MOSUL and
NINEVEH
Scene in Mosul.
Jp—most important feature j
R about Mosul. which is begin- !
J§ ni»g to show the beneficial ef
fects of British control, is Its
geographical situation. Mosul is the
m .ding point of roads and caravan
mutes from everywhere. They wind
in through the mountain passes and
■over the rocky highland from Diar
h kr and Ritlls, across the great des
ert from Aleppo and over the sands
fr ::: Persia and Bagdad. Its very
name, indeed, front the Arabic Al
Mnuci’. “the place of connection.” tells
its story. And as with roads and car
avan routes, so it will be. some time
again in the future in the matter of
railways, when the famous Bagdad
line is completed, says the Christian I
’.Science Monitor. At present Ger
many's great effort falls short of Mo- ]
sul by many mil'- in the west and
in the south, and the “ramshackle
city.” as it has been irreverently
called, still depends for its communi
cations on the road and the caravan
route as it lias done through the ages.
Of all the cities In the Turkish em
pire, as one writer hits well said of it,
Perhaps Mosul is the one that has
b“en least touched by western civili
sation. Bunt on ground that once was
a suburb of Nineveh, it stands on the
western hank of the Tigris, looking
across at the mounds which are till
thnt remain of the glories of the capi
ta) of ancient Assyria. Nineveh has
a hlslory that stretches throughout :
period nearly two thousand years
b>og. ending with the fall of the em
pire of Sennacherib about the year
<!00 B. C. From that time until Bay
ard unveiled the palaces of Ashur
hanfpal and Sennacherib, and un
earthed the literary chamber contain
ing the famous deluge tablet the ru
ins of Nineveh for 2,500 long yean:
bave slept undisturbed. As for Mosul
itself. It is particularly mentioned in
all history since the Arab conquest,
and it is a checkered history indeed,
for it suffered pillage at the hands of
Tamerlane, was besieged by Nadir
Shah, and endn - id a host of other vi-j
cissltudes.
Mosul’s Many Storks.
The old town, with its sirnngely j
narrow jtreets. oven for the east, is
surrounded by a half-ruined wall, built
in modern times as n protection
against the Shanmiar Arabs. Every
one remarks on the narrow streets of
Mosul, on Its white, crumbling bon •
on the gypsum dust which falls con
stantly from the walls over everything,
and upon the storks. Indeed the
storks of Moral are apparently it>
moat remarkable feature.
Discussing lie matter one authorltj
tells how. In the cool of the evening,
the citizens of Mosul share their
house!ops with innumerable storks,
who buikl their ragged nests on the t
highest places “in utter disregard of
the laws of gravity.” Four great, pre
posterous specimens of the species
stood, in the early morning, on u wall
beside the room where he was, he con
tinues. and he dimly realized that
they were performing their morning
toilet. They took no notice of him.
But a loud noise like someone ruttling
a *ti<k in a wooden bucket attracted
fcis intention. Then somebody else
with another bucket made a similar
noise in a different key. aud he won
dared what in the world could they be
doing to the buckets. Then it dawned
upon him that half the population of
Most:' must be rattling buckets, for
3in’ sound came from far and near,
Inint or loud according to distance,
nml iu a hundred different keys. Then
co me a loud rattle close beside him.
“Within nine feet of him,” he says,
“stood a solemn stork, the toilet over,
his xtt it tide of graceful balance on one
leg. The nni.se which I had heard
from all over the city came straight
from his beak, the hollow upper and
lower halves of which he was striking
together with incredible rapidity.”
In the Bazaars and Square.
The bazaars of Mosul are not the
attractive places they might be ex
pected to bo In a city of so much traf
fic. As William Warfield says in his
book, “The Gate of Asia," they nr«■
rarely roofed, and are furnished only I
with the commonest wares. The shop- 1
keepers are generally Christians, but i
there are many Arabs. Garden prod- i
uee is often sold in the squares in open j
markets, and at any time venders may !
be seen talking in the streets, with ,
eggs or cucumbers in a basket, while
the mosque courtyards are favored
places for sweetmeat sellers, who dis
play “Turkish delight" on scalloped i
copper trays. The bazaars radiate
from a picturesque a square quite near
tin' bridge, which is the center of the
town. To the south and southwest !
are the drapers, shoemakers and hnr
ness makers; to ihe northwest the
greengrocers, while the potters and
dealers in hardware are to be found
in narrow stores opening on a street
that runs to the north.
As to the square itself, it is. of
course, one of tlit* famous meeting
places of Mosul. Here the caravans
are gathered together, and their own
ers sit on the famous second-story
gallery of a coffee shop, while the
muleteers stroll about the crowded j
place, or lounge among bales cove.’M
with brown and white striped sack
cloth. These men are almost alwa; *
Kurds, those from the southern and
eastern tribes dressed in tunics, zou
ave jacket; and turbans. They wear
baggy trousers reaching to their feet |
which ore covered with brogues of j
heavy hemp or ran hide.
Site of Ancient Nineveh.
For many people the great attrac
tion of a visit to Mosul, the most in
accessible place in ihe sultan's domin
ion, lies across the famous “bridge of
boats” at the other side of the Tigris,
whore the huge, formless mounds, ri j
ing up out of the sand, mark the site i
of tii • ancient city of Nineveh. Any !
attempt to tell the story of Nineveh
would involve a journey back to the j
very beginning of things. Later As
syrian writers declare with confidence
that its story rati hack an a matter of
course to ttic “creation of the world,'
hot. ns a matter of fact, the first firm
ground in the midst of tradition is
reached about the year 2200 B. That
wonderfully vivid period in Nineveh’s
history with which the world. ospi
dally recently, lias become familiar, i
lies between the ninth and sixth cen
turies B. C. In this period the reign
of Sennacherib is of course by far
the most important.
Nineveh, however, depended entire
ly for its greatness and power upon
the conquering spirit of its rulers and
the military glory and powers of its
armies, and when these were ultimate- ,
ly defeated the city fell, never to rise j
, again, and its very site was quickly '
1 forgotten among the nations.
When Hubby Displayed Tact.
Wife—“Please match this piece of
slik for me before you eom> home.”
Husband—“At ihe eouuter where that
pretty little blonde serves? The one
with the soulful eyes anti--" Wife—,
“No. You’re too tired to shop for me
when your day’s work is done. dear.
On second thought I won't bother
you.”
Why Jee Left Home.
“I»>ar Joe—Come home. Forgive
and forget. 1 have destroyed the booV
of war recipes.—Violet.”—Tit-Bit*.
ROAD L3UILDSNG IS BOOMING
| States in All Sections Are Filing
Their Projects and Receiving
Proper Allotments.
'Prepared by th^ 1'nlte i Slates Depart*
ment of Art*culture.)
Since early in 1919 there has been
a steady increase each month in o
federal-aid business in the bureau of
public roads of the United States de
partment of agriculture. States in all
sections of the country are tiling their
projects and receiving allotments. The
road-building era is in full swing, and
it would seem that the end is not yet.
All indications point to greater rec
ords in the months immediately to
come. •
Based on complete reports from 44
of the states cash expenditures on the
rural roods and bridges of the United
States for the calendar year 1918
amounted to $286,098,193. To this
should be added the value of statute
aud convict labor, which cannot be
lixed with any great degree of ac
curacy but probably amounted to not
less than $14,000,000, thus making the
grand total expenditures for the year
$300,000,000. This total is made up of
the actual expenditures for such items
as labor, materials, supervision and
administration directly connected
with the construction, improvement,
and upkeep of public roads and
Better Roads Mean More Rapid and
Economical T ransportation of Farm
Produce.
bridges outside ihe limits of incor
1 porous! towns and cities, and does not j
include any item for Finking fund
j payments or redemption and interest :
i on road and bridge bonds.
The year 101 s offered an unprece
; dented condition in practically all |
j lines of highway work. There was
not only a tremendous increase and
-'xpansion in the amount of heavy
j truck traffic on public roads and an
unprecedented shortage iri regard to
road materials, lalor and ready funds,
but also a decided increase in main
tenance work, which was, however,
partially offset by a decrease in the
amount of new construction.
TRUCKS AND COUNTRY ROADS
Noticeable That Highways Have Been
Improved Along All Motor
Vehicle Routes.
Tn and around nil communities on
motor truck routes it is noticeable that
nil roads have been improved to en
able motor trucks to maintain consist
ent. speed as well as to decrease depre
ciation. Thus the motor truck not
only makes communities independent
of any one particular line of trans
portation, Inr serves the interests of
that community efficiently and econom
ically. These improved roads increase
realty values along tiie routes, cre
ating a higher s'andard of public im
provement and fanning into life a com
munity pride that i< reflected in the
prosperity of that community.
BIG PROBLEM IN ROAD WORK
Not to Show Need of Improved High
way?. or to Raise Money, but to
Spend Funds Properly.
The value of roads to a rural district
is becoming more and more apparent.
The modern problem in road work is j
not to show the need of good roads or
to rah a money. The greater problem ;
before the whole country is to organ
ise so the funds in sight can lie prop- 1
eriv spent. No longer will the rural
highways bo allowed to remain neg
lected. But it. must he remembered
; that with over 2,000.000 miles of roads
in the United States that it is not a
problem to he solved in a month or a
■ year or in several years.
Road Building Rocks.
In building roads the rocks selected
| should possess three qualities: Hard
i ness to resist wear: toughness to resist
| fracture; and binding power to ce
ment rock fragments.
Good Roads Will Be Better.
Good roads will be better when they
no longer cross railroad track* at
grade.
Mean Extended Prosperity.
Good roads mean extended prosper
y to America.
BOYS CARRY
ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL FLAG
‘■ramwigw
Tlu* IIiMisevelt memorial flag at the Troy high sHionl <>n
|,y ■ ehoolhoys of Now York state, ami when it started it had om
ni l Itoosevelt took the oath of ohice as president in I’mlTnlo. A si
v from jiiiiTalo to Oyster Ihiy. It is being earned
>t:it. sewn on hy schoolgirls in the room when f.'olrv
r is being sewn on in each eity wliere the (lag slop*.
INTERALLIED INDUSTRIAL MISSION ARRIVES
Group of envoys from allied notions, here as an industrial tuminittee to tour and study
ditions in tlte United States. In the group are: i'ernaudo Qiinrtieri (Italy). Kugene Schneider
riorimond Hnnknr (Belgium), Hon. <*. Jeukins ((heat Britain), Kdvtard A. Filet.c (<'.
Grand (Belgium)', Aliiert Tirnian (France) and In. I.uigi Luis# (Italy).
> conoinie and labor tv.t*»
("steel king” of France),
S. A.). I.o'jis Cation 1 ■»
GIFT CF A FRENCH CITY
The bronze statue presented by tlit*
oily uf I ><■ Crasse, France, in honor
of |In* r. S S Seattle, tin* flagship of
IJear Admiral Albert Cleaves, the first
Aiiieriean warship to escort oilr trail
ports to France.
Was In a Hurry.
.fames was tin three-year-old sen
of a prominent minister in Ihuigor and
consequent!.'. it was niily fitting and
proper that In- should form tin* habit
of going to church early in lile. Itut
he- was no different from other boys
and lienee couldn't understand why ;
his father had to pmieh so long eaeh |
Sunday morning, and so lie soon began
to ge' restless long before the service
was concluded. Oik* Sunday liis mother
tried to quiet bint and suggested that j
as soon as his fattier said the final
,lamen" they would go home. Imagine
the surprise of that stern parent and
the congregation when in the midst |
of an emphatic* pause in the sermon
James called forili, “Say amen, daddy,
and let’s go home."
Victory Bible.
Victory is to Is* celebrated in th.
publishing world by a special edition
j of the ruble. The issue will have
I many an interesting point. There will
bo a central column of references spe
cially designed to commemorate Pence,
and pages of hand made paper upon
which may be recorded a family roll
of honor, and a like record for friends,
or colleagues once in khaki. Printed
In Clarendon tyi>e, the volume will
come from lhe press which hears that
long-famed name; and a smaller cerlrs
of the work will be Issued nt the same
• me. with other Victorious Peace
i «.ks.
BRITISH FLYERS END A LONG TRIP
Admiral Murk Ket-r (left) :m<l liis Major I’»*:i<-k 1 *•> of tin* British
air service, who recently land'd at Mirada in Mu ir -knit Hundley-I'a^e plan*
after a trip from Nova Scotia that was delayed hy many accident*.
U. 3. TAKES OVER BIG CANAL WITH CEREMONY
. /*&.':■;■. ,■': v..:>t<V<XvAv. /JvssJ!Sf&»il)&
.1. Unmpton Moore, president of the Jmermtl Waterway association. I’hiln
»1 •■ • ? 1111i:t congressman and Republican nominee tor t*iyor of Philadelphia,
: speaking during the ceremony at Delaware City. Del., with which Iho
i States took over the Chesapeake and Delaware canal.
GCRAP3
Id n period of one \enr 7-4-1 parks of
pi;)-, in" (anIs were* entered In tin* sta
tionery account of the national house
jo;’ icprescntntivcs nml paid for out of
j iIn* CMillnsoni fund.
Tin* science of Im'II casting has hern
practiced in one ftngllsli foundry for
nearly 1*50 'years.
Under favorable conditions the steel
mills of t()o United States are rnpa
•'ie of «n aggregate production of M.
i CKK».«tOO gross tom; it year.