Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-08-01

(Prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety Washington, D. c.
Bulgaria, where the Balkan pen
chant for turbulence seems to have
made it's first important appearance
since the World war, presents a para
dox 1t is a country. very largely of
peasants, scornful of idleness and pre-
tense, yet producers of what is per-
haps the worlds best known symbol
or luxury, altar of roses.
The country is often considered
merely zone Of the Balkan states"
But whatever its faults and it's virtues.
IL certainly is not colorless, and it
fully deserves to stand on it's own
feet. The differences between the Bull
gars and the Turks are obvious. and
900 years of domination by the latter
did not serve to Graduate them There
IS almost as much of racial gulf be-
tween the Bulgars and the Greeks
and their differences are accentuated
by an ancient enmity dating from the
tlme when the Bulgars were a threat
ening spear-point against the Greek
Byzantine empire, and later when for
space Bulgaria was tributary to that
same Byzantium. The Rumanians to
the north are Latins and they, too, are
raclally distinct from the Bulgars. The
closest kinsmen which the Bulgars
have among their neighbors are the
Serbs and other Jugo-Slavs. But just
as in smaller families feuds exist, so
there is little love lost between Bull
garia and the Kingdom of the Serbs,
Greats and Slovenes.
Bulgaria long suffered not only
from the tyranny of the non Christian
Turk, but also from the diplomatic in
trigues Of the Christian powers Of
Europe. Russia liberated the country
from the Turkish yoke by the Russo
Turkish war of 1S77-7S and proposed
to set it up as an independent nationx
with considerably more territory than
1t has today. But other powers. fear
full of strong state in the Balkans,
compelled the transfer of areas to adj
jacent states, divided the territory that
was left into Bulgaria and Eastern
Rumelia, and placed both back under
the suzerainty Of Turkey. Bulgaria,
a neutrality-suspicious. principality, elected
a German prince for it's ruler and re-
manned much as it was created for
seven years. Then by a coup d'etat
Eastern Rumelia was annexed to the
principality, an arrangement accepted
by Turkey. Full independence came
only in 1908 when the then Prince
Ferdinand proclaimed himself tsar like
the Bulgarian rulers of the countrys
ancient golden age.
Acquires Bad Name.
Poor leadership during the last
decade has given Bulgaria a bad name
with much of the outside world. After
the war in which Bulgaria, Serbia and
Greece defeated Turkey in 1912, there
was war over the spoils between
Bulgaria and the other former allies,
with Rumania finally intervening
against Bulgaria. The responsibility
for this conflict, whether rightly or
wrongly, has generally been laid at
the door of Bulgaria. During the World
war, perhaps largely because Of the
Hohenzollern blood Of the Bulgarian
tsar, Bulgaria lined up with Germany,
Austria and Turkey. But the late pre-
mier, Stamboulisky, was opposed to
this step and was imprisoned because
Of his opposition. His attitude prob
ably reflected that of his peasant party
which is now opposing the new regime
Though Bulgaria produces the usual
grains, fruits, tobacco and live stock
of its part of the world, it is best
known for its extensive culture of
roses for the manufacture of the
famous and valuable altar of roses.
The number of acres of roses cult
waited for this purpose in Bulgaria has
approached 10000. An acre produces
about 1000 pounds of rose petals, but
this great bulk of petals Yields only
about 20 ounces of altar. The salable
product from a whole acre is there
fore little more than one pound. This
much-soughr essence, however, is worth
from $50 up per pound in Bulgaria
and many times more than that in for
eign countries.
Sofia Like Western City.
Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, and scene
Of the chief acts in the recent coup
Fetat. is an adequate expression Of