Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-03
rae JORDAN OAN,I..
Travellers In Palestine Give their
Opinions Concerning II,


rotary OF the American Board OF For
elgn Missions, was sitting in his Office
at the Bible House in .he afternoon
his eyes liked on the Herald's plan o.
the canal, when q reporter introduced
himself and asked HIM what he
thought OF the undertaking. Leaning
back in his chair, the doctor said, sol,
emily; 1t is wonderful wonderful
Not the eanal-nO, no-but the extra
ordinary enterprise OF the Herald in
getting together such new and inter
esting information. Asto the project
consider that . canal parallel
and adjacent to the present
Suez Canal would be preferable and
equally advantageous. The deadlock,
however, between NJ. Dc Lesseps and
the English government is an obstacle
70 the carrying out of such q scheme
What | do not like about the proposed
canal is that it will destroy many oil
the religious sites which have always
been held in high generation, especially
by the Jews. OF course it will moi
touch the most sacred places, but il
will annihilate the Sea Of Galilee, Ca.
pernauu, liberia and other sites. II
will shock the feelings Of thousands Ia
have these places destroyed.
THE JEWISH QUESTION.
THE Jews are deeply interested in
the preservation Of Tiberias, because
| believe it is a tradition oftheirs that
Christ will appear there at his resur
rection, for which reason they have
made it one Of their burial places. As
to the commercial advantages that are
supposed to accrue from this canal,
speak with considerable experience
OF the country when / say that unit
the Bedouins are checked in their ra-
pine and good government snbstitu
ted for bad one, material improve
ments are we'll nigh impossible.
Leagues Of fertile plain are lying idle,
because the government is a deadly
foe to enterprise and an Unsuitable
robber. A few German colonists,
who have settled near Damascus, are
compelled to protect themselves. II
England had the control of the coun-
try and this proposed canal were sue
cesslully carried out, / know that
colonists would flock to Palestine and
bring about harmony instead Of dis,
cord. n
What about the fulfllment Of
prophecy, Doctor. as deduoed from
this canal2"
WORDS OF PROPHECY,
"Ah, dear mel that Chinese Cor
don is witty fellow, and that was a
clever within Of his about the spread.
ing Of the nets on Engedi; but, for
all that, prophecy is very able to take
care Of itself and does not depend on
canals. See here, now; there is one
little point | would like. and yet am
half ashamed to draw your attention
to, so exoellently has the plan Of the
proposed route been drawn in the
Herald, but | have travelled over
every inch Of the country, and | can
assure you that Nazareth is north and
not south Of Tiberias. | cannot tell
you how grateful am to the Herald
for its uneIualled enterprise in laying
before me and the many thousands
who are interestedin this matter such
an exhaustive account of this great
undertaking. From areligious point
OF view | consider the project seri
Gus innovation, aud l think that a
canal parallel to the SuSz canal would,
il feasible, be far preferable; but, in q
worldly sense, | am quite alive to the
possible advantages that may be
reaped from the project"
DIFFICULTIES.
The Rev. W. W. Atterbury, Scores
tary CT the New York Sabbath Com
mittee, was utterly incredulous as to
the possibility Of forming the capal.
THAT talk about the canal" he said,
has been going on for over thirty
years 1t is q very difficult undertak.
ing. Just study this map. and you
will see that ii is no easy job" Maps,
diagrams and geographical descriptions
Of the proposed route were laid before
the reporter and exclusively COM
mented on by Mr.. Atterbury,who said,
in conclusion: II know the country
well. and | am sure that such a canal
would largely tend to develop its re
sources and to attract colonists. The
rotten government must first. however,
be changed. As to the loss Of the re-
ligious sites, that is q small matter.
There are not many Jews about that
region, and, 10 any case, sentiment
must give way to the public good.
The crevasse, which is the gfandest
10 the world and which, runs down
from the Sea Of Galilee through the
desert plain Of Arabah to the Gulf Of
Akabah, will be difficult obstacle to
surmount. | have not studied the
plan in the Herald, but | shall take
care to study the entire subject in its
columns as soon as possible. The
matter is one Of deep interest to thous
ands." ' ~