The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-16
MODERN JERUSALEM.
A TRAVELLERS REALISTIC VIEW OF
THE HOLY CITY.

trasted with the Turkish Actuality-
Walls Only Two and Half Miles
About-Scenes.
We will take walk The city is not
large-th' Ewalls not very long-suppose
we take them on our left and see how
long it takes to come back again. The
way about the walls is first by the well
made modern road that leads to Bethle-
hem-by the deep, dry moat and by the
rim of Hinnom vale Then by a donkey
path it takes the Ieft-now up, DOW down;
now by the burying ground, and by old
gates and older stones, skirting the Ked-
ron vale, and then Gehennah's gulch;
then by a narrow foot path past the gar
den patches, past old kuotted, gnarled
olive trees; past Bethany's mud houses
clinging to the dreary, blistered walls
and past the golden gate-skirting the
valley of Jehosaphat with his rock tomb
and that of Absalom and Zachariah; past
the st. Stephen gate that gives a view OF
sad Gethsemane and Olivet; then through
among the Moslem graves and tombs
where waiting women sit and mourn their
dead; past the Damascus gate, in view of
Jeremiah's cave where erst he sat so
many recluse years and pondered DER the
past, and prophesied of future woes; then
past more walls and heaps of rubbish,
stones and aged olive trees that have seen
the tears and heard the signs of centuries,
we come back to the modern homes and
streets again, and on a modern pavement
by a lot of modern traders shop stands
we by Jaffa gate again.
THE GREAT CITY OF DAVID.
Look at your watch. Not quite sixty
minutes gone since we stood here before,
yet we have compassed all these walls
a6out-been clear around the present
Jewish city, which now is twice as large
as was it when the Savior died on Cal
varyl Now are these walls two miles and
a half about: then, perhaps, a fraction
more than one-a city then upon q walled
space-with Zion's hill, Moriah-with all
its temples, houses, streets, about the size
of six modern church blocks! Such was
the magnitude of the great city of David,
a mere speck upon this Judean noun
tain range; barren place amid more bar
rem places; city without sewerage, gas or
aqueducts; city without streets where
carriage wheels could roll-merely hor-
nets nest hanging to a rock, an eagles
nest among the mountain crags.
But let us pass the gate and step within
within Jerusalemi How your blood
tingles-how play your nerves; the very
senses throb as you come in where David
Cstluc, anu Slduu upOn tuC plitCC NhCiC
stood the priests and prophet men of old,
where stood and taught the Saviour of
the world, where stood the Jewish kings,
! and those who came with fire and sword
and dragged them forth to grace the AS
syrian or Roman holidayl Within the
walls that well surround the center of the
world; within the city unto which all
Christendom bows low; upon the spot of
the great Christian worlds hallowed as
sOciations
Well, we will go beyond the gates and
pace the streets of David and his genera
tions. For ten or twenty rods you'll find
themfairly good. A carriage might come
into that extent-no more. The street that
leads still farther on is steep and stepped
| and narrow. Follow it down-come down
the dirty, slippery stone. Take heed here
| Test you fall The lining shops are low
and small, and reek with noisome odors.
But come along, yet mind the mud and
filth-it thickens every step. The way Is
straight and steep and full of mud. The
crowd of hurrying people chokes it up; so
| do the laden donkeys-laden with goods
and city sculch and filth that Craze your
| raiment. We give it up. The mud and
filth increases every step! Our boots are
| wet and foul, our clothes are splashed
with over filthy mire. Enough of this
we turn about, retr3ce our dubious steps
| and hunt another street-turn To the one
called Christian.
| VALE OF HUMILIATION.
The Christian street-there's nothing in
| name is a vale of humiliation. Wet,
muddy, filthy still and paved with ran
dom rocks that hurt your feet clear
through thick leather soleS, and speak
aloud of penance. The shops are thick
and low and very badly kept; the windows
dirty; floors and walls a crying, muddy
shame; the whole a den of desolation.
Ambitious tradesmen beck and call you
in. They shout their wares and tell Of
photographs for sale and things olive
wood; swing rosaries before your face and
fiaunt the crucifix as though they dealt in
herrings. But you have little care to
look about your feet, lest they should
slip and let you down. Disguised every
step. you turn not to the right to seek the
holy sepulcher, but take the left and
climb for a higher and dryer soil.
And this is Jerusalem. The thrill you
felt at coming through the gate is gone.
Gone is the nervous thrill, the pious
thoughts, the sentiment that captured you
withal; gone are your hopes of peace, and
quiet, thoughtful rest within these times
| stained walls, as back you take your way
| to your hotel without the walls to gain
| your room, invoke a fire, to rest your bones
before; scrape of the mud and dry your
well wet boots. ~Jerusalemi my happy
home; name ever dear to mel" May be in
mental theory, as we go through its
streets and see its shrines while sitting in
our soft arm chair at home, but here we
| stop and think To morrow we may have
courage TO try again.
Without the city walls are many mod
! ern buildings-hotels and hospitals, offices
of the government, and many a pretty
private house and shop. All these were
built within score Of years-ambitious
Jews have sent some money here TO help
! this revival work, to help to renew the
city's life; ambitious churches make a
! show OF enterprise-one vieing with the
other: hopeful hotel keepers who hope to
| thrive upon the tourists purse-at all
events the city-outside the gates is look
! ing up again. Within-well, you know