Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-11-24

| prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington. D. c.
When France obtained the mandate
for Syria after the World war, she
| fell heir to what is reputed to be the
| oldest "living" city in the world
Damascus. Nearly 1000 years ago the
! writer of Genesis mentioned this old
| city, and spoke of it as a place of
note. 1t existed when the PharaOhs
ruled over Egypt; it probably saw
Babylon rise, and certainly it saw that
proud city fall. And it has lived as
| other wOrld-famous places about it
! have passed into oblivion or lost their
| glory: Memphis, Thebes, Nineveh,
Sardis, Tyre, Sidon, Jerusalem, Susa,
Ephesus-a long procession of mighty
cities.
Situated at the head of Arabia, near
the east end of the Mediterranean and
on the land route between Egypt and
the rest of Africa on one hand, and
Asia and Europe on the other, Damas-
Gus occupied a position in which it
could not avoid importance. With the
establishment of Mohammedanism, it
took on increased Importance as the
assembling point for the final long
crossing of the desert sands to holy
| Mecca. And when it is added that the
city is enc0mpassed by a fertile plain
through which flows an abundance of
water, its early consequence, its viril-
ity and its long life can easily be I'M
derStOod. 1t is set in the oasis of
oases. a grove more than 30 miles in
circuit of nut and fruit trees in
terspersed with gardens of vegetables
No wonder the Bedouins from the
sandy stretches of Arabia and Syria
called it "the pearl of the desert !"
In recent times Damascus was the
second city in Turkey, being surpassed
in size and importance only by Con-
stantinople. Now Aleppo also in old
Turkish territory, and since the war, a
part, too, of French Syria, has about
overtaken Damascus in size. But
Damascus hoary traditions will long
give it first place in the hearts Of
the East.
Fascination of its Streets.
Damascus is the rendezvous of peo-
pies from all parts of the Moham-
medan world. One cannot be long on
its streets without being interested
swarm through them, and, in spite
of creed and nationality, manage to
keep sweet tempered. The urban Da-
mascene rubs against the Swarthy,
sun-burnt son of the desert without
even a word of scorn or anger; the
Mohammedan shoulders the Jew as if
they were brothers in the faith the
spotless visitor from the Occident
iOstles the not-any-tOo-clean peasant
from the surrounding villages, while
Persians, MoOrs, Afghans, Indians
Egyptians, Sudanese, and others from
many parts of the globe hurry along
all intent on something of Importance
that has brought them to this me
trOpolis of the Orient.
On the streets are to be seen ven
ders of almost everything under the
sun, especially in the way of eatables
and, to those who are familiar with
the value of the goods offered for sale
the words of the native visitor are
plain when he informs you that "iT
Damascus you can sup or breakfast
for nothing" because of the little cos
of food.
On the same street, within a few
yards of each other, may be seen thu
vender of cucumbers with his wares
fresh from the garden, exposed on {
donkey's back (when the load was
sold in pre-war days, it brought be
tween 20 and 80 cents); the breaC
seller with his warm cakes of breaC
on a tray resting on Il stand ready Il
: supply the hungry with a goOd-sizet
loaf for a cent, and the vender o
milk. who for another cent will Civ
you a large basin of sweetened mill
in which to soak your loaf. At differ
ent seasons you may fare well a
! little cost off melons, grapes, apri
cots, plums, peaches, apples, oranges
figs, etc, all the products of the gar
dens and orchards around the city.
. All Due to the River Barada.
: But some will ask whence comes al
this abundance, for in no other par
of Syria or Palestine is there such
a profusiOn of fruit and vegetables a
, such low prices. The cause is tn