The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-09-26

ana OpelOusas.
The list of jurors drawn this week
for the October term Of our District
court, will be found in our advertising
columns.
We advise all who desire any first
class work in the Photographic line, to
give Nj. Kokernot O call at once, as he
will leave Washington on the 1st of Oc-
tober to return to his Gallery at New
Iberia. Es-t
Our homemade epidemic is about
over. Nearly everybody have been
sick and got well, and the fever is near
~ "played out" A good shower this
week, followed by fresh air, has tended
to improve the general health.
Tt viii be seen from the jury list that
o prophet has been drawn as a juror for
the next term of our District court. Be-
ing a prophet, he may be able to in
form the jury of the facts in every case,
without regard to witnesses.
1t will be e from the advertise
ment, that the riding horse Of Laurent
Dupre, attorney at law, was stolen one
night this week. Living out of town,
lie, rides In to his Office and the horse
was hitched to the rack in front thereof,
as usual, when the thief took charge
of him. Judge Lynch of Vermilion
parish, should preside at that thief's
trial, il he should be caught.
The JEWISH NEW YEARS DAY.-The
town of Opelousas, like all others at
present, we suppose, has been very
dull for some time, owing to the stag
nation of business and the sickness
that has prevailed; but last Monday
and Tuesday the place looked more
like Sunday does in towns where that
day is observed, or like it did in 1870.
when deserted on account of the yell
low fever panie-for on those days our
Jewish townsmen closed their stores in
order to celebrate their New Year.
This observance is founded on the
twenty-third verse of the twenty third
chapter of Leyiticus, to wit: ~
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, say
ing: Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, In the seventh month, in the
first day of the month, shall We have
a. sabbath, q memorial of blowing of
trumpets, a holy eonvocation. We shall
do no servile work. therein; but ye
shall offer an offering made by fire unto
the Lord.
AS there can be but one first day to
the year or one New Years Day, it
seems strange that teo days are OBJ
ser4edby Jews as such. The explana-
ton is that all the Hebrew people must
observe it at the same time, and in the
ancient days when that people dwelt in
tile land of Judea, before the days of
almanacs, railroads, and the telegraph,
the time of the Jewish new year, which
isthe antumal equinox, about Septem-
Der the 22d, had to be aseertained by
some of the wise men at Jerusalem
from observing the moon on each occa-
sion and communicated at once through
out Judea. As there was no way of
communicating the information rapidly
andgeneraiy, asnoW by photograph, twas
done by the blowing of horns or trum-
pets, and by the lighting of fires on the
hil=tops at night, As the sound was
heardand the fires seen by those nearest
where they were originated, they were
repeated as heard and seen until they
spread all over the land. This required
about two days, and from thatnecessity
sprung the custom of observing two
New Years Days by the Jews, that it
might BE done BY altogether. IT is said
that now, in some cities, they keep only
one day, as the reason for keeping two
no longer exists.
Onsthe tenth day Of the same month,
the seventh Of the Hebrew calendar
which viii be next Wednesday, October
list, on this oecasion-the Jews willkeep
the Day ofAtonement, concerning which
LeViticus, twenty-third chapter, begin
ming with twenty-sixth verse, says:
And the Lord snake unto Moses, saw
ing: Also on the tenth day of this sew
enth month there shall be aday of atone.
ment it shall be a holy Gonvocation un-
to YOU, and re shall afliet your souls
and offer an offering made by fire unto
tile Lord. And ye shall do n0ework iii
that same day for 1T ISL day OF atone
menk for Won beforethe Lord your God
For whatsoever soul 1T be that shall not
he afflicted in that same day, he shall be
cut off from among his people. And
Whatsoever soul it be that dOeth any
work in that same day, the saIne sou,
win ( destroy from among his people
Ye shall do no mannero of work. Hshal
be a statute forever throughout YOU
generations in all your dwellings. j
aIIbeuntoyOu a sabbath of Test, andy
shall aflict your souls; in the ninth day
of tie month at even, from even nntt
even, shall re celebrate your sabbath.
The Feast of the Tabernaoles take
p~Iaceinthis [seyenthmonth of the Jews
also, beginning this year on the sixth D
October. This feast il III commemora.
ton of the d~eliyerance OF the Hebrew
from bondage iii thelandof Egypt. Th,
chapter al LeVitiens already quoted
says iii regard to this feast:
Thehfteenth day ofthiisseventh mont
shall be q feast OF the TabernacIes fo
seven days unto the Lord. On the frs
day shall beaholy conyoeation ye shall
done servleswO1k therein.
Seven days ye shall offer an 0fferinl
made By fire unto the Lord: on th
eighth day shall be a holy conyocatiOl
14w4a rn47 and va e94oH affair on oGearsn