The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-11-07

: Corfu's most important middle pc
, riod began in 1856, when it placed
, itself voluntarily under Venetian pro-
lection. In 1401 Venice assumed com.
plete control and for 400 years held
the island. 1t was during this period
that the island took its modern name.
1t was 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 driy e
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
1897 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
riod 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.
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 protecrorate of Great
Britain. In 1864 Corfu once more
found herself a part of Greece when
Great Britain ceded 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 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 monas-
teries and other buildings showing an
unmistakable Venetian cast.
Population Is Mixed.
The people show more plainly the
effects of the many cross-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 third are of mixed Greek and
Venetian blood; and the rest are
mixture of all the strains of the many
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
4 labyrinth of narrow streets, many
If them too steep and rough and con-
'tricted to permit the use of wheeled
Tehicles. The hand of Italy appears
lgain in the many arcades, and the
Cast shows its influence in the dark
ecesses and crowded bazaars. On
higher level the city is built on q
more open plan with better and more
lightly buildings
The town is picturesque if some
THAT dirty. But the real charm of
'orfu is in the open and higher coun-
ry. Passably good roads skirt the
ca cliffs and penetrate the hills from
9th of which there are enhancing ;
Jews of sea and sky and mountain, .
live and cypress-clad hills and cult. q
ated lowlands. On one of the hills
the Achilleion, the palace-villa built a
,r the unhappy Empress Elizabeth of 0
ustria and purchased for winter o
ome by the former German emperor s
1907. e
The wonderful olive groves of
orfu alone are worth a visit to the Il
land. In few places in the world do e'
ose valuable trees grow to such size g.
Id age as in this Ionian island. The "
during their control OF
'rfu. paid a bounty for each olive N
ee planted. The thrifty husbandman
those days collected the bounties
tn will, and as a result large sec.
MS VI 'he iSi"nu uptahus are nuge, o@
broken olive groves. tn
The pressing and shipment of the SIX
constitutes Corfu's chief industry, wi
ndreds of thousands of gallons an
ing shipped annually. The all su
portant olive vintage begins with or
sreat festival each September. a
lust as Corfu had been an impor, In
1t naval base in Grecian, Roman and pif
netian days, it played a stellar role 'n'
the sea fighting of the World war,