Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26

time he returned to this mountain where
he saw two birds fighting. At last one
killed the other and it then washed and
buried the one slain. Cain did likewise
with Abel. and straightway there sprang
up seven oak trees. which are pointed out
to this day.
According to the same authorities Seth.
Adams son, who took the place of Abel,
lived on the western slope of the LeDa-
non range. and his tomb is still there. A
mosque is built over it and the tomb
may be seen through an ircn gratin".
1t IS eighty feet long, but the people
living in the village nearby say that il
was too short notwithstanding and that
Seth's legs had to be doubled up in order
to fit. Not far away is the tomb Of Noah.
which is forty feet longer. 1t also has d
mosque connected with it.
The distance from Damascus to Beirut
is ninety-one miles and the first -class
fare Is just under 81. or more than :
cents per mile. BY second class it costs
over cents, and on the third class
or the mixed traits it is less. Travellers
are recommended not to take the third
class. and ladies should always go first.
The first class has compartments eight
feet wide running across the cars at
right angles with the engine. Each COM
partment has two cushioned benches fac
ing each other. its sides are walled with
windows and there is door at each end.
The conductor does not go through the
cars. but collects the tickets from the
outside. walking along a step running
the full length of each car and holding
ON to an iron bar which Is fastened to
tie outside some distance above the step.
The road is picturesque and gives mag
nticent views of the Lebanon mountains.
The track winds its way up and down the
hills, and tho western side of the range
is so steep that the cars are taken uD
on EGGS. after the same manner aa on
Pixies Peak. Mount WASHINGTON and the
Riei. There are twenty-five stations.
III
The passengers are made ND OF the
cong Omerate mixture of humanity found
in this part of the orient. There are
scores Of Syrians in long coats and
trousers. some wearing red fez caps. and
others having turbans or handkerchiefs
wrapped around their heads. There are
Turkish officers in uniform. with swords
at their sides, feZ-capped boys in silk
gowEs. and other Moslems in turbans
and gowns. There are Mohammedan
women clad all in black and wearing
black wells. There are pretty Greek girls,
with bare faces. brown-skinned women
from the mountains. and Bedouins. who
have ropes tied about the kerchiefs which
half shroud their fierce features. There
are also PersIans. Druses and Christians
of all sorts and conditions.
The trains go slowly in climbing the
mountain. The average express makes
less than sixteen miles an .lour. and the
mixed train takes twelve hours for the
ninety-one miles.
one of the chief subjects of discus
sion in the Turkish empire at present
is the opening up of the rich valley of
the Euphrates. This is the region in
which Babylon and Ninevah fourished,
and it has some of the best lands on the
vl.,hn l.o hna cfnA
that it was the original site of the Garden
of Eden. 1t is now reached only by the
rivers and the Persian gulf, and there
are no connections with the rest of the
world except by caravan. The caravan
trade now takes goods to Damascus.
from where they go to the Mediterranean
sea over the road | have just mentioned.
one of the newest schemes is rail-
way from Damascus to Hit. a town on
the Euphrates river, and another is one
which connects with the railroads Of