The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-24
Nv WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN

N. X II
William Jennings Bryan.
~cornice. and sections Of the pediment.
How these hu"c blocks were ever
lifted into place is still 4 matter Of
conjecture. no mortar W2S used and,
yet in some places the joints are so
nicely fitted and the stones 50 accuf-
ately cut that a knife blade cannot
be inserted after Il lapse of nearly 20
centuries.
S~tupendous as is the plan Of this
wonderful temple. and elaborate as -
its ornamentation. the most remark
able feature is the size Of the stones
employed. The Gaidc first shows Il
number of blocks about 33 feet long,
II feet high and 1e feet thick. After
ones wonder has a sufficient time
TO express itself, three blocks are
pointed out which Measure GA feet in
length. IA feet in height and Il feet in
thickness. The estimated weight Of
ones of these stones is nearly 1000
tons, and it is calculated that it would
require 10000 horsepower to lit it.
At h quarry a companion block,
y feet long and about Is feet III
height and thickness IS to be seen.
chiScled from the stone about it, but
not entirely separated from the
tratum beneath it. This was proba-
lily intended for the sustaining wall
around the teInn!e. Whether it re
manned at the quarry because the
worn was intCEruEt"I or a tie
builders deSDaired of being able to
move it is a secret which the llV1nG
are not able to reveal. After the de-
cline of p~aganisnl the Christians built
q church in the greet court, using the
stones and pillars for the walls. Then
came the MohammedAns and turned
the courts and temple into Il fortress,
making use of the walls of the church.
\ little way distant from the great
temple is Il smaller temple dedicated
to RaCChuS, which would of itself be
sufficient to distinguish q city but for
its more famous rival. This temple is
about 225 feet long by 10 feet wide,
and Il row of % columns, of which II
are flutcd. surround il. These
column are 60 feet in height II
about six feet in diameter. While
smaller in its dimension this temple
is even more deliberately carved than
the larger one. Some Of the clusters
of grape are less than two inches in
length, but eNquiSit@ly wrought. This
temple is in much better state of pres
crVation than the great temple, and is
therefore i'll some respects even more
interesting.
i :
Emperor William of Germany visit
ed Baalbck i'll 1888 and was 50 in-
pressed by the ruins that he obtained
- i'"h' IIoIl IN Stiitlh ~ IICiI
away the debris. and the travelling
world is under obligations to him for
having made it possible to inspect the
foundations and the ground plan. In
this connection it may be added that
Emperor William seems to axe 4
deep interest in his part Of Asia. He
visited Jerusalem to lay the corner
stone of the German church; he sent
to Damascus a beautiful bronze wreath
to adorn the tomb of the great Mo-
hammedan general, Saladin, and he
a encouraged the establishment Of
German colonies in Palestine. There
are German settlements of conSidera-
bic size at Jerusalem, Joppa and liaifa.
At four places We found German no
tells, and it is needless to say hat
they are kept With the excellence
characteristic of the race.
The friendship which the emperor
has Shown for the sultan seems to be
r~eciproc-ted, for roads were built,
harbOrs improved and many other
things lone in honor of his visit. We
nave heard all sorts OF FumOr as to
the kalseT's intentions, but the only
thing h q seems certain is tina Ger
man influence in his part OF Asia
IS increasing.
While Baalbek contains the largest
ana most famous ruins, it is not the
only place that attracts the archaeolo-
slst: There are hundreds of sites of
ancient cities which abundantIy repay
lne ~eXcHVatOr. Specimens of Creek
and Roman art have been found on
nolh SIDES of the Jordan, as we'll as
along the Mediterranean coast. Tho
tombs have also yielded up their
treasure and the museums of the
world nave been supplied with tear
oottles, perfumed jars, vases, bowls,
scaraps, ancient coins, etc.
The Phoenicians are credited with
having the making of glass ii
me days when Tyre and Sidon were
1helr chief cities. 1t is said hat the
art owes it's discovery to the use of
Saltpeter in the place of stones BY
some sailors h landed at the mouth
OF n river BelOS, near Aka. Finding
no stones upon which to put their ket-
Ties, they used blocks of saltpeter and
were surprised to find hat the fire
mad fused he sand and the saItnetar
INTO a transparent substance. The in
duSIry was 1~naugurated at Tyre and
Sldon and for some time the Pnoeni-
clanS supplied the world with glass.
Inc bOtlleS and vases found from time
10 time in the tOmbs of SYRIA and
egypt are more beautiful than when
they left the HAND of the manufac-
lufer; the outer surface has decaved.
and beneath are revealed all the coIore
OF the rainbow. 1t was the custom to
Ill he tear bottles with tears of he
mourners and to bury them with the
dead.
The scarab which is found so often
IN the ancient tombs in Syria and in
Egypt are h ~Old-fashioned tumble-
pug or dung beetle with which every
BOY, or at least every country OF viii
laSe boy, is familiar. ! little thought
when L used TO see the tumble-bug
rolling his little globe of manure al0ne
the dusty road that he was considered
a sacred insect several thousand wears
ago, or that he was ever Used as a
symbol of the Creator: and vet his
likeness adorns temples and tOmbs.
n his image cut in stone and bear