The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-11-05
IN THE HOLY CITY.
CHAT WITH AN OLD MISSIONARY
WHO SERVED IN JERUSALEM.
Palestine Now a Very Insignificant Prov
ince Of Very Insignificant Empire.
Jerusalem Somewhat Modernized-No
Manufactures. no Agriculture.

ing having gone to Jerusalem in 1884 for tho
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions The gentleman Is OF large and well
proportional figure, and considering his ad-
vanced age he is remarkably well preserved,
physically as well as mentally.
"Yes, am pretty well acquainted with Je-
rusalem- said Mr. Thomson, ~and with the
whole of Palestine, which, while it was once
the center of civilization and progress, is now
a very Insignificant province Of very insig-
nificant empire"
@How large city was Jerusalem when you
first went thereF
Il went to that city first fifty-two years
ago, and then there was hardly house out
side of the city walls, while the city gates
were closed each evening and no person could
get out or in until morning. / think it con-
tanned about Is, ,OO0 Inhabitants"
4Of course, the city has no growth, except
in ageg'
ayes, it has a moderate growth / pre-
sumo the city now counts SO, 900 inhabitants,
and ali the old restrictions about the citys
walls and the closing OF the city gates are
removed
@What is there to attract new settlers, and
who are they
They are mostly Jews, and most Of those
who come are old people who seek the city OF
their fathers TO die and be buried there Now
there ara great many houses, and some OF
them fine modern dwellings, on the west side
of the city outside of the old walls. The
houses are pretty, architecturaIly, and they
are in most instances well furnished When
they die they are buried there, and the whole
stfe of Mount OIivet is fairly paved with the
graves Of buried Jews
-Pave,lS
YES You know the Hebrews do not mark
the graves OF their dead with monuments and
upright headstoues as we do. They place
small slab or stone. appropriately carved, fat
wise upon tie graves That's why l say the
side OF Mount Oiiver l. paved
THE CITY SOMEWHAT MoDERSIzED-
Is the city itself at all moderuizedF
YES considerably. Inside the walls, or in
the obi city. not many changes have been
made IN the buildings, but the streets are kept
cleaner, the native inhabitants are more
cIeanIy and hospitabIe and show more enter
prise Why, Just think OF S, the streets of
Jerusalem are lighted a5 night time by oil
from the Pennsylvania oil wells. There are
two or three hotels there kept by Germans,
and as tel you outside the walls the new
residences of Hebrews who have located there
make the landscape look quite modern and
pleasing Then there are Russian and Aru.e-
nian converts there-not one building, but
splendid systems OF buildings well worth Wis
ting
@They ara poor enough now, but they are
superb compared with the roads when first
went there. The country is very mountain
GUS and Il IS under the rule of the Turkish
government That tells the whole story, for
Turkey was born To retard all progress and
kill all prosperity. When I went there it was
a difficult matter TO reach Jerusalem on mule
or donkey back. or even on foot Now there
is a sort Of carriage road from Jaffa to Jeru-
-ri.h
small vehicle, kind of stage or omnibus,
carries visitors"
sHow do all the tourists and pilgrims get
to the Holy City.'
Most of the pilgrims come IN the spring
of the year. either ON foot or on mules and
dCnkeys. The European and American WIS.,
itors generally get there by way of Jaffa and
the carthage road speak of. But that class
IS Gnly u drop in the bucket. The crowd
comes in the spring of the year, as I say,
and they come chiefly from Russia and Eu-
rUpean Turkey. They come by the hun
drelis-'
HHow ara they accommodated in the two
or three small hotals."
The pilgrims are accommodated in the
converts, and bring tents with them and
camp ont in the olive orchards roundabout
That's why they come when they do, for at
that season of the year il is simply delightful
in the open air, dny night
no MANUFACTURES, So AGRICULTURE
rs there anything To make Jerusalem n
very large city.n
Nothing, except ASA point OF moral unique
historical interest. It hns no manufactures.
except the manufacture OF relics from wood
from the Mount of Olives and mother OF
pearl taken from the Red sea These are
made quite extensively, and they are very
readily sold at good prices TO RIissian pill
gTirns'
There is 10 agriculture
Nothing 10 speak Of. though there might
be. rs the country IS Il limestone country.
At Hebron there is Il glass nanufactory
where they make finger rings and other orla-
ments of glass There is some little traffic in
wool and olives, bu5 outside of these things
the prnSiucts OF the country are very small
The harvest is the coming of the pilgrims
each spring
The fees Tor pointing ont objects of in
te1es4. to visitors must amount To consider
able
Not 50 very much, but enough to help the
natives - live
Il suppose they authenticate all tie points
of interest, relics. etc. =
We'll, geographical points like the Mount
of Olives, Bethlehem. Bethany, Hebron, etc,
arc established IS 10 authenticity, beyond
question. There can be no doubt that the
great mosque of Omar is built ON the site of
Solo.nons temple, near Nablut- But when
in one uf the converts at Bethlehem they point
20 a star in the floor and say that our
Saviour WIS born ON that spot--well, tmnI
there is room for doubt and at the same time
lconclulie that it isn't necessary TO worry my
mind over Il. They show you the sspuicher
where Christ was buried. Yuu somewhat
impressed with the idea that the location has
been made to suit a structure OF different
style and moro recent date than that on
which the burial occurred. However, IN the
atmosphere of that locality one does not feel
Ike studying TO the exactneSs of Little de-
tails like that. The authenticity of the place
as a whole Il unquestionecl, and that Is OF
usen most satisfying--Detruit Free Press
Tho SAN Francisco Mint.
The San francisco mint ernpiovs at present
go hands Ii il thn Iar--rst in the