The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-19

The Damascenes are very fond OF their
eity, bat they are notorious for their
Intolerance. fanaticism and cruelty.
writes " +. Curtis from Damascus. The
lIoslems are flfterate and proud They
realize the advancement ard the Superi
Gritty Of tbe West and the comparative
insignifcance Of Damascus in the Affairs
o. ehe world at present after having oc-
cupied SD conspicuous a position Tor forty
centuries. and cannot conceal or reuTess
their resentneut. They consider them
selves Superior 70 other nations. and their
heirlessness makes them jealous and vim
d.ctiVe instead of stimulating them 70
enterprise
whsle foreigners are safe in Damascus
= they OBSERVE the proprieties, they ars
nol allowed So several parts Of the city
and are apt 10 be insulted wherever they
may so. We were warned against at
tending the theater for fear we might
be iostled and otherwise treated rudely;
we were cautioned not 10 go into any Of
the mosques without a military escort;
we We're advised that the people were
making unpleasant comments upon US as
we wandered through the bazaars. but
ss We cid not understand the language l.
made no difference. and no one offered
the slightest violence or showed any evil
dences Of hostility.
Damascus Is the residence Of the gov
and Of the mushir general in command
OF the Fifth arny corps. who has a gar
rIsor OF about 5.N0 men under his com
mard Municipal affairs are managed by
a town council elected by the people.
which includes several Orthodox. Greek.
Christians and Jews but the system OF
assessment and the collection Of taxes IS
atroclous and extortionate. amounting 10
legaIZed robbery. Mosiems suffer very
To- ~ f.rfr r1 fer is
and Jews are the victims of all forms of
official corruption and hlackmail.
The different trades. both mercantile
ami artisan. are organized into guides
and occupy certain sections of the 0a-
Zaars. The guilds are managed very much
Ike trades unions in the United states.
and it IS difficult for q newcomer to OBJ
tain work or 30 engage in business unless
he belongs 70 one OF them. il is i'm
possible for him to follow his trade or
continue i'm business unless lie oteys all
their reeuia ti0ns and observes their time
h0uorcd customs. The hack drivers. the
porters Ut the railway stations and even
the beggars have a guild.
Damascus, next TO Constantinople, is
the most important city of Islam. and is
said % be the best place 20 study that
religion which is the dominant faith of
nearly one-eighth Of the human race
There are 2fS mosques and colleges for the
education of priests in Damascus. OF
these severty-One are large mosques. in
which service is practically continuous.
ana sermons are preached on Fridays
and ~ are chapels for prayers. Proba
tlv one hundred OF the latter originally
he'd schools connected with them, but
they have long since been closed. Edu-
cation once hourished in Damascus. The
city was great resort for scholars; its
schools of theology, philosophy, jurfs-
prudence and logic were famous and Were
attended by students from all parts OF
the AI0slem world. Some Of the mosques
yet contain fine libraries, relics of the
scholastic epoch. but most Of the endow
ments have been dissipated, and there
cept few learned. priests, while the
schools are limited 10 the theologians.
Education is at a very low ebb. Seventy
five or 50 per cent of the people are Hit
crate Recently there has been a spasm
RI reform and 173 primary schools have
been organized upon the French plan for
the instruction Of children, but SO far as
can be learned they are poorly attended
and poorly taught.
Bohammed himself never visited Da-
mascus but, as 7 told YOU yesterday. saw
j. from a distance and turned away. Two
OF his wives and his daughter Fatima
are said TO be buried in the AIakbaret. or
public hurying ground OF Damascus. IN
der a very ancient tomb with an impos-
ing dome. and there seems 10 be no doubt
about the truth of the tradition Mo-
manned was buried AT Medina in 60. and
over his grave rises a great green dome.
lie was born at Mecca in 81. His par
euts were of an influential and even
iIustrious family, but died when ne was
an infant. and left him TO the care of
an uncle. who trained him TO a business
career. and at = years Of age he under
took the management Of the property
Of a rich widow. whom he afterward mar
ried. During a visit 20 SYRIA IN her in
terests he was brought I'm contact with
several learned men of the Greek church
OF that day. from whom he first learned
of Christ and Ills gospel
AIohammed IS called the illiterate proph-
Ct. because he could neither read noT
write, bus appears somehow TO have oo-
taiaed a thorough knowledge Of the
scriptures, and when he was about ~
years Of age began to assert his own
prophetic mission, which his fellow
townsIaen would not rec0guize. and drove
him from Mecca. lie fed 10 Medina. and
his FIGHT known as the Hegira. is con
sldered the most important event Of his
Ge and from % the Mohs mmedans cal
cGlate time as we 90 from the Christian
era
The angel Gabriel. he claimed. revealed
TO him the contents of the Koran. which
we're written 1T his dictatiou upon palm
leaves, stones. pieces % leather and the
shoulder blares af camels and goats. Ar
ter his death these literary fragments
were compiled into what is called the
Koran. and the entire Moslem world ac
caUls IL as inspired ard regards &c with
other book. ITS teachings are believed
I.a ID. q g 81