Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-07-06
AN ORIENTAL EXHIBIT.

Persian Rugs Swords Of Damascus, ant
the Draperles of the Dark-Eycd Haidocs.
The knowledge to be gained by the Wis
itors to the coming Centennial Is faI
more potent in its diversity and charac
ter than can be decided by cursory note
| 1t would require whole tones to tell Of
the wonderful things to 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 II
appals the ordinary brain, are the real
beneiiciaries of its greatness. Men may
dream for years of being able, at some
haunts Of youth, and of gathering treas
urcs and knowledge at the ancient
shrines, yet can fail, perhaps, to recOg-
nize the value of the privileges thus
afforded them by this enterprise. Where
ever float the banners of civilization
there is cognizance of this exhibit, and
the workers in brass and iron, as well rs
of stone, bronze and wood, will HE
them there with specimens OF their
genius to the end that their fame may be
known throughout the earth, and yield
future harvests.
Yesterday | saw dark-eycd, tawny
citizen Of Damascus, who is here for the
purpose Of erecting n 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
boastful words of Naaman, the Leper,
"Are not the waters of ALBANIA and
Pharphar better than all tho waters Of
Israel,n may find their rival in the assur-
ancc OF this sombre-eycd Turk Whose
name is Fares II. Ferzam. Zonnk Mekail,
and home Lebanon, in Syrnio, from
whence the cedars of "The Temple" were
brought as precious woods,) that he
has textiles more than seven hundred
years old, some Of which he showed us,
valued ut something over two thousand
dollars In our money, the colors of which
are rs glaring as though yesterday dried
from tine dip. Perhaps once only in a
lifetime will opportunity be given for II
sight of these well-nigh priceless thin gs.
Nothing more than these, said the New
Orleans Picayune, attracted the atten-
ton of the curio-lovers at their exhibit.
The colors are fadeless, every ounce of
silk being washed boiled and otherwise
tested, till the impossibility of change is
made n fact. He will weave the gold
foil 1lament and the wonderful
threads into cloths before our eyes, on n
loom that has been the property Of his
| family for centuries, as well as the
method of work, materials and secret
'dyes. A genuine Cachemire shawl is
among his precious stores, and embroi-
deries on Grape, with the thread so fine II
seems like n phantom, and colors so rare
they might have been resurrected from the
sea depths. He showed a lace woven from
the inner bark of tree that grows on
pharphar's sunny shores. He will bring
to the exhibit veritable swords Of Da-
mascus, the character OF which has gone
into song and story, and Damaskeening
models-the art Of incrusting wires Of
silver and gold on the surface of iron,
steel or bronze. When Nez, the son OF
Aram, who, according to Josephus,
founded Damascus, little, indeed, did he
dream of its checkered history, or of the
time when bit OF carving, mosaic or
textile from It's looms would be held as
among the choicest treasures of the art
world.