The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-07-19
Az ORIENTAL EXHIBIT.

cersian Rags, Swo, Is of Damascus, ant
The knowledge t. be gained by the Wis
ftors to the coming Centennial is far
more potent in its diversity and charac
ter than can be decided by cursory note
1t would require whole tones to tell o.
the wonderful things 20 be seen there
The whole world, it may be said, has not
been slow to bring its manifold tribute
The scientist, no less than the artist, OF
mechanic, may stand amazed before the
cosmic vision. The witnesses to the re
suit of this scheme, SO mighty that /.
aQpals the ordinary brain, are the real
beneiciaries Of its greatness. Men may
dream for years Of being able, at some
period Of their lives, to traverse the
launts of youth, and Of gathering treas.
ures and knowledge at the ancient
shrines, yet can fail, perhaps, TO reccy-
nize the value of the privileges thus
afforded them by this enterprise. Where
ever foat the banners of civilization
there is cognizance of this exhibit, and
the workers IN brass and iron, as well as
Of stone, bronze and wood, will HE
them there with specimens of their
Known throughout the earth, ana yield
future hnrvests.
Yesterday I saw 4 dark-eyed, tawny
citizen of Damascus, who is here for the
purpose OF erecting a booth in the de-
partment OF arts for his textures, the
like Of which was never before the New
Orleans Fair shown in America. The
'.Are not the waters of Abana and
Pharphar better than all the waters of
Israel" may find their rival in the assur-
ance of this srmore-eyed Turk (whose
name is Fares II. Ferzam, Zonnk Mekail,
and home Lebanon, in Syrnia, from
whence tho cedars of 1.-THE Temple" were
brought as precious woods,) that he
has textiles moro than seven hundred
years old, some Of which be showed us,
valued at something over two Thousand
dollars in our money, the colors of which
are as glaring as though yesterday dried
from the dip. Perhaps once only in
lifetime will opportunity be given for a
sight of these well-nigh pxdceless thin gs.
Nothing moro than these, said the New
Orleans Picayune, attracted the attcn-
ton Of the crrio-lovers at their exhibit
The colors are fndeless, every ounce of
silk being washed, boiled and otherwise
tested, til the impossibility of change is
made o fact He will weave the gold
foil 6lament and the wonderful-hued
threads into cloths before our eyes, on a
loom that has been the property of his
family Tor centuries, as well as the
method Of work, materials and secret
dyes. A genuine Cachemire shawl is
among bis precious stores, and embroi
deries On Grape, with the thread SO fine it
seems Like C phantom, and colors so rare
they might have been resurrected from the
seq depths. lie showed lace woven from
the inner bark of O tree that grows on
Pharphar's sunny shores. He will bring
to tho exhibit veritahle swords of Da-
the character Of which has gone
into song and story, and Damaskeening
,no6eis-the art Of iDcrusting wires of
silver and gold on the surface of iron,
steel or bronze. When Ncz, the son of
Aram, who, according to Josephus,
founded Damascus, little, indeed, did he
dream of its chockered history, or of the
time when o bit Of carving, mosaic or
textile from Its looms would be held as
among the choicest treasures of the art
world.