Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-05
pAMAscus rAe ANolENr.


rIosioms steadily Growing Riohcr, Chris.
tiLns and Jows Poorer
The British consul Ia Damascus, IN a re.
port issued Wy the foreign ONCE, gives some
interesting information la regard To the
condition OF shat city md ia uclghhorhood.
Damascus sends 10 Beyroot and other
towns ia Syria -four, grain aud fruits,
while ia regard TO the neccssarios Of lie
IL Is practically SELF supporting. with che
exception OF Manchester manufactures.
Cotton goods were formerly all homemade,
but the great oheapness Of British cottons
bus destroyed the home production. The
trade OF the place IS almost stationary from
year. 10 years 70 there Is an increase ~ the
trHde IN an article one year thoro ~ "a cor
responding decrease che next, for luyurcs
are scarce aud the ntCcgsnries OF lie win
only liuctuate with the population, while
the eXports depend on the harvest, which
rarely fails.
Tho population Is given &C 10000 Of
which about 10000 are Moslcms The
number Is supposed TO be increasing. but
Il must be slowly, for tho old walls atll
surround the greater part Of tho popula.
ton, aud the houses built outside are very
few. Tho poverty OF che Christians and
jews Is remarkable, the Moslema having
OF late year absorbed the trade mud wealth
which were formerly In the hands OF the
others The Alodems steadily increase In
wealth, while the Chrstianh and jews ~
steadily decline This unusual State Of
Things ia said TO be duo TO the loss OF the
through trade TO Bngdad, 10 the Difficult.
tlea which those who are not Moslems cn.
counter In hualneBs, aud 20 Tho insolvency
OF the government. The Damascus bonds,
which were ropudiated ~ the extent Of
100000, were mostly held by Christians
and Jews, and the reputation was heavy
blow 20 them.
But IL appcHrs that the wealth OF the
place hns considerably increased IN the last
thirty years, and it Is probable that Da.
mRsous will still further increase when
the railwayG now projected from the coast
are constructed The expectation Of liquor
ice root, however, seems 70 be doomed by
the discovery al roots Of a superior quality
ia Asia Minor aud elsewhere. Aprcots
form one Of thu chief products OF Damns.
Gus. II is estimated that Ia a good year no
fewer than 1900 tons are gathered. Large
quantities are sent fyeah into the neigh.
boring town. and villages, while tho rest
q dried or mnde into paste and exported 10
Egypt. Hemp, too, 81 an important local
production.
Local industries are numerous aud some
are Of Importance, Tho chief Is weaving.
There aro about 1900 looms for cotton,
wool and silk weaving. Tho FIRST produce
calico, curtains aud divan covers the ma,
terini used Zoe The long coats worn hy
Aoalems, aud for the cloa!.s which cover
the native women from head 60 loot a
hand loom can turn out thirteen yards 81
striped cotton cloth per day, bat the aver
age day. work does not cxcecd eeysu ynrds.
The cotton looms arc constantly ~ Work,
while the wool and silk looms are frequent
~ idle. The manufacture " ropoe harness,
hammered iron, copper and brnsswork
are among tho other industries. The or
namental brasswork and mother of pearl
inlald work are chiefly supported by trny
elers, who pay exorbitant prices London
Times