The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-22
COLONISTS FROM LEBANON.
Wars or WORK AND LIVING OF TBs
300 sTRIINS ~ rms err.


N-uspap.r SET roll, Dgurzt-t, aad Dee
tarr-Anerlsn. wsrd- Anoue o.ssr
Ar-Nte St=ns-N Pro.p-rous Cs--ssi,r.
The New Yorker who visits the haunts otths
Syrian colony 10 this city eNpccti1z 70 find
himself surrounded By odd remicdets OF Bibli-
cal coun,riss aEi customs. soon learns thN
he has made q mistake. lie drirs naturally
into one o; the syrian restaurants. Of which
there are several in Washington street. aud
reals siges that sav1r very much OF the pres
en.. such as "fuutk.n vie. ) cents" and
Coffee and cakes L." By pushing his inves-
tgattoa FAR enough he ascertains that the
names on the hal'-con 'eaied bottles are noe
OF distinctiye,y Oriental origin. being fire.
quentlI such familiar words as Bass. Hen
messy. aad Bourbon. But there Is nothing
about any Of these restaurants to indicate
that the Anericanized syrian is unduly fond
Of strong waters
The syrian colony cs-trss in Carlisle and
Washington streets, sni It makes more OF .
shoGiug than might be expected OF so small
colony in 50 large city. principally on account
Of the Arabic signs IL dlsplsys. A sign painted
in Arabic characters IL pretty sure to srress
the attention even OF q busy New Yorker. aud
10th Washington and Carlisle streets are well
sprinkled with such signs. for there ar. elsh-
teen Syrian stores In Washing ton street and
Ave in Carlisle besides three in Rector. three In
Norris. three in Broadway. and seven 10 Four
tenth and TrentJ-third streets. Carlisle
street In its old-fashioned brick houses. eon-
tains the homes Of more Syrians than any
9th er street in the city.
It IL easy for an American TO talk with any
Of the male IN embers Of the Syrian colony. for
they have all come here equipped for busi-
ness. and a nouled9e OF the English Ian Ruags
IL one Of the first requisites. Frenchman or
a German can do aim ost as well with them. a.
in ~ ruali 81, Nat -Gs kxsA
those languages. besides having a thorough
training. OF course. In Arabic. At 5 Carlisle
street SCS reporter a few days nRo made the
acquaintance OF Mr. Nicola Nasser. one Of the
bright young members OF the Syrian colony:
and Mr.. Sasssr made written synopsis Of the
size and condition OF the colony with such
speed and ease as to show that the Syrians
keep IN en- selves wea inior N ed Of the State Of
tn cir countrymen in America
Il IL only seventeen years. according to Mr..
Nasser. since the first Syrian came to America
to go into business here. He succeeded so well
that he was coon followed By q few friends
and every year the arrivals have increased TIL
the Syrians In New York now number about
800 OF whom Is per cent are women and
about - per cent. are married. The men have
s.sG IN ns oss q BsyoE AMI osss
Eastern titles FOR bushes. career In America.
and many OF them. besides their business
training. are well up in science and art. 1t II
To this training packed By their natural habits
o, Industry anu I'll rift. that they attribute the
success they almost Invariably achieve here.
=. Nearly 81 tn. Sysisns Ia this city come from
the veini'y OF Moans LsHanon; Those who
that many o:them stoE ia Bey root oae enough
to avail themselves OF Its celebrated colleges
They 60 almost Always into mercantile pur-
suits. and the younx man who has not SUM
shouldeEsa pack. M he has saved en- oush
a hundred 81 these Young men is unable to
converse ruentiy in English. french. German.
ibe syr ans in Washington stree. deal prin-
eipa.ly in dry goods. Iewelry; notions ami re-
own oureSs and agents in France. GermanI.
and EnzLand. Their business almost invArts
hoy sC1a and sood:
for sale IN this country. and export Amertcan
deSf i.s s.J in six soods ortcsSrac. and god
and silver embro.deries, which they import
ir2p Beyroot Dsmaseu. amt con, n
one OF whom il nemb Der OF the stan Of one 1t
the large hosDitAls These men ALI took thsir
second examination Ia this country. There 10
q syrian dentist also. and one sJrian drug
with his countrJm men There Is a syrian news
pspeT. and there are three Syrian ehurehes..
one itrote.,ans; one Msronits Catholic. and
WashiI eton street with about atty pupils aud
schools Of this city. BrcokIyn. and aiea-
There are also ten syrians In the city colleges
So closely do they cling together that only
ABOUT ten Of the t"o syrians In New York are
railroad conductors There are ten young
Syrian women here who were grad uated from
ienee sha. s Nas.er wfSts about HI. County.
men was curious one that the reporter
s Rs 9na Of III, Thae r..
syraIs would prefer 70 live in Sev YORK
Isshsaan T":Grn s9 shsi. own IN, soq,I..I bug
T1e as thru Streets deal rrineiSsiII Ia
TurEsS' syris. and Esypt and Turtlsh soess:
CO. Their business - largely retail though 10
N s re- to take iiEtns to particular Kind
OF articles and buy all they have In stock
indueemsnt to customers in the larxs retail
stores, Down town the Syrian business 10
are peidlsrs The tramping merchant can
here supDlT his pack with almost ANYTHING he
Of the East ut with American novelties and
household articles as wel-soeks and sausAges.
match safes. mogsetraps. writing paper. FIRING
NO newcomer IN New York is more ready to
adopt AmeFican customs than the young
about teaching New Workers TO follow
what he may consider the more eomfost-
full understandings that 70 command sue
cess he must DO as tbs natives do There
whether his way 10 not the wissst for him he
OBJ sets decidsiedly 10 doing business in one
part OF the country and having his home In an
other pGrL some miles away Nhes ne has
store he must have rooms above u TO
quarter his family IN. This 10 hard 70
dad sometimes in the uptown business
streets. bat IL Is always managed somehoW;
and in such streets a. Carlisle and WAShtnG-
ton where rents are cheaper, the syrian mer-
chant in yAriAbly rents the whole house There
is room for the store Ia the large apartment
that Was once the pArlor. and ia the spare
space up Stare there are always rooms 10 rsnt
TO other SyIiAns. Five or SIX years ago the
mOst prosperous SYriAns 10 the city wers eon-
tent to live in VsTy humble IuaEtsrS hslf .
dozen often occupying a single room bar the
American spirit has seized upon them. and
nov theJ MAKE themselves comfortable.
The Syrian knows what goods 10 bring to
this country and What TO ssnd back. for he has
made study OF the SUBJECT The things he
brings here are shoEy ant often costly. b.
cause there Is moneJ here q bur such goods
with. But he sends no such articles back to
his own eogntry. Expsrienes has taught him
what his couutrImsn need most, and he sends
10 syria such cheap and useful articles -
American shoes. clothing. cutlery. and PetTo-