New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-12
A SYRIAN COMMENCEMENT.
scrNEs AT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE All
BEIRUT
, 49, ,cc,s,o A. CORRESPONDENT or THE TRiB, Nh
lFRoM An oO'N'''n N, Tchonon SYRIA, July y.

green vine tcndrils winch ci"'V'i
the arches Of the broad windo" .''T"s"
which | look over the ranges Oh 49,, IT, |
ouon 70 the gllttoring city OF BEIRUT, S'i''o i,'1
itself into the blue Mediterranean ao]cn M.
away $500 feet below this VIZ 49,
village of Abeih, from which write Ai"O''e w.
hundreds of great buildings IN inc CITY, nO"o 49,.
be seen more easily from these mountains 'n''u
main building Of the Syrian Protes'"nV OV ,,a
II, prominence is significant. Inc Hrso ""'"N. ~,
Which assembled last Wednesday evening ior 'he
commencement exercises testified by the'r pi''
orco tn the wide extent to which the American
CoI1ooo &c known and honored. New-fork may
no Justly proud OF this college, and OF the creuo
Of having planted it here. This institution ho'aS
its charter from the State of Ncw-York. It's trus-
toee-WiIl,om 4. Booth. william f. Dodge
n Stuart Dodge, Morris X. Jesup, Ebert b. MUM
roc and A. L. Denns-arc all men OF hoho'"oie
Now York fame The buildings and endo"men'S
arc largely the result of Ncw-fork hpe"h'S,
although many gifts came from other paH'S u
America and from England.
Many. too. are the Newly orlIcrs who nave V's-
itcd IT, Their first glimpse OF It's group oi p"iiu-
inrs from the deck Of the steamer mas pech a u'-
lirhtful one The college campus stretches "io"S
q hirh hill Immediately above the sea- ana cum
monds n superb view of the Lebanon range Inc
a.,1oro cronnds are incloscd with wall which
fellows the windings Of the rounded hills below
Go irregular is the land in surface that the "hoic
cytent of the grounds cannot be seen from any
one MONT. and the impression gwen IS one vi
very large property. The medical school stahuS
ncar the northern entrance Gardens nave peeh
nlanted around it, The walk to the main puilu
ing is bordcrcd on one side by young grove u
mines among which in warm weather the stuuen''
like 10 nestle with their books BESIDES ulc mann
hni1dino with its recitation rooms, library
chanel clccll tower and many-st0rcd dofni-
,or,os one can visit the handsome Preparatory
School and the Theological School oil the oyri'
Mission. which stands in the college campus
Tho presidents house is in bower OF roses honey
erc,Io and other crccpers which in May Iofn d
fragrant mass of flowers. :,
Over this open, broad-viewed campus stroH
lot Of students who at first sight seem u'i-Aiici
loan indeed. Al wear the fcz, except some quicV
| cv,r;otes A large number dress IN European
| costume for their best, but their undress garp Is
HIGHLY Oriental At distance one might Dc eA-
cuscd for asking whether the college were Gu
oducotiorol These long robes lsome OF cotton'
some Of sllO Of gay colors, yellow, blue reudiSn
brown are certainly picturesque, but they 90 noO
SUGGEST sophomorcs, Juniors and seniors. HOW
cvcr if YOU choose TO stop and chat WIFI so'''
handsome young fellow from Lebanon you H''S
find that he will develop characteristics hoO az
toccthcr unlike those Of an American sophoih0'''
~ ..,dorts are fnc-loollng set. They carry
III msclvcs splcndidly. Some OF them 90 "on'''i'
-, tho norollel bars and other simple apparatus
which the outdoor gymnasium ahoruS. AS ~
ooso and oroce Of manner, they share the usual
Cria,,oI boritaoc The veriest freshman will beat
ror ,t once in the matter of pretty speeches.
| III fba
,,ouro fellows nrc high All their studies axe ID
Errlisb How would the American college man
IT. 90 study Astronomy, chemistry history anu
psychology in Hebrew? -. ~,
Tho commencement exercises began WIN thc
boccolauroatc sermon by the PRESIDENT III Dllss'
IN Sunday. July /. The subject was iic
Christian life as a race with us mhdrahoeS anu
cncoura gemcnts" DR.. Bliss simple, vigorous
rnrEsh is well adapted to the comprehension u
these Young Syrians, whose earnest Afternoon l.
always stimulus to the preacher Inc ou"'"S
school anniversary took place i'll the evening" "l.i
BRIGHT. hearty singing in English ana Ar"oi'
IN Tuesday evening there was the prcSiueH' i0
ccntion for the seniors in the literary ana nieuc'
departmcnts Many friends ana remu'es Vi Wv
oraduotcs were present, including some charming
60, ,.o,rc women. The American friends 0
the college were largely represented ana Ihe even
w., ~ ,,s = do1ioltr,l one with Arab and European
music -, IL,
On Wednesday morning n strong WIND pie'
from the west. rolling up great waves whicl
= bro,,o into dazzling sheets Of snowy loan aiho'
ot the foot OF the lofty college campus Inc srao
Mating exercises at the Preparatory Dcpartn'cIl
took place at o'clock. The platform, WIN
, stands in an apse Of the schoo-room was prlii"i
with flags, plants and pots of oleandcr' "iiic III
cnv pcpper-berrcs we're strewn about gTaceiuil
Aftcr the class song in English, to the tune
1 " Marching through Georgia" there came sp"ec
i bv little Lebanon prince, member oil tie a.
' cicnt family Of Shcbah, whose pedigree rams DIV
j centuries beyond that of Queen Victoria III
Iiobncss * a nice. modest boy and spoke prettil
. 4 school is democratic place. and our youh
n fricrd drops his titles while at the college.
o There were dialogues, destinations ana OF
@ tions. much in the style Of American eXh'nluo'
G If This kind. An Arab song to native tun
/ nth iol,es on the names of tho boys was receive
r with enthusiastic laughter We had the Artht
II and Hilbert dialogue from King john Inc
Il WINS n discriminating English essay by your
u Damesccne on Syria and the West with
balancing of the good and evil OF the "cstel
r influence class prophecy was then dchver'
g in excellent easy English by handsome Dru
Is from the Lebanon, "A young fellow WIN cle"'-c
10 features, swarthy complexion, brown eyes III
n beautiful teeth. Some Of his hits on the DO
y were witty and were received with uproaro
!, applause.
"a The National anthem closed the bright, chee
" full exercises and each one in the audience ~
- the English, American or Arabic words accordi
n 70 his or her national prejudice. OF the 70
~ teachers in this department, Mcssrs Bcattic al
to Robinson are Princeton graduates, while Mess
n Iftcmus and Shugueir hold the diploma OF t
or beirut College The two latter are Syrians al
re superior Arabic scholars. They are just col
IS plcting an Arabic grammar, which is to be q
tincuishcd by its system and method from I
- discursvc works on this subject now in use y
~ Bca;tic is the rrincIral of the department
NJ, Visitors to college commencement are acc'
Pc. toned to put short breathing spells between
rs exercises. AT o'clock we we've all assemb
l.. -, In L.. ell Oh L