Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-18

Syria has been received at the State De-
partment from Mr.. Ravndal. United States
consul at Beirut
Owing largely to emigration to North
and South America" says the consul,
wages in this country have been growing
at such rate that it is no exaggeration to
declare an increase Of 40 to 80 per cent dur
ing the last fifteen years. Wages are still
low, the unskilled iaborer receiving an
average wage of % cents day. l have no
doubt, however, that the age Of machinery
| is dawning upon this country.
Fertile Lands Lie Waste.
Agriculture is the main industry OF
SYRIA but it is in an extremely backward
state, the implements commonly in use
being the same as those in vogue in the
ante-Christian era. Large tracts of land OF
great fertility lie waste and depopuiated,
though showing traces of former prosper
ity and teeming populations. Agricultural
and irrigation machinery and railroads
will prove strong factors in the redemption
of these regions. In the plains of Sharon,
Esdraelon, Hauran, Bekaa, ETC., modern
agricultural machinery has begun to APP
pear, and am glad to report that most OF
it is of American make.
American plows and reapers were oper-
ated in the Haifa neighborhood' upper
Sharon) under the auspices of the Ameri-
can and German members Of the Temple
colony In the Bekaa (Coele-Syria) a
Jesuit missionary organization conducted a
model farm on which was employed a
limited variety of French machinery. In
certain Jewish colonies modern machinery
was experimental with, but as they were
subsidized by foreign capitalists work Was
largely perfunctory.
Use Of Farming Machinery.
TT was not until last year Q9OO that ma
tives of Syria and Palestine began using
| machinery in tilling the soil and in harvest
ing the crops. From now on the use of
agricultural machinery and modern imple-
ments will grow steadily here and there
seems to be no reason to doubt that Ameri-
can manufacturers will control the market
II do not believe there are more than
seventy-five modern reaping machines Gn-
| Guiding perhaps twenty self-binders) in this
district, which comprises nearly all of Syria
and two-thirds Of Palestine. There are
some twelve up-to-date windmils four or
five gristmills, forty olive oil presses, TWEEN
ty-fve petroleum engines, two steam
thraShing machines one well-dri1ling ma
chine, three hydraulic rams, 115 Silk-reeling
factories, one-half dozen licorice root and
| tobacco presses, etc. Reapers, thrashing
machines, gristmills and wind engines came
from the United States. France furnishes
silk-reeling machinery and some olive
presses. Such presses also come from Eng
land, which country completes with Ger
many in the matter of oil engines l have
agitated the introduction of American oil
engines, and a few specimens have been
brought in. They do not seem to do we'll
with Russian Oil. American petroleum.
which used to be in exclusive command Of
this market, is not sold here any more, nor
is gasoline for sale in this country 1 have
also endeavored to introduce American olive
Oil presses. Those in use are hydraulic
presses, ranging in capacity from fifty-six
to 10 tons, with cylinders of five to eight
inches. respectively, and selling for $3.50 to
500.
First Steam Thresher.
Il have personally had considerable to
do with organizing things as to open
way into this country for modern ma
chinery, and have attended the first ex-
periments with our reapers, grist mills
wind mills and thrashing machines. Last
year witnessed the arrival of the first
steam thrashing machine ever seen in this
! country 1t was installed in Coele, Syria,
where 1t created a tremendous sensation
Hitherto all grain has been separated by
oxen treading 1t out or drawing a slab
with teeth underneath around the thrash
ing moor 1t Is method which renders
the grain dirty and causes much waste,
besides being extremely laborious few
Gays ago the second steam thrashing out
mt Qike it's predecessor, made in Richmond
lnd..) was Started on its career of highly
| important pioneer work in the territory
around Damascus, in the presence of MANY
pashas and of the highest officials of the
province, including Nazim Pasha, the gov
ernor general. Through Damascus the
traction engine pulled It's train, acclaimed
by multitudes such as are never seen In
that city except on the day when the an
nual pilgrimage starts for Mecca South
of Damascus lies the Hauran, the eranary
OF Syria. consider the Introduction of
this one outfit as foreshadowing a complete
revolution In the economical conditions of
That region.
Means Of Transportation.
AS to vehicles, 1t is to be observed that
camels and donkeys are largely used for
travelling and transportation purposes. re-
ducing materially the number of carts
carriages. wagons, ETC., required. All the
Hauran grain Is carried on camel back to
the sea. I have met hundreds of camels in
string. silently passing the traveller in
the night Gully and August) on their way
through Capernaum to the Mediterranean
Between Damascus and Beirut freight wag-
ons, drawn by mules, are competing with
the railroad. In Beirut drays and trucks
are used to convey freight from the custom
house to merchants and to the railroad de-
pot. But generally speaking, CARTS Wap-
ons, drays, trucks. etc. are not employed
farms a wagon Of any description is hardly
ever seen. Grain is brought in on the
backs of cames and donkeys. Delivery
wagons are unknown in Syrian Cities
I'm the absence of street cars and owing
to the scarcity of railroads, foreigners re-
siding here and tourists have called into
existence a great number of carriages vic
torias), of which there are 500 licensed In
Beirut and that many more throughout the
Lebanon, where good carriage roads now
exist.
Use of American Wares.
cat Haifa tourists on their way to Naza
reth and Liberals or to Jerusalem are large
y served by two-seated Surveys, made in
Buffalo, N. Y, especially for the rough
roads Of Galilee.
II have advocated the introduction here
of American carriage springs and small
sample orders have been filed, giving prom
Use of additional business. American axles
wheels and horseshoes may find a receptive
market here. We have recently introduced
some buggies, road wagons and phaetons
from America. but 1t is too early to speak
Of their reception in these markets Ameri-
can harness and saddlery are for sale in
Haifa, and are growing in popularity
IAN American automobile is expected out
here next winter. It will be the first of its
kind in Syria and Palestine, excepting a
secondhand Franch machine which appeared
some years ago and broke down on its first
outing on the Damascus road
"In Turkey there is a duty of per cent
N va lOrero on articles this kind