Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-12-01

the privilege of crossing the Golden
Horn. The women, however, indig-
nantly refused, and at both ends Of the
bridge a constant conflict went on be-
tween protesting officials and the wom-
en-, who slipped by with EXPLANATIONS
of anger.
The collectors did not have the
temerity to lay hands on these toll
evaders, because Turkish women were
for so long a time the exclusive prop
erty of their husbands that Custom
still forbids a man OBTAINING a woman
by force In any sort of public argu-
ment.
The traditional sacredness that sur
rounds the person of a Turkish woman
had curious result during the war,
for the Turks did not dare to search
| one of them, even though it was known
that she carried unlawful messages in
| her garments.
On both sides of the bridge are docks
for small steamers that take CON-
muters back and forth between the
Golden Horn and Scutari, the 10 sta
| tons Of the Bosporus, and the Princes
| islands. At rush hours these efficiently
operated boats are as packed as New
York ferry.
STEAMBOAT Is Really Turkish.
If anything of the real Turkey Is to
be seen, Pera must be abandoned for
Stamboul In this ancient city, which
was Byzantium and New Rome, the
mosques, coffee houses, turbehs
(domed tombs) and fountains remind
! one, even In their dilapidation, of the
citys past days of greatness.
Although the houses are nearly all
constructed of wood, they are never
painted, for the Turks have a theory
that If their property looks prosperous
their taxes will be increased. So the
window lattices crumble and fall, the
boards sag, the shingles warp, and
nothing is repaired.
The population is inactive and looks
discouraged. Men sit In cafes and talk
about the hard times. Old graybeards
sit on the sidewalks and smoke nargi-
lehs. The letter-writer has a stand
near the centrally located mosques.
and still makes an excellent living
from the Turks, few of whom can read
or write.
A group Of dervishes, who, like the
city, have declined in picturesqueness,
pass slowly up the streets. Hamals,
the native expressmen, stagger along,
To- a
days, kabobjees slice off strips of roast
ing meat to tempt the appetites of the
passersby.
AS In Pera, Russian refugees have
been everywhere, selling flowers, kew
pie dolls, oil paintings of Constantine
pie, cakes and trinkets, books and
newspapers printed in Russian. They
slept in the open streets and on the
steps of the mosque. They loafed.
begged, worked when they could find
a job, and sometimes sobbed with hun
ger.
Burned Houses Not Rebuilt.
. The devastating fires that have
ever been working toward the destruc-
ton Of Constantinople caused the city
to be built anew every so years, until
law was passed prohibiting the con-
struction Of wooden houses on the site
Of burned ones; In fac,, t was provid-
ed that no houses at all should be built
until the city government planned new
streets.
Nothing has been done about tho
yalo fba L.,
that one-fOurth of Stamboul-more
than $4,000 houses, burned during the
past twelve years-still lies In ashes.
Scutari, too. has vast ruined sections.
So has Pera, on much smaller scale.
The publisher of The Orient, the only
American newspaper In STEAMBOAT,
says that the fires have caused the
housing situation to become acute and
the rents to mount enormously. In fact,
| IL costs more to live in Constantinople
today than in any other city I'm the
world, not excepting New York. The
city Is especially crowded now with
refugees and foreigners, who add 80
per cent to the population. which, ac-
cording to estimated figures, now to-
tails 2.2J0.000.
This overcrowded condition will
grow worse until some one starts to
rebuild the ruined areas. AS StamJoul
has stood since 800 Il. c.. 1t would be
crime against science to rebuild with.
out scientific supervision of the digging
and a systematic exploration of the
site by archeologists.