Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-25
H HOLY LAND.
A Chat with a Missionary who Served In
Jerusalem.
Detroit Free press.1

American missionaries to tie Holy Land
now living, having gone to Jerusalem in
1884 for the American Board of Commits
sioners for Foreign Missions. The gentle
man is Of large and well-proportioned
figure, and considering his advanced age
he is remarkably wel!-preserved, physically
as well as mentally.
"Yes, l am pretty well acquainted With
Jerusalem" 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 a
very Insignificant empire"
"How large a city was Jerusalem when
you first went there?"
Al went to that city first fifty-two years
ago, and then there was hardly a house
| outside of the city walls, while the city
gates were closed each evening and no per
| son could get out or in until morning. |
think it contained about 1900 inhabit-
ants
.sOf course, the city has no growth, ex
cept i'll an age?'
'.Yes. it has a moderate growth. / pre-
sumo the city now counts $4,000 inhab-
itants. and all the old restrictions about the
| city's walls and the closing of the city gates
are removed"
"What is there TO attract new settlers,
and who are they?p
'sThey 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 are d great many houses,
and some Of them fine modern dwellings,
on the west side of the city, outside the
old walls. The houses are pretty, archi-
tecturally, and they are in most instances
well furnished. When they die they are
buried there, and the whole side Of Mount
Olivet is fairly paved with the graves OF
buried Jews
''Payed?n
YES. You know the Hebrews do not
mark the graves of their dead with monu-
ments and upright headstones as we do.
They place a small slab or stone, appro-
p%riately carved, fat-wise upon the graves.
That's why 1 say the side of Mount 0liyet
is paved"
us the city itself at all modernized ?"
"Yes, considerably. Inside the walls,
or in the old city, not many changes have
been made in the buildings, but the streets
are kept cleaner. the native inhabitants are
more clearly and hospitable, and show
more enterprise. Why, just think OF 1t,
| the streets of Jerusalem are Lighted atnight
time By oil from the Pennsylvania oil
wells. There are two or three hotels there
/ kept D3 0cI ithlio, IAlbs IL bEi SONy VIZ
side the walls the new residences of He
brews who nave located there make the
landscape look quite modern and pleasing
| Then there are Russian and Armenian
converts there-not one building, but
splendid systems of buildings well worth
visiting"
"How about the roadways in that yicin-
ity?o
"They are poor enough now, but they
| are superb compared with the roads when
| first went there. The country is very
mountainous, and it 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
[ went there it was a difficult matter &c
reach Jerusalem on mule or donkey back,
or even on foot. Now there is a sort OF car
| rage road from Jaffa to Transformation
forty miles-over which 4 small vehicle, Q
kind of stage or omnibus, carries visitors.
How 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 ano
donkeys. The European and American
visitors generally get there by way of Jaffa
and the carriage road | speak OF. But that
class is only a drop in the bucket. The
crowd comes in the spring of the year. as |
say. and they come chiefly from Russia
and European Turkey. They come by the
huudreds-'
How are they accommodated in the
two or three small hotels?"
"The pilgrims are accommodated in the
converts and bring tents with them anc
camp out in the olive orchards roundabout
That's why they come when they do, fol
at that season of the year it is simply de
lightful in the open air, day or night.
Is there anything to make Jerusalem
very large city Z"
Nothing, except as q point of mos
UNIQUE historical interest. 1t has no man
features. except the manufacture of relic:
from wood from the Mount of Olives ant
mother of-pearl taken from the Red Sea
These are made quite extensively, n they
are sold very readily, and at good prices, tc
Russian pilgrims"
There is no agriculture
Nothing to speak of, though there
might be, as the country is a Limestone
country. AT Hebron there is a glass man.
| ufactorv, where they make finger rings ano
| other ornaments of glass. There is some
little traffic in wool and olives, but outside
of these things the products of the country
are very small. The harvest is the coming
of the pilgrims each spring"
"The fees for pointing out objects OF in
terest to individuals must mount to con
siderable?"
"Nots so very much, but enough to hell
the natives to live"
Il suppose they authenticate all the
points of interest, relics, etc2'
Well. geographical points like the
Mount of Olives, Bethlehem, Bethany, He
bron. etc, are established as to authenticity
beyond question. There can be no doubt
that the Great Mosque of Omar is built on
the site of Solomon's Temple, near Nablut
But when, in one OF the converts at Beth
lehen, they point TO a star in the floor and
saw that our Saviour was born on that spot
well, | think there is room for doubt, and
| at the same time l conclude that it ism
necessary to worry my mind over it. They
show you the sepulcher where Christ was
buried. You are somewhat impressed with
the idea that the location has been made to
suit a structure of different style and more
recent date bar that on which the burial
occurred. However. in the atmosphere oil
| hat locality one does not feel like studying
as to the exncsness of little details like that.
The authenticity of the place as a whole is
unuuestioned, and that is of itself most
gratifying"
Were you at other cities in that coun.
try?n
Eyes, indeed. By the way, to show the
difference between Jerusalem and the ROADS
lea ling to ii which are under the Govern
ment Of Turkey, and Damascus and Bey-
rnut, which cities are connected by high
ways built by the German Government
They are both very large and hourishine
cities, with good fruit, grain and wool trade
countries round about, They have modern
hotels in those cities as fine as you will
find in that Eastern country, and 3 good
deal of present century enterprise is ap-
parent"
"Would the country suit the average
American 2"
81 think not. When it TO tina
the Holy Land is not the place | would ad
wise any person to adopt as a future abid
ing place
The Problem of Marriage.
There is q class of people that is greatly
worried about the operation of the divorce
laws and there has been 3 society organ
lied to make it more difficult TO obtain di
vorces and to make laws upon the subieci