The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-04-13

Of any system of reforcstatiCn. has
practically denuded the mountains Of
the whole land.
Once more to cover the mountains
and hills with pine and cedar and OAK
would be a simple task if carried on
Systematically.
In 1860, because Of m~aSsacrCs, the
European powers insisted that these
mountains be made autonomous. AnG
following that date this little district
became a living demonstration Of SHAT
good government Will produce and. Of
what the people Of the land are caDA
BILE Of becoming.
The steep mountain sides were ter.
raced to Il height of 4.GG0 feet and
planted to olives, figs and vines. Taxes
were low, safety TO persons and prop
erty secure, good roads built AMI kept
in repair. The people constructed
more comfortable homes and sent their
sons to schools and college.
The story Of the achievements of
the Lebanon during the 60 years OF
autonomy would be a thrilling narrd
tive itself.
Nesting at the base Of the Lebanon
in Beirut, Il many-tinted city pushed
out into the setting SUI by the
pressure of this famous mountain
range. This range, just east Of the
city and robbing 1t OF the early mOrn
ing light, towers to- $500 feet in a
beautiful peak. whose snowy heights
form the crystal scree upon which Is
projected the rose glow of some OF
the worlds most colorfuI sunsets.
Names Long Forgotten.
The backbone Of the city stretches
to the, west from u low altuvial plain
which almost makes Beirut an island.
The wharveS are to the north. look
ing away from the more famous but
inferior ports of Tyre and Sidon to
the south, and toward the other PhOe-
nfcian ports Of Tripoli and Alex
andretta and Seleucia, all of which
have old Phoenician names bong since
forgotten by the inhabitants. Berytus
was the name Of Beirut.
The streets are narrow and full Of
life. The buildings are kalsomfned in
various hues, ugly he's at hand, but
truly Turneresque from n distance.
From the harbOr there rises a cog
wheel railway which connects the an
Gent city Of Damascus to the sea coast.
Tt was this French railway ami the
French harbOr which gave Beirut its
prominence MS a port and few indeed
are the Palestinian tourists who have
not passed over this road while leav-
Ing the worlds Oldest city, u green
oasis in the midst of the tawny desert,
and the Cyclopean ruins Of Baalbek.
Il return to the ship for home.
The mountains offer various sum-
mcr resorts for the city of Beirut and
the green masses Of the foothills are
dotted with pretty Lebanon villages
from which thousands ef Syrians have
set out across the sea AS did the
PhoenIcians from the same port, but
to land in America instead Of beside
the chalk cliffs OF Albion, where tin
was obtained In ancient times.
mDhe population of Beirut Is mixed
and the holidays many. Some OF the
churches are wealthy though the
mosques are generally small.
During the war whole sections OF
the city were RACED tn make way for
new roads and thOrOughfares and the
center of the city Is becoming less n
less picturesque as the days go by. The
seller Of sweetIHeats, carrying his
swaying tray on his head and his rude
tripod on his arm, no longer has to
look up like Il dying Gaul while bal
ancing his load in the midst Of build
ings whose awnings and balconies
stroye to rob him of his livelihood.
"Nhat your soul desires" he shouts
rs lie tries to work Up appe'!,es To the
buying point, and the seller Of cool.
ing drinks with a great ball OF L."ban-
on snow stuck above his highly col
ored bottle clinks two brass bowls to-
gethcr in a way that Is more nearly
related to the sound of cl,n.;lEg lee
in y cocktail mixer than ans adycr.
tisen 1t for Sic..sh syrups h&s an
right 20 be.