The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-01
Talks Very Plainly of the Con-
ditiOns of the Country.
A LIVE SEAPORT CITY.
Has Two Relatives Who Left
There so Days Ago.
Says the Residents Have Long
Been Restless.

Wichita, Sept 1.-The Beacon says:
Just now. while everyone is talking
about Beirout and the Turks, over the
killing of United States Vice Consul
Mgelssen, who it is now known was
not killed but was only shot at, it may
be interesting to know that there are
quite a number of people in Wichita
who have been in Beirout,some of them
quite recently. and to whom the city is
well known. One of these men is N. f.
Razook, a Syrian dealer in dry goods
and notions at 525 West Douglas ave-
nue.. Mr.. Razook, while he has been in
this country long enough to acquire
fair command of the English language,
has visited his native country several
times and keeps in touch with it by
correspondence and by means of a
weekly newspaper which he receives.
This paper is printed in the queer char
acters of the Turkish alphabet-itm might
as well be in Chinese so far as any in
telligence 1t would convey to the. Or
binary individual in this country.
There are besides Mr.. Razook nearly
a hundred Syrians in this city, but few
If any Of them have been in this coun-
try long enough to speak the English
language so it can be readily under
stood.
When a Beacon reported called at
Razook's store to talk with him about
Beirout, that gentleman was not in
but couple of youngsters, probably
aged and 10 years, neither of whom
could speak a word of English were in
charge of the store. One of them a boy,
placed chair for the news man while
his sister went out to hunt p-the mer-
chant. He soon arrived and smilingly
said he had been compelled to make
some purchases at a nearby grocery,
leaving his little nephew and niece to
look after the store.
When asked bout Beirout he said:
"Oh, yes; 1 have been there many
times. 1 know it much better than /
know Wichita 1 have bought and sold
much goods in that city and have lived
there many weeks at a time. though it
was not my home My home was in
the billy country to the southeast of
Beirout, but that was the principal
source of all our supplies.
'Beirout is at the eastern end of the
Mediterranean sea, and is the principal
seaport of Syria. 1t is also one of the
principal cities of the country Only
two others are better known, though
neither of them is as large as Beirout.
They are Damascus and Jerusalem.
"Beirout is to Syria what New York
Is to this country. There are other sea-
ports but it is the principal one, and
there is not Syrian in this city who
ala not take snip at tnat place.
Il was in Beirout about ten months
ago, and these two children left there
about two months ago. Beirout is an
eastern city and it is hard to compare
with Wichita. Everything is different
according to the eastern cities of that
country. The population is probably at
least three times as great as that of
Wichita. OF course. most of the people
are Turks, for Syria is but Turkish
state, but there are many English,
American, French and other people be-
sides large numbers of Arabs. The re-
ligion of most of the natives and the
Arabs is Mohammedan, but there are
many native Christians, and they have
several churches in Beirout Most of
the Syrians who come to this country
are from the latter class of people
It do not know anything about the
killing of the American vice consul, but
I do know that the people have been
restless for a long time. The form of
government, which is an absolute mon
archy is calculated to make the people
restless. The sultan has all power in
that country. and he confers this power
upon his favorites, who are the head
men in the various provinces. These
men collect the taxes and Cypress the
people, and soon become very rich and
powerful.
Il received a letter from Syria this
week which told of trouble between two
of these head men. One of them. Amer
Mohammed Faour. is head of the Ara