White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-12-09

Corfu's most important middle Pc
Rod began in 1885, when 1t placed
itself voluntarily under Venetian pro-
plete control and for 400 years held
the island. 1t was during this period
that the island took Its modern name.
1t was a veritable stronghold against
the Turk when Ottoman heels were on
all of mainland Greece and practically
all her islands. Time after time the
Turks tried to seize Corfu, but the
Venetians always managed to drive
them back.
1t took the great political cataclysm
that Napoleon brought about to shake
Venice's hold from Corfu. When Bo-
! naparte handed Venice to Austria in
1907 he kept Corfu for France. It
was occupied by the French for only
two years, however. Then a combined
force of Russians and Turks captured
| the island, and combining it with the
| six other Ionian islands, set up the
Federation of the Seven Isles under
| Turkish sovereignty. The short Pc
Rod from 1899 to 1908 was the only
one during which the Turks held even
nominal control over this island that
had SO long defied them and which
, they so long had coveted.
j, In 1907 the French again came into
possession of Corfu, but they were
.ousted at the European clearing
house. of 1915. Then Corfu added
another erratic chapter to its check
cred career and became with the other
Ionian isles a protectorate of Great
Britain. In 1854 Corfu once
found herself a part of Greece when
Great Britain coded the Ionian isles
to that kingdom.
Corfu does not show the marks of
Its many masters as plainly as might
be expected. Only the scantiest OF
relics Of ancient Corcyra and the
Greek classic age are found, and there
is hardly a trace, Of Roman works. A
few buildings show British influence,
a few military works the hand Of
France. Probably the deepest impress
was made by Venice. Not only in the
town of Corfu, but throughout the
island as well, are numerous non
teries and other buildings showing an
unmistakable Venetian cast.
Population Is Mixed.
The people show more plainly the
effects of the many c~r0ss-currents of
authority that have flowed over the
island. In Corfu city, for example,
a considerable fraction Of the popula-
ton is made up of Jews; something
like a third are of mixed Greek and
Venetian blood; and the rest are a
peopled shores Of the Mediterranean
Greek, italian, Turk, Albanian, Nal
tese, Dalmatian and many others.
|. The town of Corfu, like many other
communities that have survived from
the Middle ages, has In its lower part
a labyrinth Of narrow streets, many
Of them too steep and rough and con
stricted to permit the use of wheeled
vehicles. The hand of Italy appears
again in the many arcades, and the
East shows its influence in the dark
recesses and crowded bazaars. On a
higher level the city is built on 4
more open plan with better and more
slightly buildings.
The town is picturesque ii some
what dirty. But the real charm of
Corfu is in the open and higher coun
try. Passably good roads skirt the
sea cliffs and penetrate the hills from
both of which there are enhancing
views of sea and sky and mountain,
olive and cypress-clad hills and Guilt
is the Achilleion, the palace-villa built
for the unhappy Empress Elizabeth of
Austria and purchased for a winter
home by the former German emperor
in 1907.
The wonderful olive groves of
Corfu alone are worth a visit to the
island. In few places in the world do
those valuable trees grow to such sizs
and e as in this Ionian island. TIL
,venetians, during their control
Corfu, paid a bounty for each oily
tree planted. The thrifty husbandma
of those days collected the bountie,
with a will, and as a result large sec
,tions of the islands uplands are huge,
,unbroken olive groves.
The pressing and shipment of the
oil constitutes Corfu's chief industry,
hundreds Of thousands Of gallons
being shipped annually. The all
important olive vintage begins with
a great festival each September.
Just as Corfu had been an impor-
tant naval base In Grecian, Roman and
Venetian days, 1t played a stellar rn'
in the sea fighting Of the Wor