Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-11
CITY CELEBRATES
TOOTH BIRTHDAY
Abo, FinIand's Former Cap
itaI, Wishes to Adopt More
Modern Name.

Abo, Finland's former capital, has
been celebrating its Tooth anniversary.
Turku, also former capital of Fin"
land, has Ito the confusion of the
newspaper reading public been cele-
brating its Tooth anniversary.
These are not twin cities" explains
bulletin from the headquarters of
the National Geographic Society.
Scratch Abo and you will find Turku.
Like many other towns in countries
that asserted their individuality after
the World War; this former Finnish
capital wishes to drop its old label Tin
this case of Swedish origin) and to be
known to the world by a name from its
own language. But habits cling, and
Abo and Turku must for a time live
side by side in the worlds news.
Located on Southwest Coast.
"Abo, or Turku, lies on the south
western coast of Finland, where the
Aura River empties into the Baltic Sea.
The city is almost bisected by the mar
row, yellow Aura, which is dotted with
all kinds of craft, steamers, trawlers,
motor boats and White-sailed market
boats, many of which are painted a
bright red" says the bulletin. AL
though it has more than $4,000 people,
Turku is quiet place, where the Firms
walk leisurely along the cobble-stoned
streets and throngS of people such as
rush down American thoroughfares are
unknown. The streets are traverSed by
single-track trolley cars and the street
lights hang from tall white, handsomely
carved standards.
The market place is the busiest
spot in Turku. Every morning at 6
o'clock peasants and peddlers arrive to
set up stalls and booths in the i'm
mense square in the middle of the
town which serves as the market. Some
come in wagons and some in boats.
The latter can come up the River Aura
and land in the streets nearby. Com
merce is rife until noon. After that
the stalls are bundled up and the
square is deserted except for stray pc
deStrianS
An unusual feature In Turku's food
Is furnished by the mourning cakes
which the city'S bakers cook for dis
tribution at funerals. They are wrap
ped in black crepe and tied with black
ribbon. The variety of cakes in Turku
pastry shop, in addition to these SOM
Der tidbts, would bewilder an Ameri-
can baker.
''Turku is the principal starting point
for passenger traffic to Sweden, but it
takes an experienced mariner to reach
the sea from that place. The town is
protected by the Aland Archipelago.
thousands of islands and islets and
rocks which form one of the densest
island groups in the world. In Winter
an icebreaker is used to keep a channel
open among the islands, and as Fin
nish Winters are long and cold the ice
breakers are kept busy.
'Turku has an anomalous position
1t is Finland'S first and second city. In
population and commerce it is second
to the present capital, Helsingfors. In
culture and learning it is first. Fin
lands first university was located there
and at present there are two such in
situations, one for Finnish-speaking
and one for Swedish-speaking students.
Nations First Capital.
"Turku was Finland's first capital
Christianity was first taught there, and
the first Christian converts we're bap-
tized in the River Aura The oldest
cathedral and the oldest castle in Fin
land are to be found in Turku, and
nearly all the historic homes Of the
Finnish nobility are in or near the city.
With the exception of the cathedral
and the castle, modern Turku has been
built since the disastrous fire of 1927,
when the old town was almost entirely
destroyed in a blaze that burned for
five days. Both the castle and the ca
thedral are grim structures with little
exterior ornament. The cathedral has
a long, narrow vaulted interior and
most of the immense treasure which
was once kept there has disappeared.
Part of the castle is now museum
and is furnished with pieces of old Fin
nish furniture. Visitors can still see
the dungeon, six fathoms deep and
black as pitch where prisoners we're
kept. In the great central hall is a
high gallery from which a cruel ruler
once had unruly subjects hurled to the
floor below. One cell in the castle is
still known as the Indicators resting
place"