Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-06-28
The Jafa Colonists.

we publish below. 1t carries in its face the
mir of fairness and of truthfulness. We
would net give so much space to this mat
ter, were it not that efforts are being made
to gather up another colony; and with our
present views of the matter. nothing worse
could befall company of Maine people,
! than to follow the colony that left last fall
ut Indian river for Jaha under the auspices
of Adams:
TIE JAFFh CoTDoSIsTS.
JERUSALEM, May %. 1867.
! To the Editor Of the PesS:
| You naturally expect me to write about
| the Maine coonlsts in Palestine. When
traver.iny France from lIavre to Mar
settles, and seeing whole families in the
fields. from the gIandmotherot1 0. III charge
of Il few cows. down TO the child OF 10 years.
| thought il our Maine coonists have to
compete with such farm population they
must have uphill work Of ii. And when in
land nearer to them, Egypt. saw the
same system of agriculture pursued, my
hopes for our down-east friends became
clouded. AID when landed at Jaiia and
saw the daughters of Palestine bearing bur-
dens on their heads and at work i'll the fields
or sitting on the ground selling fruit and
vegetables, instead of being at, school.
said this is not like Washington County i'll
the old Pine Tree state.
| do not see how these colonists can sue
coed as cultivators oft soil; for if they
did put wife and children into the field as
the Arabs do, they cod not live on the
food which is sufficient for the native. 1t
seems to me that even the introduction OF
| improved implements of agriculture added
| x.ill at or .l1-
ance the advantages the natives have over
the stranger. There is another obstacle in
| the way of our Maine colouistS, and that is
the language which it will take some time
TO ACQUIRE. Ethey raise vegetables for the
market. how can they sell them except
through a native. whose account of sales
would probably leave but small percent
are of the sum received? President Adj
ans complains even of the bad faith of the
American Consul what would he probably
say of a commercial transaction with Ea-
tive?
The soil of Palestine is very unlike that
which Maine farmers are accustomed to.
Ii is the adobe soil of Solano County in
California, county famous for its produc-
tion of wheat.-The colonists do not know
how to work it. 1t is said the natives with
their little bits of things called plows can
make better crops than the foreigner with
his improved implements. This morning
met A man with one of these plows on his
shoulder. He not only has the pillow. but
the woke and bows, and very light loao
at that. A big shanghai rooster can scratch
up the earth about as well as one OF thesi
pIows.
And now what have the colonists accom-
plished? Mr.. Adams, elder and president
has purchased village plot of five Or 81,
acres. and on it eight or ten houses ofwooc
have been built. The families that remain
are comfortably housed. and they have
each small garden.-As yet, if l an
rightly informed, they own not a singl,
farm. and for one of two good reasons: eli
Their there is no land for sale. or it is IA
beyond their means to purchase. The,
work on shares several hundred acres
and at the present time gang of men ar,
at work, in the field OFFS native. with reap
ing machine. With reaping as well a
threshing and winnowing machines. tn
coonists may make a little money for
sho.t season; but the natives are proven
bially sharp, as well as faithleSs i'll bar
gains and fear the colonists will not re
ceive as much as THEY deserve for sac
work. Time will settle this. IS we'll as tn
general problem whether this is the coun
try for American colonists to prosper in
and would asyise any person down in tn
vicinity of QuPry or any where alongShor
who is uneasyad6d il ils ohes to find a ne'
broad 'WiHSs of OAR .arl nm'er IN
spread eagle. "'Ns
1t was only n few minutes ago that pc
son made call or me under this splendi
oak where am WI iting this letter on m
knee. and said one of the greatest hindra,
ces in this country is the government. ii
is a Prussian. and came out here man
wears ago as colonst. His brother-in-lar
and wife were murdered by the Arabs. an
that broke up their enterprise. a famil
of that colony afterwards lived near me i
New Jersey. aad on that account 1 reee,
ed the call This Prussian keeps hote
and he says this city is no place to max
money in. 1t is only when we go abroa
thai we find out what a good governmel
ours is.
have boen in all four quarters of tn
globe and have seen the United State
from the tip end of Maine to the jrmpin
off place in California. and vote most d,
cidedly for our dear old Uncle Sam
one wishes to raise big things let him go t
California where potato will fill med
UNI size vegetable dish. where pears weip
over three pounds. and trees Gun be foun
that will make boards thirty-six feet wide
1t is your ambition to have an orange oil
chard, 90 to Florida, or if you would b
in the midst Of Jews try Chatham stree
in New Y ork.
Let me correct one mis- statement in RI
gard to the Maine colony. 1t has been sal
that p have died. Fourteen is the tru
number of deaths: of these. nine wer
children. Forty-one seceders have alread
left Palestine and twenty-four more wi
soon follow. There are enough remain
ing to settle the question whether the cole
ny can be made a success.-Prudent pee
pie will wait; on any others. any NOR
words might write be wasted. Pres
dent Adams is of course sanguiue of sue
cess; but when the balance sheet of tn
years work is made that will tell til
story.
l have not takeRinto account the rclig
Gus creed of Elder Adams and his follow
ers; what that creed is do not know.
have simply taken the bread and butte
view of the question. If this creed make
it necessary for him and his followers t
live in Palestine, then SO much the wors
for his creed.
have said nothing about the diHicultie
between Elder or President Adams an
the American Consul ut Jaiia. who is nc
cuscd Of embezzling the Funds of the col
onis:s. When the facts come out | am O
opinion that it will appear that the consu
transacted the business according to tn
country and that the Board of Trade a
Jaffa will decide in favor of the consult
There is naturally good deal of COB
bling up" in Turkey in making trades. an,
what is consider ed fair here would no
| net. hat. So =