The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-04-01

| Modern Jerusaicm.
A French gentleman, who delights to fre.
quent the spots on which celebrated poets
have dwelt, or whence they derived their in.
spirstion, has published in the Moniteur on
account of his visit to the G ardens of s 10.
moh." First he visited the "sealed foun.
tainG"-large subteranean reservoirs, where.
in the waters springing from the mountains
are collected, and whence the water is con
dhcled te jerusalem BY pipes. ~.r. 81.
"At short distance ffom the reservoirs
are the celebrated gardens. They extend
along valley which runs from Ell Bouracb
to Bethlehem. It lie the most charming spot
in all Palestine. Solomon was q good
judge in more senses than one. There
are murmuring streams winding through
verdant lawns; there are the choicest
fruits and flowers, the hyacinth, the anem.
one. the fig tree and the pine. Towering
high above the garden, and contrasting
grandly with the soft aspect, are the
dark, precipitous rocks OF the neighboring
mountains, around whose SUBMITS vultures
and eagles necessarily scream and describe
spiral circles in the h'r. The rare plants
aud flowers which the great enchanter Of
the East collected within these gardens were
protected from the north wind by the noun.
taiBs. Every gust Of the south wind was
loaded with perfumes. With the FIRST breeze
Of spring, the fig tree puts forth its fruits
and the vines begin to blossom. 1t was, in
the words of Scripture, "a garden of de.
lights" The vegetutions Of the north and
south were intermingled. Ono par, OF the
garden was called the Walnut tree walk,
Cor, as the English Scripture translation has
it. the Garden Of Nuts.) another is the Beds
OF Spices.
The writer's guide was we'll educated
Italian, who informed him that the Gardens
Of Solomon are now let TO an Englishman.
"The present tenant," he said, "is Mr..
GOLDSMITH, Of Ike house OF Goldsmith g. Son.
He is undertaking the Gardens of Sol,mon
on the Yorkshire system. You will be as.
tonished to see how successful he has been.
Here is the house," ....
II preceived brigh. brass knob shining
in the center Off small square of porcelain
set into white wall. Over this knob was
the following superdctip,ion in the English
language: "Ring the BELL" This bell seem.
ed to my imagination rather an anomaly in
tl.e gardens Of Solomon--but this is trifle.
We did ring the bell, and we went in. The
first thing that struck my eyes were red
draining pipes lying about. and bearing the
mark Of the manufacturers, SAMUEL g. Co..
No. 1873 Strand. Mr.. Goldsmith was drain.
ing that Biblical valley, the dew of which
was so often brushed away by the naked
feet Of the Shulamite. Itwas in the month
OF September. An American moving ma.
chine was cutting second crop OF artificial
grass on the very spot where The daughters
OF Jerusalem gathered those lilies of tie field
which were mere beautiful than Solomon in
all his glory. A patent reuping machine
was rapidly garnering the crop Of that giebe
in which the sisters 81 Ruth and The daught-
ers Of Naomi were wont to CLEAN. ! asked
to zee Solomon's pavilion, but alas the cy.
press timbers and the cedar wainscotirg had
been .akeA do;#A2;, and in their place there is
q brick built cottage, with roof of red and
green tiles. The entrance hall 10 whits-
washed; there il q little paflor with Bir.
mi6g6am carpet, aid drawing room pspered
with reasbordered yellow paper, purchased
10 Paris, Rue des Mollieaux. The chimney
10 Prussian, and the curtains are of Swiss
muslin: Insteaa of. the servants Of the
spouse. found two nursery maidstone from
Paris and the other from Florence. The
slave who prepares the tents Of cedar is now
called "JoIini::" He has red whiskers, blacks
bis masters shoes, scrubs the floor every
day and varnishes it on Sundays; and If some
romantic person should inquire, as ] had the
naiyete to do, about the dark Shulamite, he
will be shown five sweet little English
children, redolent Of cold cream and Wind.
sor soap, as fair as floss silk. with their hair,
10 cerk.screw curls, and wearing prunella
boots. blue capes, and green parasols. The
cinnamon trees have been cut down for fire.
wood, and the aromatic canes grubbed up,
but the five little misses do crochet work
under the shade Of bon Chretisn pear tree.
Since the Eastern war, Mr.. Goldsmith has
obtained the custom OF the Pasha Of Jerusa.
lem for vegetables. Last year he bad scven
crops OF potatoes, thanks to his wonderful
drainage. s -
| Thoughts.