Connecticut western news., 1889-10-16
NEW YORK'S SYRIAN KING
TWO THOUSAND OF HIS RACE
 VIRTUALLY HIS SUBJECTS.
A Noted Representative of an Ancient
 People.

A Noted Representative of an Ancient
 People.
 "The man you see coming down the walk is boss of all the Syrians that have landed in this country of late years," one of Capt. Slevin's police men said to reporter of The New York Sun at Washington and Rector streets. ''The Syrians all speak of him as their King, and the neighbors have got so in the habit of calling him King when they have occasion to speak of him at all, that every one that comes down here and sees him gets to know him only as the King. I don't suppose dozen persons have heard his name, for name he has, as l found out recently when l collared some of the Washington street gang for rob- ping him of his gold watch and chain. He announced himself as Monsour Sharbell, which is pretty stylish sort of a name even for one who is called King by his countrymen. Like all the Kings ever heard tell of, and two or three have met, this Monsour Shar- bel is lover of one of the products of Kentucky. He had been dallying with this product of Kentucky on the particular evening when he fell in with the gang and was relieved of his money"
 Monsour Sharbel, the Syrian King, would attract attention in a crowd any, where as man that required ill his making a good deal more and finer clay than most of those about him. He is tall, his features are bronzed, his head is large, and his forehead high, owing to a scarcity of hair. He has a large nose, and the severe rugged look that most people expect in the kings they meet, as we'll as those they read about.
 Monsour Sharbel is proprietor of the Syrian Hotel, 57 Washington street, where large number of Syrian fam lilies lodge. Upon the first floor, up flight of steps, is his store, where he has an assortment of prayer beads and other articles of devotion in show cases and hung from the walls. A hand some bronze-faced boy about 15 years of age was in charge when Monsour Sharbel entered the store and went to- ward the rear door leading to the up- per part of the premises. The few Syrians that were idling about the store appeared greatly perturbed, but assumed an air of recklessness after the Syrian King had gone out into the hallway. John Abd-el-Nour, Syrian who has adapted himself to the free- and-easy manner of this country, said of Monsour Sharbel, the Syrian King:
 "Ah, Monsour Sharbelis of family much beloved and greatly respected in the region of Mount Ararat. Mon- sour Sharbels ancestors were always we'll thought of, and were honored just as much as if they were kings. In fact, they always were called kings. The respect and love which the people of the region about Mount Ararat bear for all the other Sharbels is indicated here in the respect and love for Mon- sour Sharbel. Oh sir, the family of Sharbel are great in that part of Syria"
 Mir. Abd-el-Nour added that Mon- sour Sharbel took no advantage of par ticular Syrians. He gave just as good measure to Syrians who respected and loved him as he would give to Syrians who did not love him, supposing there could be any such.
 The Syrians in this country, Supt. Jackson of Castle Garden says, now number about 2Oo0, including a considerable number of women. Nearly all, the women as we'll, upon their arrival here engage in selling prayer beads and articles that appeal to the religious sense of Catholics. The Syrians walk about the country in order to meet their customers, instead of riding on the cars. Upon arriving here they ask after Monsour Sharbel, and request that Q message be sent to him at his hotel notifying him of their coming. Unlike all the other hotel keepers who take immi- grants, Monsour Sharbel does not keep runners for his hotels in Castle Garden. Some of the Syrians at Monsour Shar- bel's soon appear in Castle Garden, and with many manifestations of delight remove the newcomers to SharbePs hotel.
 It is said that all the Syrians who have come here have made money, as has Monsour Sharbel himself.
 Rivals who have started in the bead business say that Monsour Sharbel is smart Syrian, much smarter than any of them, and makes all the other Svrians work for him. They say that he does not divide fairly with the Syrians. Supt. Jackson says that he