The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-03-30
Damascus.

damascus.
Damascus is the Oldest city in tho world
Tyre and Sidon have orumbled on the shore
Balbec is ruin. Palmyra los buried in
the sands Of the desert; Nineveh and Baby
Ion have disappeared from the shores Of the
rigrls and Euphrates. Damascus remains
what it was before tho days of Abraham
center OF trade and travel, All island Of
vcrdure in desert, "a predestinated capi.
tal,' with martial and sacred assocasio.,a
extending beyond thirty centuries.
II was near Damascus that Saul OF Tar
sus saw the Eight from heaven, above tho
brightness Of the sum" the street which is
called Strait, in which tits said he spray
eth" still runs through the city; the caravan
comes anl goes as Il did 1000 years ago;
there il stil the sheik, the asa and the
water. wheel; tho merchants Of the Euphra.
tea aud the Mediterranean still OCCUPY these
"witb the multitude Of their walters" The
city which MahUmet surveyed from neigh.
boring hight, aud was afraid to enter, be
cause IL is given 10 man TO have but one
paradise, aud, for his part no WAS resolved
not to have il in this world, is to this day
what Julian calld "the Eye OF the East" as
It was in tho time Of Isaiah the Head Of
Syria" tt aaa
From Damascus came the damson, our
blue plums, and the delicious apricot OF
Portugal called damasco; damask, our beau.
tifnl fabric Of cotton aud silk, with vines
and flowers raised upon smooth bright
groHnd; daInask rose, introduced into Eng,
land ia the time os Henry VII; tue pamas
Gus blade, 80 famous the world over for its
keen edge and wonderful elasticity, the
secret OF the manufacture Of which was lost
when Tamerlans carried of the artists intC
Persia; and that beautiful art Of inlayine
wood and steel with silver and gods
kind of mosaic engraving and scuptnrl
united called damaskeening, with which
boxes aud bureaus, and swords and guns
are ornamented.
Il is still city Of flowers and bright wa
ters No streams from Lebanon, the rivers
of Damascus" the "river OF gold" still
mnrmur and sparkle in tho wilderness o
" Lyridh gardene," III, aumt ai
---------ar r.-s----------.-- tI....
In the days of Andrew Jackson. his Post
master General, Amos Kendall, wanting Il
know the whereabouts Of tho source Of ths
Tonbigbee River, wrote for the require,
iniormatio 10 the postmaster OF vinag,
on its course, "Sir," wrote the highe
officer 70 the lower, "this Department de
sires to kuow how fur up the Fombigbe,
River runs. Respectfully, &e.' The repl,
was briel and read thus; "Sir; The Tom
bigbce River don't run up at all; Il run
down. Very respectfully, 30" The Post
master General continued the correspond
ence in this style; "Sir; Your appoint
nent as postmaster at ----- is revoked
You viii turn over tho funds, papers, etc
pertaining TO It, 20 your successor. Re
lspeotfully, &c" The droll naderStrappe
closed the correspondence with this par
ing shot; 'Sir; The revenue Of this office
for the quarter ending September *
has been 95 ceuts, aud lis expenditure
during the same period. for twine and Ia
low candles, was 81 O5. trust my snS
cessor 10 instructed 10 adjust the balane
due me. Most respectfully, So