New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-04-24
From Rev. A. Der qhold.
Beirut, Syria, March 18th 1889.

house in Styira, Austria for America.
AS take my rest to-day, something
unusual for me, many thoughts of the
quarter century of my emigration into
strange countries pass through my
mind lowering from the borders Of Asia
Minor, the cradle of mankind, through
North Africa over Europe to North
America. The loud roaring waves of
the Mediterranean sea. my telephone,
brings me conscious news of the past.
times from the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans and from the lands between
them. Among the news is that ] once
promised you to drop few lines for
your paper. Very we'll, will do so
but you must excuse my sins against
the English Grammar as never en-
joyed English schooling and can only
give what have gobbled up from hear
say. would have written long ago
but it was very hard for me to find time
tor an extra correspondence because
could write only during the night and
then my time was taken up by official
correspondence to other papers and by
my own personal correspondence. [
have travelled over vast territory since
| left New Ulm, August 9th 1888:
through some of the middle and south
ern states in America. through q cir
cult in Europe including North Ger
many Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy
Bavaria, Austria and in Egypt, Pales-
tine and Syria. Up all the time in day
time, I am as weak as the Turkish gov
eminent is.
We poor fragile human beings do Of
tentimes make fair promises but as Of
ten we have not only good excuses bat
also good reasons for not fulfilling
them. The spirit is willing but the
flesh is weak, was an acknowledged AK
iom OF two thousand years ago now to
the letter for you. am sitting in
Beirut on the veranda of the hotel on
whose foundation the waves of the Med
iterranean sea to-day are making such
a noise that my head is really aching,
[ am sure that furious storm has been
raging on her waters last night because
the waves are unusually high. Gigantic
white headed waves are blowing
through the salty waters and tossing to
and fro so that the. snow tinted foam is
bounding over the rocks and stonewalls
more than twenty and sometimes thirty
feet. The wall Of heavy square hewed
rocks that is to shelter about fifty large
boats in q little harbor is sending over
more than pleasant spray of a dust
beaten nature and high flying squalls
are filling the boats half a dozen times
q day and a number of halt naked Ar
abs and Turks are working hard haz-
arding their lives by throwing out the
salty brine where it belongs, in the sea.
Hundreds of dark-skinned and gaily
dressed Orientals are watching the wild
sport of Mother Ocean and her lively
children, while surrounding Mount Lee
banon looks calmly down from her high
throne as if it was wondering at the
Mediterranean strange doings.
The Austrian Lloyd steamer that was
due here last night has not come yet;
thereIs a rnmor that she suffered con-
side ably and is now at Haiffa. Even
If shg would come now. no one could
Ian or come ashore 1t has been Is
hours since the sea has been SO wild
AND no prospect Of . change either
Those who are on land may thank God
| for this favor. [ had fearful night
| from the 18th to the 10Th of March
coming from the world renowned ruins
of Balbek, l left Stor: 40 miles from
here in company of two french officers
on a private coach a half past nine P
I'M. Crossing the anti-Lebanon 1T q
| height of 1000 or 5000 feet. we exper-
fenced such a storm of rain, hail and
snow that after q drive of about three
/ hours, our driver full-blooded Arab.
/ ian, gave out. lost his courage and
begged to be allowed to drive back tt
/ Stora We had great trouble to en-.
courage him to continue the journey tc
Beirut. The higher we went up the
bowling through the treeless Alpine
cliffs and more than once we were in
danger of being whirled and hurlec
/ down to the bottemless abyss below
! Had one of the horses given way to ia
j tigue. we might all have lost our lives
/ was glad indeed when we reached the
plans OF Beirut. The officer OF custom.
being asleep, our driver tried to get hin
out OF the watch house when the hors e.
/ started off into the city and had trou
|, Bile enough by jumping out OF the car
1 rage to catch and to stop the horses
i By the horses running rs they did We
were saved the examination OF gu,
baggage because the great Turkish
i officer of customs when he awokt
could not follow us up.
1 Travelling in Ottoman dominions i
i very bothersome because you have t.
/ get an extra pass port iii the oficia
language OF the country rs we'll as Il
have your baggage shown and exam
med both in coming and gong unless
YOU spend i few francs in the ever opel
/ snands of the respective officers as / iii,
i 1T Jaffa in the Holy LIANT. ha,
|. bought ten cigars and put them In IN,
/ sttcnel, optiina tides. when left Beiru
for Damascus. Examining officer.
found them therein and it took the in
reference of a higher official to save
me from the greatest in convenience
loss Of time anti from great expense
The moral OF this is: Do no: smoke il
Turkey or at least do not carry any to
bacco or cigars with YOU leave the ole