Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-07-30


pioneer influence is further shown in
Bucharest, capital of Rumania, where
nearly every house has land around
it, unlike tie wall-to-walI style of many
European capitals.
How Dobrudja Was Acquired.
A striking contrast is semi-arid Do
brudja, a consolation prize" to. Ru-
mania-at Bulgaria's expense-on one
occasion when Russia took a slice of
Bessarabia. After Rumania gained q
sort of independence from Turkey 1t
was wholly cut off from the Black sea
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 it's sugar-coating of port, as a
bitter pill at first because of the loss
of slice of Bessarabia. The Do
brudja was largely region of bare
foothills steppes, sand dunes and
lagoons, peopled with Tatars, Turks,
Bulgarians and other non-Rumanians.
It's one saving grace was its port, Con-
stantza.
A railroad had been built under the
Turks from Constantza to the Dam
ube, which marked the old Rumanian
boundary. There, however, the river
and it's broad bordering marshes
seemed an impossible barrier. Not
until 1895 was bhe great Cerno Voda
bridge over the Danube opened. This
huge structure, one of the greatest
bridges in the world, with it's several
viaducts and approaches, is about II
miles long. It's completion made Con-
stantza really accessible for the first
time and gave Rumania a disable salt
water port. In the meantime many
of the non Rumanians had moved out
of tle 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 Corstantza, the city was large
ly rebuilt, wide streets were provided
and cleanliness and order replaced dirt
and slovenliness.
Constantine a Great Port.
With it's coming into its own as
Rumania's chief seaport Constantza
has been built up along western lines.
Large grain elevators were constructed
to handle the country's wheat ex-
ports. A pipe line was run from the
oil fields across the Cerno Voda bridge,
| huge petroleum tanks were built in
Constantza, and the port became
sort of rival of Batun, oil export city
of old Russia at the opposite end Of
the Black sea. Breakwaters and 9TH
err harbor works were constructed and
the port was made headquarters for
Rumanian naval fiotilla. Little more
than hamlet in Turkish days, the
city now has a population Of between
10000 and $4,000.
There has been a town on the site
of Constantza for many centuries. At
the beginning Of the Christian era
| the town was Toni; and there the
Roman poet Ovid, banished by Au-
| gustus, died in exile in IL A. d.
| Bulgaria's desire to get back her OLD
Dobrudja possession was used during
| the World war when German troops
| led Bulgarian forces into their old
province. Through this move the Cen
| trail powers cut Rumania off from the
sea and brought about the destruction
of the great Cerna Voda bridge. In
case of German victory DobrudJa
undoubtedly would have been restored
permanently to Bulgaria. But when
| Germany was defeated the Bulgarians
saw the coveted region again slip out
of their grasp and back into the arms
of Rumania. Since the World war the
huge bridge and the petroleum pipe
lines it carried have been restored,
the damage that alien fleets and armies
did to Constantza has been repaired,
and the port is again functioning az
Rumania's chief Black sea outlet