The San Francisco call. [volume], March 03, 1907, Page 1, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
The San Francisco Sunday Call.
Magazine Section
A SAN FRANCISCO
WOMAN IN
TROUBLED
TANQIER
Louise R. Hatch
(Tfce mlhor -'\u25a0 of ?{hu: article: is. a: teacher, in itjrecc Mana
Crammar School, San Francisco, n<ho U spending her vacation
in Europe.) \u25a0•'.: : i ':\u25a0\u25a0",'.:\u25a0 '-'\u25a0 "\u25a0'>'\u25a0\u25a0".:'\u25a0 V '.„\u25a0:'. :; ." •; \u25a0_['.': _'. -.
..\u25a0;:\u25a0; ; -'. Tangier, 1 Morocco, February &.'.[-
NOW. that is appearing; so frequently
in .the .news columns :attd ; the, eyes 6f the
: world. are watching to 'f ee^what will happen
next,- perhaps . a few personal: lines from the
pen of ;^om^ iS^^mt^^^ i u^^ !
Includes this city may be of intertst: Tangier, is
certainly V»/wwt\w^.e^)iijpTJs^^ip»;wiPt!rci^?3t«
equalor, its beggary, its J.filth md diseased in' fact,' its
everything that goes to make. iup.tKe city, arid .no
where west of ; Cpnstantmopjc \ -can .such '•\u25a0'. sights •' and
. sotmds be. seen and ;heard.- f- '\u25a0... '\u25a0['\u25a0 \u25a0\u25a0[ -'v^.:' \u25a0 \. 11-::.1 1-'' : :. ''
After five or 'six -.h'our.s 1 ' sail frbrii Cadiz. our eteamer
enchored about a. quarter- of -a-, mile from shore; but
Tangier still ..remained the pfo'mised-iand, for-' there
was no visible nieans : of r'eachingj itvaril^s's it." should'
be by the clumsy but rapidly approaching, royfboats
filled with standing . oarsmen. \ -These . pictu'resqua
Moors with their quaint, twisted turbans, their bibusy
trousers, broad sashes and 'bare legs' 5 and feet were
6oon scrambling up the side of our vessel, and cold
shivers ran over' me, .'for it takes 'n.b %'cry .liv-ely:
imagination to transform 'these \u25a0*sharp-C3-ed, seriousV
Visaged Africans into prowlers of the sea, while' the
wide sashes wound around" their waists would make
a cozy nest for a dirk. However, these particular
one?, proved harmless, and with little ceremony we
were hustled down the ladder and dropped adroitly
from the end of it into the boat below. ' . ; . .
And now one approaches this Oriental city of the
west, the city where the. Christian t-s and has' been
for centuries an unwelcome guest within its gates,
end where, he- is riot. allowed to defile its mosques
by his footsteps. But on our approach we conceived
411 this to/be a* mistake, for we thought; siirely/tHat
the .dignitary standing at the end of the wharf must
been. appointed to meet and welcome us, ior- is
"it Governor Raisuli himself? He stands, there, a "
xnoat imposing figure with a long, flowing. .white
robe draped -about him and wearing; a "red fez \ with '
'a.^whlte. turban twisted, around it. * He certainly
•eems delighted at our coming, \u25a0 for long' before we
• can ht&r his voice he welcomes "us with wild, grace
ful gestures^ He is quickly r joined by others, who'
enter the scene with lordly strides, and. who are
equally vehement «hd gracious until a* committee of '
thirty or more are shouting their greetings,, and ; we
Ere sore that they are at least offering >us the keys
«f the city. We climb the steps of- the wharf; amid >
a perfect bedlam of voices and flourish 'of arms, r and
are immediately ' surrounded by) a ' small army/of : rcd :
fezzes and flowing robes, each one claiming the ex
elusive privilege of escorting us~wher.e? Alas! to
the hotel for which he is an ordinary but most : un
common runner.-* •
Jn; our chagrin and disappointment our minds . re- :
rert to the good old days at home, and the -echoes
of the resonant "Russ Souse," "Lick Ouse" v : and
Otel" sound like strains from Heimweh."
This certainly, is bevyildering, for.the^MoorsMoinot^
hesitate U> lay hands upon us ; one • takes me by \u25a0
the arm and tries to lead me away, another assures
me that ! bis. hotel.' ls 'far} theibestrandii puts : hls jhand-'
to'rny* back*,t6;'add*ffp*rce «to- his 'powers,'.
:but-:ljStand*firxn/» clinging^ to /the* nearest /American,
coat tail;. arid. then and; thereclileariiedUbJsyiVpathtze"
with * the v woman wKq;- uiidcr the (same] circu ins taiices,"?
stood' arid \ wppt) until i rescued* by ? ; at gallantiEnglisii-;
man'."*.ln \u25a0 this same / Englishman'jwe^recoguized '\u25a0 our,"
salvation, for he usually > stands^quietly .by ,'f watching -
and perhaps "enjoying; the" 'scene,'' until TthWVjssycHo-''
logical moment* when jhejSteps 'upywithT'^VyouldTyou;
like ; a - nice, quiet; ! hotel ?" 1; \W6uid ",
we ? H is ; wo rds/ sound >al nibs t [ like; irony,*- but
less -to say ..we are sobnJaway ;fro(m*th«tl' i inaddening?
crowd" and threading qurj; tra^^irTO^lKiX equally'
bewildering one/ f or ; the* narrow, I ; crooked ; streets i are ;'
actually swarming,, with, life^;.,- . i-,->;.i -,->;. v-i , .-0.'j"..;... f
, The [ city* is^ beautifully r situated oh \u25a0! " hill*/ risiij>
\u25a0 i! m ?.?* j ' *? c c r . - ; f rpm^.tYie \Wa t c jr^s •> c dg'ci'^a n d^canjjbba st :)
, rcsu|tj.. of- the 5 advent* off the-, unwelcome '. Caucasian*'
etl !/£ I^' a r eYjpaVe <j 1; Jbut fas ; aTrul e^ toojnar r o w*
, t o] idmiUof^ I ufe wal k ;sif^d|asta|c^se^e'ricefwe;'aVe^
:*9oo]*plodding^^
f oßting^yitli i (t^h c f 1 i U^e | &u rr r o .* -T h i s^' u^'f oVt un a te 1 ii 1 1 j c"
creature us^hcrclliteraily>the^ beast r of '-burclenT fori;
th'ertT a rei ho* wagons* m "use 'in tT^ngief,' nor^in jf act/;
conveyances of 'any"; kind;' v so ; burdVns^of »;iniineh*se J;
bulk^and* weight* are T ?heapVd|upon .fthe'-back and'th'eadi
of^tn'e^long-suffenng^bur^ cruelty*,- of *| the j
M_6or9*»tojtallj.animal»|is*iomethJngjVppa^
th cmgix' 'th'ere is^ a'ujociety: f or] th e'; pTeventionTof'cnieity^
to.aniiw^i^awsjdo^noi : seem.tOjbejenforcedLS x / \u0084
:j^Tlk-costtime>^f?the^en^i9|as^pictures^uei'a3*it'i
i«, varied; '.colortd-bloomers; and- velvet i boleros^ are« :
sometJrnes(seen, but the * more popular; dress .consists
"of .wHite\bl_oomers with-a;long?cloak of'white mate
rials, o.rcsembling; Turkish toweling, <which; is- Avoyen
;h*ere: : by;the r old-fashioned hand loom!'. : The - : -'poorest
class; wear, a\sort ; of burlap cloak and, the .turban con
sists;>fttv?inc/twisted(afound' the head; • The -fed; fez
,'in'dicatesVtlie 'unmarried "Moor, and 'if , the white* turban
is eh twiiied' about it; it -is :a warning to 'the >blackr.'
eyedrbeautie's hot to^ peep .over the veil which-is}gen
"erallyj- drayvn over ;the : lower. part oHhe, face, for this.
is <f a'vb*enedict; ; .^or 'sometimes j one jwhoihas^niade'. a.pil-\
is worthy; of honor and
nowri^ThisTm'ethbd j pointing 'out to- the world the \u25a0
unmarried man— in other "words^ separating, the' sheep
fromlitliefgoats^s*:. to ;be ! highly/cbmrn ended;; and ' it -is
tpcdwill^be; a'dopteti/ in \ other •\u25a0cbuntfie's besides
oro'ecp.'.' *.;';" '\u25a0'' -J : \u0084; . ;•'";' ',: . '-'
'X^Tlie.' women wear -no I hats, customarily
botiij lieadrandTbbdyJinja 1 single- garment of white,- or.
wiiat^sHbuld J.be\ white ; s the .poorer; ones ; using r burlap. :
Iffn'otl young; or i pretty, Vthe '-cloak' is -'drawn : tightly:
over the face, sot tliatlthe eyes ; alone are visible : Z but
thejbeautyiisoftenia -.little_, careless aboutthis:and air
lbws^lt i '..t6?drop;;or.'.wears a. veil which" half conceals*
a^dfjialf.^reveals.' V^hcTpobrestVof .;.the women— and .
thlTirname is legion^are icantilyclad in a single robe,
which \u25a0 serve? »s blouse and skirt,, and. stowed away
some wh ere? in i : its t dirty/ folds, 'can usually; b'e ". found a
t'ihy" baby. , pe v accfuH'y~sleeping, happily" 'unconscious "of
th^ftragc^j^iirjyvhich. it. ii to. take a part. '•"Afc 1 w~oi :
iHillcfasslqilivomen- have » the! feet and /legs.' swathed "
and'bouhd^witliiStripsofiburlap/but the majority^ plod
albngYunderi'.the :heavy. burdens borne " upon : h'ead/. or v
backr^with'no' protection"' whatever. •'Children^ as 'a '
rule, •, are ,-not \ ill-treated, sand seem to be happy, al- .<
though ; diseased,^ mange 'being- quite cora
mpmamon&l^nem^as^well' as ."eyeldiseases,- the; treat--,
ment* for. ;whjch^s} branding around the. eyes with; hot •
iron's. 1 / r-. { ;V .- 1 /'.^*.' ",.',\u25a0 '''-..' \u0084.-\u25a0/\u25a0 . '-. '•\u25a0 .\u25a0 '.t:. t : .. 4
» SuchV stbljdityicombihediwith i such>, a .< struggle j for •
B^^^^^^ t^V s -^. s truggl c ends l
Mi^^^^^^^^^^ll^^!^°^^^ e^^ °^ cases or
-. •-.;:••.\u25a0,....-.•.•\u25a0..:>\u25a0•\u2666; f . \u0084 -/v ';\u25a0>:\u25a0.'•;'\u25a0> >..<.-\:..^ •\u25a0..\u25a0.\u25a0:\u25a0.'\u25a0 \u0084•\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0.•';.•\u25a0:\u25a0.
V:another—the'struggle to Hnd.some place In which to •
•lie dOAvh/^ndVsleep;:; After nightfall the- streets ara .
: /actually: lined Iwith these' homeless, ones,-who wrap
s their burlap\about"them^and",lie on:' the. weti muddy
\u25a0'\u25a0•stohc3^'orVif^particii?aflyyfbrtun^^ threshold
> and. there; He .'doivii to v'pleasant > dreams." /.Those ia
y the .little'tents; of ' the market "place*' whom we. hava
;before...;.pitied/:'.yre'-'cdrnfprtable '\u25a0'\u25a0)'."in comparison,
• although*-.even .there•fivevbrfsix huddle together In a
-.space" hardly, large enough, for' one; seemingly' con
tented in spite- of the* bare- ground 'on. which they
sle.ep'. -Qne'^yohders at. the. fact that, there" are no
.T.suicides"among.them,-for how can -a sentient creature
submit:-wilH;ngiy' to 1: such:conditions, .even if it'is the
will of \u2666Mahomet? , Occasionally they are reminded of
the side r of natures" by one of-their holy men
striding,through(the.'streeti crying as;he-goes, "God^
only is'; God- and Mahomet: is his. prophet," a text
from the/Koran'which 13^ woven into:their embroid
eries,''worked'into .their- carvings. and .which appears •
".everywhere "i.n :tbe" Alhambra-.in :Granadai But can
. these^be*'.the .Moors'.who. invaded Spah;,
"threatened Europe, ;and s left behind them ".marvels of
art.'ahdVarchitectufe^ wherever th'sy conquered? It
seems" Jmpossfble that they arc of tile tame race, for
: there: is ihere to vindicate or ambi
* tipn.;. They {possess • self control to a marve!oua de-
( gree .and are except -. when dealing twltll
..'Christians;:whom .they regard" as tlielr legitlmata.
\u25a0rprcy;: \u25a0'-..; \" . , ;;.\: J/ - . r^.
..l-'Many - times; we heard voices raised in argument
overJa sale, and* just,as'riiany-times, were sure wa \u25a0
were about to witness, a murder,,but |he trouble was
always'settled'either by themselves or, if-kept up too
longfby,"an»officer,'*whose only insignia of office vrzs
'a. gun, i 'who)!marched the offenders to the gateway
Vhere the. Judge'heldjcourt in' the.open street. Here
each.: offender Nells," his story >to 'a self-constftuted
lawyer,' who," in; turn, ;lays' both -sides, of the' questloa
•before i the VJadge-lASometirnes: there i-I» «' dls
missaU sometimes a?fine," and: sometimes a flogging,
;''.' ;'
(Continued *on next pake.)