In July, a woman came to the telegraph office in Beirut, asking, “Where is the telegraph?” The Clerk, Yusef Effendi, asked her, “Whom do you want, the Director, the Operator, or the Kawass?” She said, “I want Telegraph himself, for my husband has sent me word that he is in prison in Zahleh and wants me to come with haste, and I heard that Telegraph takes people quicker than any one else.  Please tell me the fare, and send me as soon as possible!” The Effendi looked at her, and took her measure, and then said, “You are too tall to go by telegraph, so you will have to go on a mule.”  The poor ignorant woman went away greatly disappointed.

Another old woman, whose son was drafted into the Turkish army, wished to send him a pair of new shoes, so she hung them on the telegraph wire.  A way-worn foot traveller coming along soon after took down the new shoes and put them on, and hung his old ones in their place.  The next day the old lady returned and finding the old shoes, said, “Mashallah, Mohammed has received his new shoes and sent back his old ones to be repaired.”

The telegraph has taught all the world useful lessons, and the Syrians have learned one lesson from it which is of great value.  When they write letters they use long titles, and flowery salutations, so that a whole page will be taken up with these empty formalities, leaving only a few lines at the end, or in a postscript, for the important business.  But when they send a telegram and have to pay for every word, they leave out the flowery salutations and send only what is necessary.

The following is a very common way of beginning an Arabic letter: 

“To the presence of the affectionate and the most distinguished, the honorable and most ingenuous Khowadja, the honored, may his continuance be prolonged!”

“After presenting the precious pearls of affection, the aromatic blossoms of love, and the increase of excessive longing, after the intimate presence of the light of your rising in prosperity, we would say that in a most blessed and propitious hour your precious letter honored us,” etc.

That would cost too much to be sent by telegraph.  Precious pearls and aromatic blossoms would become expensive luxuries at two cents a word.  So they have to be reserved for letters, if any one has time to write them.

Here we come to the famous Dog River.  You will read in books about this river and its old inscriptions.  If you have not forgotten your Latin, you can read a lesson in Latin which was written here nearly two thousand years ago.  There you can see the words.

Imp.  Caes.  M. Aurelius
Antoninus Pius Felix Augustus
Par.  Max.  Brit.  Max.  Germ.  Maximus
Pontifex Maximus
Montibus Imminentibus
etc. etc.