy wool. We use about
$4,000 pounds year in our factory
I expected to have been gone only
two days but the rear axle on our
Ford broke and we had to walk sew
en- miles to phone to Kars and have
one of our other cars bring out new
axle. This delayed US two days.
We passed the time at Merdinek, an
Armenian Army post about twelve
Emiles from the Turkish front, the
guests Of the Colonel in command.
While there I had an invitation
over the telephone At the front from
Colonel Maxnanoff to visit the front
at any time I wish. I hope to do 50
some time this month if can get
away for few days.
From Merdenek to Ardahan we
passed through several Greek vii
lages and through beautiful cattle
country like Middle Park in Colora-
do. Thousands of cattle and sheep
Craze the hillsides and meadows.
This part of Armenia is distinctly a
hay and cattle country.
We stopped in Ardahan one day.
This is the frontier town between
Armenia and Georgia. During the
war all the Armenian inhabitants
were massacred by the Turks and
most Of the town was burned. We
were disappointed to find that the
man we wanted to see, Colonel Kad-
omoff, a Tartan Chief and Govern
or-General of the district. was away
a. his summer home miles away in
the mountains. It was necessary for
me to see him so we went in the
Ford as far as it was possible to a
Kurd village and from there went on
horseback.
This is the Kurd county we now
visit and very facinating it is. This
! is the first time that l have seen
the Kurds in their homes. At each
village in which we stopped we were
entertained in the home of the chief.
As soon rs we arrived he ordered a
sheep killed. This is signal honor.
Every day had roast mutton at
least two times. A sheep or calf
il killed on special occasions. The
Kurds live, not so much on their
cattle and sheep as they do from
them. By that I mean they eat bat
little meat. Their chief diet is
cheese, butter, cream, matZoun ana
bread. Their life is very primitive.
Their houses are squatty one story
structures built of rocks and mud.
They have no windows, the light
comes in through hole in the roof.
The walls are very thick, this for the
sake of warmth in the winter and
coolness in summer. The flat roofs
of heavy wood are covered with dirt
from one to three feet in thickness.
The floors are ordinarily dirt. Being
guest of the chief in each village
enjoyed the best. For instance IN
the summer home of Chief Arif-Ogn
Murkansky. we lay on silk covered
mattresses with silk coverings and
silk pillows. The mattresses we're
spread on the floor in the one room
Of the special guest house. The
Chief himself supcrintended the ar
ranging Of the beds.
Chief Murkansky is very rich in
cattle and sheep. The only measure
Of a Kurds wealth. unless it is in
wives. A man may have as many
a. he can we'll support. Arif-Aga
(meaning Your Highness) has only
two. took pictures Of the Chief
and his wives and his sons two