Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-06

have our representation abroad to judge from. MT. Randall, there is such thing as legitimate economy, but there is another thing which we may call contemptible parsi- mony. No more niggardly scheme has been brought before Congress since it's organiza- tion than this late Randall bill. Doubtless it has ere this been crushed beneath moun- tain of public scorn and odium
 There are British, French, Turkish, Aus trian and Russian postoffices here. Stran- gers must go the whole rounds in order to get the whole of their mail
 One thing Turkish oppression has not been able to do-throttle the press. Here in Bey- rout are concentrated the higher manifesto tions of Syrian nature, and among them, strange to say, is the newspaper. There are half dozen Arabic newspapers printed in Beyrout. Most of them are semi-weekly sheets, and I am led to believe that they are ahead of native journals anywhere else in the Orient, unless it be in Japan. They cer- tainly do not revel in those monstrous lies which form the warp and wool of the Chinese journals printed at Hong Kong. Indeed, the Europeans here, who are not numerically strong enough to support newspaper in their own language, frequently learn of i'm portant public events in other countries through the telegraphic dispatches of these native newspapers. The literary atmosphere at Beyrout which has made this extraord1na- " state of things possible is purely Ameri- can OT1Slu. III Uu0 u1SbAlOu0AOlA VI UAlO mission fields here tacit understanding pre- vails that Syria proper belongs to the United States and Palestine to England. From the first we have sent our best talent here, ot which fact that gifted man, Dr. w. M. Thompson, is one of the living witnesses. Our institutions here to-day are such as make the heart of a travelling American swell with pride. There is @ Sunday school chapel that combines all the most modern con venienees, and would architecturally reflect credit upon it's cause even in your own city. The school has a membership of about three hundred and fifty. There is most fourishing female seminary, where scores of Syrian girls are being at once ed ucated, civilized and Christianized. There is a splendid printing establishment, equipped with three fine steam presses and four hand presses Last of all there is the 'ESyrian Protestant College" one of the mo- blest examples of American philanthropy abroad that the world can afford. Volumes might be written about each one of these agencies for the doing of good. But the briefest possible mention must suffice.
 If you want to have some idea of what it costs to propagate the gospel abroad, come here and inspect this printing estab- lishment. I went in the other day and was amazed at the revelation of facilities. Rev Samuel Jessup, the gentleman ln charge of the work, showed me from room to room, each room revealing some new surprise. There was type foundry, show ing that the mission believes 1n going to the bottom of things. There are stereotype rooms where plates are preserved of the Bible and such other pubi- cations as the mission may wish to perpet- uate There are rooms for bookbinding, and for sewing, folding, pasting and cutting. The apparatus everywhere is the best that London, and New York can afford. was especially surprised at the excellent jobs that were being done in bookbinding. There were all kinds of material from the cheapest paper to the very finest leather, splendidly embos- sed. Every room seemed to be full of busi- ness to the very ceiling. MT. Jessup said that forty hands are here kept constantly at work Among the numerous other publications 1s- sued is a weekly newspaper in Arabic. Doubt. less the outside job work is a larger source of revenue.
 Prosperity is written on every stone in the four large college buildings. At present very large addition is being made to the pre- school in order to meet the 1mpera- tive demands made upon it. These buildings, situated on the promontory west of town known as Ras Beyrout, are the first objects discerned from the steamers deck as you approach the city. They are significantly conspicuous. There is & theological semina- " building, medical hall, a main university hall, and a preparatory ediice. There are also fat faculty homes and an astronomical The attendance in all depart ments is about 175 Nothing could be more in this country of retrogression and squalor than to look into the faces of these Syrian youths as they are assembled at five o'clock on any afternoon in the spacious col lege chapel attendant upon prayers" It is a spectacle which almost redeems the place in your estimation. An inspection of the various college departments is also whole some. Not only are the faculties for the work complete, but there is an air of actual opu- fence encountered. The museum cabinets, physical apparatus, libraries and astronomical instruments would do credit to any except to the very largest schools in our own couI- try. The botanical geological, geological, pathological and materia medica collections are alone enough to make this the literary center of the Levant. I have catalogue, is sued last year, which shows that up to that commencement there had been 73 graduates in the collegiate department, 69 in the medi- cal and 8 in the pharmaceutical, while 329 other students have taken partial courses This has been accomplished in two decades. There has to be a good deal of sitting done of course, in the theological department, for the tares are much thicker than the wheat, and only the promiscuous gusher would think of counting as trophy every student Doubtless many who come to obtain an English education simply after a command of the language, so as to enable them to obtain political preferment. The students are drawn from the ranks of the Greeks President especially at Cyprus)and the Syrian (so-called) Christians. The spirit of Moslem fanaticism forbids patronage of any such "infidel" institution. It must not be con cluded on this account that the school does not reach the classes most needing it's benef- cent influence know of no class of people more in need of Christianizing than these Oriental "Christians'
 There is food for thought among Ameri- can educators in the rapidity with which the native youth acquire English as here taught. After six or eight months of study these Syri- ans are writing original essays in English, with as correct orthography and grammar as a majority of American youngsters of the same age. There are two literary societies, ,one in English and the other in Arabic.
 Under the care of the medical faculty of the college, at the head of which is Dr. Post, is the Johanniter hospital, founded and sup ported by the Knights of the Johanniter or der of Germany have learned to enter tain the profoundest respect for these German hospitals and the so-ealled "deaconesses" that constitute the nursing corps in them Their work has the fullest, heartiest sympa- thy of the Protestant missionaries here, and whenever teacher becomes ill while his family are away on the mountains he has himself removed to the hospital. It is fact that person overtaken with sickness while travelling can obtain as faithful and sympa- thetic attendance as he could in his own house, if he is where one of these hospitals is planted This particular one in Beyrout has the advantage of the superior medical skill of our fine college. The stately building contains 63 pleasantly sit uated, comfortable beds, and has all the appliances for successfully treating the most difficult diseases. About 500 patients are treated every year, half of which number are surgical cases. Daily clinics are held in an adjoining building, and as high as 13, ,000 cases are there treated annually. The students attend these clinics, and thus an army of competent native physicians is being created.
 The orthodox Lutheran church also has a fine mission for girls here, which has the favor of Protestant laborers. never meet one of these deaconesses on the street with put wanting to take off my hat as pass by, m recognition of her divine commis sion.
 The street cries here are quite as novel as hose in Cairo. Of course there is not that of intonation which makes the cries of Japan altogether unique and unapproach- able, but they embody the luxuriant vague ness and fgurative extravaganza which are 70 fascinating to the genuine Oriental. I have mad many of them translated, and find them 70 far fetched and metaphorica1 as to be all