The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-07-30


cent of the women are literate. TIL
pioneer influence Is further shown L
Bucharest, capital of Rumania, wher
nearly every house has land aroun,
1t, unlike the wall-to-wall style Of man
European capitals.
How Dobrudja Was Acquired.
A striking contrast is semi-arid Do
brudja, q consolation prize" to Ru
mania-at Bulgaria's expense-on on,
occasion when Russia took a slice o,
Bessarabia. After RumanIa gained 6
sort Of independence from Turkey II
was wholly cut Off from the Black ses
by the region known as the Dobrudja
The only outlet was through one of the
badly silted mouths Of the Danube
| The same Turko-Russian war that Gre
| ated Bulgaria and Serbia resulted In
Dobrudja's addition to Rumania. The
latter looked upon the Dobrudja, even
with its sugar-cOating Of a port, az a
bitter pill at first because Of the loss
of slice of Bessara5ia. The Do
brudja was largely a region of bare
foothills, steppes, sand dunes and
lagoons, peopled with Tatars, Turks,
Bulgarians and other non-Rumanians
Its one saving grace was its port, Con-
stantza.
A railroad had been built under the
Turks from Constantine to the Dan
ube, which marked the old Rumanian
boundary. There, however, the river
and its broad bordering marshes
seemed an impossible barrier. Not
until 1895 was the great Cerno Voda
bridge over the Danube opened. This
huge structure, one Of the greatest
bridges in the world, with its several
viaducts and approaches, is about IL
miles long. Its completion made Con-
stantza really accessible for the first
time and gave Rumania disable salt
water port In the meantime many
of the non-Rumanians had moved out
of tie Dobrudja, the district had be-
come somewhat Rumanized, and Is
now recognized as a real asset with
which Rumania would not think Of
parting.
Even Immediately after the exit Of
the Turks from Kustenje, as they
called Constantine, the city WAS large
ly rebuilt, wide streets were provided
and cleanliness and order replaced dirt
and sloveniness.
Constantine a Great Port.
With its coming into its own ~
chief seaport. Constantine
has been built up along western lines.
Large grain elevators were constructed
% handle the country's wheat ex-
ports. A pipe line was run from the
,il fields across the Cerno Voda bridge, |
huge petroleum tanks were built In |
Constantza, and the port became
sort of rival Of Batum. oil export city |
# old Russia at the opposite end Of
he Black sea. Breakwaters and 9TH
r harbor works were constructed and
he port was made headquarters for
Rumanian naval fiotilla. Little more
han a hamlet in Turkish days, the
ity now has a population Of between
1000 and $4,000.
There has been q town on the site
+ Constantine for many centuries. AT
he beginning Of the Christian era
he town was Toni; and there the
loman poet Ovid. banished by Au
ustus. died in exile In II A. D.
Bulgaria's desire to get back her old
possession was used during
he World war when German troops
I'd Bulgarian forces into their old
rovince. Through this move the Gen.
raj powers cut Rumania of from the
ca and brought about the destruction
T the great Cerna voda bridge. In
ase Of a German victory Dobrudja
would have been restored
ermanently to Bulgaria. But when
ermany was defeated the Bulgnrians
sw the coveted region again slip out
[ their grasp and back into the arms
{ Rumania. Since the World war the
uge bridge and the petroleum pipe
mes 1t carried have been restored,
he damage that alien fleets and armies
Id to Constantine has been repaired,
nd the port Is again functioning ~
umanias chief Black sea outlet