Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-16
Geographic News
Bulletins By the
National Geographic Society

A city which Croatians aspire 10
have added to the list of world cap
itals, judging from their efforts for
independence. Is told about in n
following bulletin iron the WASH.
lington headquarters OF the National
Geographic Society:
"Zagreb. or Agram. as 1t used TO
be known. sits in the lap Of the
Croatian hills and looks off across
a fertile plain. The city is divided
into three parts, one of which con-
tains the Palace of the Banus. who
under the rule OF Austria-Hungary
was the local administrator. and is
reached by a funicular or by wind
ing streets from the lower town.
A City of Scenic Beauty
Cup from the railway station. al
most to the main square Of the city,
there runs a fine Mall in the midst
of whose lawns there are various
fine public buildings n a little to
the left as M looks toward the hills
behind the city. there are the beau
tiful grounds and buildings of the
University Of Zagreb, which is IN
surpassed in all Jugo-Slavia.
"Zagreb has a fine museum in
which one can see h lovely peas
ant costumes of Croatia, which, like
those Of Bohemia, Moravia and Slo-
vakia, did much to give Austria
Hungary an enviable reputation as
a museum of loneliness. Each re-
gion has its own pattern, some
heavy with gold on black silk,
others brighter with reds and yell
lows massed on white. Croatia is
a picture-book land in which the
distinctive dresses of the peasants
form ope of the main items of IN
terest. The region of Zagreb has
its own lovely costume. To see it
at its best n must attend a mar
ket day in the great square named
after Count Josef Jelacic, Croatia's
most famous banus whose part in
the Croatian Revolution of 184S
won him the love of his fellows and
the honors of Vienna.
Except on market-day this great
square Is a drab, uninteresting
place. Early in the morning on the
days OF the market long lines of
tables are placed on the cobbles
until they each TO the very tables
OF IN coffeehouses along the south
ern side, and the country roads are
alive with attractive figures, clothed
in their holiday best, en- route to
the market.
Where Roll Tops are Conventional
The waists and skirts of the
women are of white, with much red
embroidery up and down the front |
around the waist and across the |
apron. Stout white hose with roll
tops and ribbon garters fill in the
space between the knee-length
skirts and the moccasin-lik slip
pers of soft leather. Around the
head is worn the Slavic shawl, that
form of Standardization which re-
duces the high cheek-bones of the
Slav TO a pleasing oval that would
n a Madonna of Italy.
THE women are both vendors and
shoppers. But many a sturdy wife
is assisted by the presence of her
picturesque man, whose costume is
just as colorful as her own. His
rather full white trousers are worn
loose or strapped in at the bottom
with the thongs which secure the
sandals and his heavily embroidered
shirt hangs down outside to a truly
slavic length. The yellow vest,
with scores of bright buttons and
gay stitching is likely to be worn
unbuttoned. unless his shirt lacks
ample decoration.
Attire Is Blaze of Color
Almost always one is likely to
see some OF the gypsies of the re-
sion and spattered with fire as is
the white costume of the Croatian
women, they seem lacking in color
Wnen a gypsy woman strides by.
f1er mead shawl is a blaze of Turkey
Ihe massive red flowers or
other designs in her waist may or
may not be carrying on silent war
WIN the tone OF the headdress, but
IL DIV N nhann fbauV
the bright colors around the bot
or the apron surely do not.
The gypsy woman's main deco
ration, besides the bright rings of
pass metals which emphasize the
proletarian quality of her hands. is
a long necklace of huge silver cart
wheel currency which bore the head
or Francis Joseph and helped to
make him popular throughout the
now defunct empire of the Haps-
burgs.
Behind the city there are lovely
valleys reaching into the hills and
lIvened with singing brooks on their
way to the Save, with pleasant
houses hanked by huge hay
hiding in the trees, and along
ridges are scattered the eeries
Oh ~uburbanit who love the air.
Here too, is n of the finest wild
parks in Europe, its vegetation un-
tanned and full of beauty, with
oenehis pleasantly located to look
across the city and the valley
of the Save.
But perhaps the prevailing i'm
preston of the visitor is not con-
cerned with loneliness which Nat
ure has lavished on the surround-
inss but h way in which man has
Kept the place attractive. The tables
OF the coffee shops are as spotless
as the white skirts of the women
and as soon as the market is over,
usually at noon. the cobbles are
till they shine. Every
bench, lettuce leaf or plum pit is
away so that its presence
not d a touch of variety to
the great gray square in which, but
q rev hours before a thousand gaily
dressed people surged back and
lorth in the eternal drama of barter
and sale.
Constantly Fights Dirt
'Ilnf in thn xuilA ~1~.- -