Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-02-07

lures.
Bullock Carts and Maeadsm Roads
Travel is cOngested ,on many a
Turkish road which seems extremely
remote TO Western eyes. Accustomed
as is the American TO automobile
dotted highways he would marvel at
the traffic jams OF heavily laden camel
caravans In the interior OF Anatolla.
Then there are the slOw-mOving bull
locks carts, carriers Of enormous bur
dens.
Even the Turk has a reason for his
likes and dislikes; and his opposition
to Western innovations not always
is based on religious prejudices
or sheer inertia. II was these
bullock carts which aroused the OPP
position to macadam roads-an I'm
provement which seemed TO young
American statesmen 50 obviously use
full that the Turk would not oppose IL.
1t soon was found that the rounded
iron tires OF one-ton bullock carts
made a macadam road look Ike cor
rugated roof. WhereupOn officials or
dered bullock carts using the new
roads equipped with wide, fiat tires.
which made necessary new wheels at
considerable expense TO the farmer.
The countryside farmer rebelled and
demanded the restoration Of his stone
roads with their magnlfled cObble
stone surfaces, and once more was
credited with "pure cussedness" by
newspaper readers at occidental break
fast tables.
The women OF Turkey may appear
10 have lost much in the way OF priv
ileges by the success OF the Turkish
nationallsts and their reported inten-
ton 10 return TO old conservative
customs. including the requirement
that women wear heavy wells. But
after all Turkish women Of the pre-
world-war days had a good many
rights Of which the West was ignorant.
The "toys OF the Turkish harems"
were TO be pitied in many ways, II is
true. but considerable pity for them
has been misdIrected. For example,
Turkish women had absolute control
Of their own property for hundreds
Of years. whereas German wives cried
I'm vain for such emancipation" I'M
der the kaiser. IL Is a well-knOwn
fact that Roman law regarded the
rights OF the Individual without con-
sideration OF sex: a man or a woman
was alike a citizen OF the Roman
world. This met the requirements Of
Mohammedan life, where no woman
ever necessarily sustained a lasting
relation with any man.
Dual life OF Women.
Therefore during all the centuries
Of Mohammedan history. women have
legally controlled their own property.
They have been free 10 buy. sell. or
ALLEVIATE II without consulting any
male relative. This has given them
independence OF thought and an infiu-
ence in business affairs that seems
wholly Inconsistent with their life OF
comparative personal slavery.
II you could have entered a harem
you probably would have seen Cir
cassian beauty. who had been newly
acquired by the tall. handsome pasta
who had just passed you In the street.
The air was heavy with the 0dor OF
Eastern perfume. and the black
eunuch stood by the door TO watch all
who came and went. The beauty her
self was thickly powdered, with an
elaborate couture erected by her
numerous maids. Jewels half COW
cred her arms. and she wore beau
tifully embroidered negligee. There
was a languorous expression In her
black eyes. rs she sat idly smoking
cigarette and slipping Turkish coffee.
Would you think. 10 look at her, that
when she drew her money from the
bank that she must sign her own
check7 These two sides OF life were
wholly at variance with each other;
but. as years went by. the thoughtful
side predOminated among the more In
tellectual Mohammedan women, Until
they were ready 10 enter into the az
feirs CT the new day that seemed 70
dawn In 1919 with an understanding
and vigor which the world had never
accredited to them.
II was on the social side that Mo-
hammedan women suffered most I'M
der the oppression OF the last thirty
years. especially from the frequency
Of divorce. A man could legally d.
vorce his wife at any minute. the
only condition being the payment Of
the dowry which was settled upon her
by the husband at the time Of her
marriage.