The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1920-05-22
THE LEBANON FAMED
FOR IT'S CEDARS SHRINES
= AND CIGARETTES

IA VIC Shhuieiu IL was CnOSen, the
newly declared government of Leba-
non at least has two symbols of per-
manence," says a. bulletin from the
National Geography society.
"Baalbek is so old that no man can
tell when first it's temples were built
to sun or spring or mountain. One
shrine after another rose and fell, or
was beaten down by rival religio1ists,
until some time in the first century
A. D., 1.-TWO mighty structures whose
ruins still stand were raised above the
lofty plateau Of the Bika.
"The larger of these temples was
erected in honor Of Jupiter or Helios,
the sun. 1t was surrounded by per-
istyle of So columns, 80 feet, in height
and so big around that four large men
can scarcely embrace them in their
outspread arms.
"Six of these huge columns with
their Corinthian capitals and with i'm
mense fragments of the cornice still
poised against the blue remain, rising
bodily above the mean dwellings Of
the modern town. Nowhere does such
massive permanence suggest such
very ightness as in these six abiding
pillars Of the Temple of, the Sun.
"The smaller temple, itself larger
than the Parthenon, was erected to
Bacchus jovial god, now discredited
in certain parts. 1t is-one of the finest
Roman temples extant. The entrance
to this temple to the god Of wine is
decorated with delicate carving that
would grace Melrose abbey or
worthily frame the rose window of
Reims.
"The 43 foot DOORWAY is surround
ed with tracery, where vines and gar
lands, nymphs and satyrs and gay
bacchantes are transfixed in stone al
most as they appeared 1000 years ago
when the ringing chisels Of the Ro-
man sculptors fell silence before its
finished perfection.
"Baalbek bespeaks permanence in
spite Of the crowd Of ephemeral sum-
mer visitors who seek in the cool
shade of the willows beside the sacred
pool rest from the heat of the Med
iterranean iitto.ai.
"The emblem chosen for the Leba-
ribn flag is the cedar trees. This sym
metrical symbol of lasting strength
has long served as the seal of tn,
American university at Beirut. But
the cedars Of Lebanon are not unap-
preciated by the people. Of the noun
tains. They cali the The Cedars Of
the Lord 4
Some scholars believe that the pic
turesque sides Of lofty Lebanon were
once clothed in these majestic trees,
and give as reason the fact that Sol
ONION obtained from Hiram of Tyre
great RATS of this time defying tim
Der for the famous temple at Jeru-
salem. Others cite this as a reason
for believing that never have there
been many of these kingly trees and
that their rarity as much of their rot
resisting qualities made them desir-
able to the king who could scour the
known world for the best temple
materials
However that may be, the main
group, Of true cedars now contains
only about 400 of these trees, dump<
ed in what from a distance of several
miles appears to be dark green has
sock thrown against the tawny noun
tains. Yet these trees, 400 which look
like single tea shrub if one sees
them from the Kadisha valley or the
distant mountain pass, are really 80
to 100 feet in height, and doubtless
many of them are 1000 years or age.
Only the deodars Of the Himalayas
and the sequoias Of California sur
pass them in age, and dignity.
"The Lebanon has it's own govern
ment with Christian mutesarrif and
a special constitution dating from
1861, following the Druze- Maronite
disorders of the year before. But in
1916 all special privileges were abo-
lished by the Porte. The Lebanon
gendarmerie wore a picturesque uni
form in the Zouave style with voiu-
minous trousers of dark blue piped
with red and with tight jackets and
trim leggings.
"The craps and cigarette tobacco of
the Lebanon have long been famous.
But possibly this long mountain range
which has given it's name to the
political region, has never done al
greater service to mankind than when
1T drove the Phoenician traders to the
western sea and gave sea borne COM
merce and, perhaps the alphabet to
Ilo