New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-23
ROWERY BOYS AT BAALBEC
THE HEART OF SYRIA STIRRED BY YANKEE |
NOTIONS.


,r,o, . =, orc sroxAt CONFECTIONERY OF THE TRIBUNE
BaaIbec, November Is.
storm Of wind and rain with cola that houriy
threatens snow, has kept us for four days IN
this aat-roofed town, bearing tho same name as
the splendid ruins in the gardens beyond III
ia not. however, of Baalbec that am going 70
write but of the district just beyond the mountain
pass-7 900 feet and more above sea level-oVer
which we crossed on Thursday. On Monday Oh
LASH week we rode into the district OF Bsherreh
after a tour of a few days over the lower slopes
NJ the Lebanon An immense amphltheare Oh
mountains-the highest peaks OF the Lebanon
walls about the district TO north, east ana south'
while the west is open to the seabrcezeS Inc
basin thus formed is cleft by the valey-gorge
of the river Kadisha, in places couple OF
thousand feet deep II was still early IN th'
afternoon when we approached the valley o'
Hasrun. Gardens green with walnut, mulberry
ord ,ru,t trees varied with the tall, straight
silver poplar make pretty frame 70 the square
10 hpilt bouses Water abounds, flowing ever
where in little channels. Our mules were aheo
of us. having passed us when we stopped y.
breath. The cook had received instruction :"
look for level place near house, which I'snO
afford us shelter in case it raincd into the V"~
However he thought IL best TO leave t VhU
furled and when we arrived we found o. o
ready to be put up in the best chambe VI 0n.
priests house From the roof openin ou0 Oh
the best chamber voice called down 10 Us III
English
"Welcome, gentleman I bin in your coun-
try; know Ncw-York, bin in MilwaiKee OnIo"-
20. Topeka, San Francisco, and N"V-SieNlco'
The speaker was a lad of eighteen or twenty
dressed in European clothes witt an hIao ieN.
He was the priests son-the tsser cierey -
the Maronites maryland son the lno''''i
and younger children were gtnered aoou' 10
as we made ourselves at home ipotalrs. r'eSen0
" we went out for walk. Inc VlIhge ie'oAi
bles many others which We have visited IN
Lebanon-resen.bles them IN its appepanoc anu
the appearance of It's inhabitants. Fio great
disoraro. became annarert. copely woman
looked out nodded, and said, tuhoa' Up
stepped another, smiling and reparked' how
you gettin' 'long2' A nan stopeo as nc p's'eo
ns with aGood morry, gentlemen. We Know
America berry weno 1t 'as oew1lderingi
Tbeso natives in the heart Of tie Lebanon, dressed
lilo anv other natives, cropping up on every
side. and addressing us IN Figlishl had heard
that many people had gonf to America rom the
Psbsr,ob district Indeed | once came across
fifteen Of them encampeS under tree near the
old town If Deerfeld. Mass But TO find this
,o,,r WITH ca strong n Yankee flavor was sur
nrso indeed lite chap, with red and
HAL, can and l,ni9Serboc1ers, stroiled along
With ma bie hands hrust deep in his pockets-a
regrlar little Rov%ry boy, a New-York gamln
peter had lxnoced about the streets near the
Ratterv betweer the age of seven and nine, and
tho result was hat Syria and the East had been
ante knocked out of him, while his parents, l
fancu remaaed essentially Oriental He was
rather inclaed to turn up his little nose at
Hasrun.
-" AIM, no peanuts nor candy" he grumbled,
with no perfect accent of the BoweHy.
PRS ancestors may have lived in Hasrun
hundeds of years before America was discovered;
tboI probably did, as the Maronites have held
fas to this district
What did you do all the time in New-York?"
islSed.
I" Oh. play wild de boys, and sell for my fader"
40 replied; and added. " You know Miss --p
She lives in - street. naming a street on
Murray Hill, the proper distance from Fifth-ave.
I discaimed the acquaintance I" She thought
a heap of me- he said; s. used to go and see her
every week"
"well, I suppose you thought great deal
of her?" Yes" the rogue replied. She was
my mashI'
Hastily resorting to Arabic-a language which
contains absolutely no equivalent, however re-
mote, for Peters expression-I advised him that if
he couldn't make better use of his English, he
would better stick to Arabic too.
Oh, l was only foolin'," said the boy; and
the conversation turned. Any one who has been
in the Orient will understand that by this time
my mind was in decidedly topsy-turvy condi-
ton. In Syria Irritation with its vocabulary is
IL ,1,0.. &f,ofwx
arranged by parents. Peter had indeed become
Ofcidentalized
We spent a couple Of nights in the priests
house and held huge receptions All the re-
turned Americans" were interested in our visit
and many called 1t is astonishing how they
have thrived One man took with him $500
and in a year and three months returned with
81 900 Another had capital worth $1,000
and returned with $4,000. They told us some
interesting stories. Some impressions were anus
ing Others painful One man with a nice wife,
of whom he seemed very fond, had poor opinion
of domestic felicity in America. According to
him the women have the better Of it This
same man said that he felt the same pleasure
In seeing US that he had In coming across
Syrian in the States Various estimates were
given Of the numbers in America, North and
South Hundreds" was the usual description
Some arc never heard Of Some barely get on.
Others return and build fine houses-fne for their
district-and become proprietors where before
they were peasants The emgrant idea seemed
quite lacking Indeed, have talked with dozens
of men and boys in other parts OF Lebanon and
have found that the spirit Of adventure moves
ALA desire to make lot of money in few
years and thcn TO return and make for them
selves new and better position. At first these
Nt~ri tOoir Dp1a al .IprnSalpm
Damascus "I took goods for Catholics and
goods for Protestants-all kind goods" said one
lad 10 me. Then finding that they could live
some of them would fit up cart with all
kinds OF eoods-sOme taken from Marselles
others bought in New-York-and 60 about ped
ding, making enormous profits. Syrian in
America will do what his pride would not per-
i'm 10 Il Of hmm " No Nvnnld know