Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-12-06
AirpIane View Of cOnstant.nop.s.

prepared BY the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. d. CO
Few places in the world have exer-
cised such a power OF attraction for
travellers as COnstantinOple. or have
had such widespread reputation for be-
Ing picturesque.
The severe, classic art OF Athens Is
not found here; nor the dignity Of
Rome; nor the exciting, sullen spirit
that permeates Picking. II Is not gay
like Paris, nor learned like Berlin. An
archeologist would be better pleased
with Egypt. But this Is the place be-
fore which Gautier, Byron, Lott, De
Amicis and Lamartine wept and
swOOned with delight before they sat
down TO fin books with ecstatic praises.
But practical mOdernity has left its
mark everywhere.
Already there are on all sides the
changes due TO western influence
trans, electric lights, telephones and a
new safe bridge.
COnstantinOple's geographical POSI-
ton has made her sanguinary history,
for she controls a high road OF COM
merce between Asia and Europe, and
Nature herself planned the ports. The
city is divided into three separated
quarters, STEAMBOAT and PeTa-Galata lie
on the European side. the Golden Horn
between them, and ScutaTi Squats on
the Asiatic side, across the BOspOruS.
Like Outstretched arms, the two straits
come up from the Sea OF -Marmora 10
the south.
Galata and Pera are the European
quarter, opposite STEAMBOAT, where the
representatives OF foreign powers have
long maintained their embassies and
homes. Once the suburbs Of Stamboul,
this part OF the city was known as
JustlnianapOlIs until the GenOese made
II into an Italian town and fortified il
with walls and many towers, one Of
which, the Galata Fire Tower. still
stands, a lofty lookout station from
which fires are reported and signals
flashed to ships after dark.
Nowadays Pera's crooked streets
are alive with allied soldiers, refugees,
relief workers, adventures, peddlerS,
beggars. and a few tourists. Pass
ports, unless one has business, are DIFF
ficult to get, and tourists are rarely
seen.
The American residents number
about four hundred, the largest colony
between Rome and Manila. There IS
but little social life, and the only
places OF amusement are the cafes and
restaurants, with their adjoining caba-
rets and moving-picture screens.
oaIata Bridge Its Keynote.
While the Galata bridge between the
European quarter and STEAMBOAT still
lives up 10 its tradition Of having every
nationality In the world cross II at
least once an hour, Il lacks some OF
its old charm. because OF the Turkish
peoples remuneration OF color. The
men for the most part have adopted
the European business suit, with
which they wear a red feZ, and the
wOmen's costumes are usually Of black.
What the RialtO bridge is 20 Venice
the Pont Neuf to Paris, the West
minister 10 London. so is the Galota
bridge TO COnstantinOple-the keynote
10 the city.
A constant stream Of p0lyglot peo-
pies flows across the Golden Horn ;
Russian refugees, in pajamacoaiS
tucked into trousers grown too large;
Armenian and Greek merchants ana
refugees; British, French and Italian
army and navy officers; American SAIL
ors; Chinese, japanese and Persian
merchants; the last Of the Outmoded
eunuchs; dervishes In brown, win
cOnc-shaped hats; Cretans in baesy
trousers and embroidered vests; Greek
priests with black chiffon Neli~
streaming from their hats; hanlaiA
(porters) with rOOmfuls Of furniture
on their backs: Arabs in yellow bur
nOoses; MANNED and diseased begsars
Mchammedan priests in pink or green
robes; black troops in red caps ana
sashes; Jewish guides; American re-
lief workers; Hindustani guards III
twisted turbans and scarlet capeS; an
occasional woman gypsy IN Dassy
trousers; Levantine tradesmen Al
bantam peasants in embroidered white
leggings; Hawuiians. Filipinos, ana
few drummers from points west Of
Chlcago"-al these pass back anu
forth In the course Of day.
The taxes were recently doubled on
the bridge. and the eight Turkish col
lectors were ordered to make the IurA-
ish wom@z. p5 siOusly exempt. pay iof