Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-03-14

during the golden age Of Babylon
rapidly deteriorated
Under the Abbassld Callphs. with a
combination Of Arabic and Persian
culture. Bagdad was founded on the
Tigrls in the very center OF the river
PLAINTIFF splendid. gay. wicked Bag
dad Of the Arabian Nights. MesopO-
tamia's prosperity, though much less,
was still relatively great, and Bagdad
was for a while the metropolis OF the
world, its inhabitants at one time
numbering 100000 souls.
Declined Under Turkish Rule.
When the Turks got possession Of
the Callphate and carried its seat on
TO the west. Bagdad wlthered; and
under Turkish rule the Tigrls and
Euphrates valley entered its darkest
period. The few canals that had con-
tlnued 20 function properly Joined
those that long before had fallen into
disrepair. becoming clogged or break
ing their banks and causing floods.
Much OF the incomparably fertile soil
became and has remained until today
bare plain or oozv swamp. Only
small percentage OF the rich valley
has for generations produced any
crops.
After the Young Turks came into
power IN 1908 reclamation work was
undertaken in the Tlgrls and Eu-
pirates plain and some Roadway was
made. Since the British occupied Bag
dad in 1917 this work has been carried
much farther.
Mosul Is one OF the cities OF MesO-
potamla which entertained high ex-
pectutions Of revived commercial i'm
portance as a result of the completion
Of the Bagdad railway. II was brought
suddenly into the foreground Of the
World war by the Russian operations
I'm 1916.
This town Of about $4,000 people.
three-fourth Of whom are MOslems. Is
situated on the right bank OF the tt
girls. 90 miles above Bagdad and Just
opposite the extensive ruins Of the
great Assyrian capital OF Nlneveh.
The great mosque with its odd lean
Ing mlnaret. Is the chief architectural
feature OF this otherwise unimpreSsive
looking city with It's crumbllng lime
stone walls enclosing cemeteries that
occupy almost as much space as the
habitatlons of the living.
MosuI's Peculiar Bridge.
one of the physical peculiaritles Of
Mosul is the bridge over the Tigris,
connecting this one-tlme suburb Of
ancient Nlneveh with the ruins OF the
parent city. One-sixth of the bridge
Is an ordinary span which joins the
right bank and n small island. Beyond
the island the traveller crosses the
wider branch of the river by means
of a pontoon or boat bridge. As the
high waters Of MAY recede the Tigris
uncovers the sllt-enrlched Islands
around Mosul. and by midsummer
there Is n bountiful harvest of melons
and other fruit.
Among the places OF interest pointed
ont to the traveller in this section of
Mesopotamia Is the tomb OF Jonah,
on the left bank OF the river, recall
ing wildly 10 mind the history Of the
mighty metropolis. founded. supposed
IL. By Minus and the famed Semi
ramis more than two thousand years
before the Christian era.
NIosul has Undergone many vicissi-
tudes since its capture by the Arabs
IN the Seventh century. II achieved
its greatest prosperity during the de-
cline OF the caliphate. Syrians and
Seljuks held il successfully during the
Tenth and Eleventh centuries, after
which came final flare Of splendor
under the rulershlp Of the remarkable
atabeg general. Zengi.
For n short time during the Seven
feenth century Mosul was occupied by
the Perslans. but IL was soon restored
and remained subject TO the Ottoman
empire up to the time OF its occupa-
ton during the World war.