Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-19

the east, is about the most Important street
In Jerusalem, but Il wagon cannot move
along, 1t since 1t ascends and descends in
paved terraces which are from eight to
twelve feet in length, when "a step of eight
inches is formed and a new platform or ter
race arrived at, aud SO it goes on throughout
the city. A few more of her principal streets
are paved in that manner, and those that are
not so treated are generally too narrow for a
wagon to pass along, These streets are lined
IN the business portion, which clusters prIn-
cipally around the Church Of the Holy Sepul-
chre, by low one and two-story buildinCs OF
limestone, dirty in appearance with a front.
age OF from eight to thirty feet, divided off
into little salerooms occupying an area from
SIX to ten feet and sometimes a little larger,
Above twenty feet deep is a rare exception;
II two.story high then the upper part is used
for dwelling rooms. In these dives the owner
and proprietor sits on a mat spread ont on
the floor or on a little platform In the center,
cross-legged and otherwise, smoking a COM
mon pipe or a "nargille," and by o swinging
motion is generally enabled to reach every
thing belonging TO his little stock as stored
on rough shelves about him and thusly
serves his customers, who have hardly room
TO enter within the portals of his store, but
often stand IN the street to make their pur-
chases. The different denominations are
somewhat confined to their own streets and
quarters. IL is one of the %strangest sights
to enter into the three or four narrow
lanes that issue from the Street OF David in
a northerly direction, which are covering the
ground southeasterly from the church of the
Holy Sepulchre, with their little stores, to
see the manifold and curious ways, modes,
manners, customs and habits of the people.
All OF these lanes or alleys are more or less
covered by arches and dingy roofs, and day
light is to q great extent excluded. Here we
meet a number OF stores that sell dry goods,
consisting principally OF home-spun goods.
There we encounter some stores with o
Heterogeneous stock, gewgaws from Con-
stantinople and Mecca, Now we pass by q
numbe of them which sell nothing else but
triDkets off, religious nature, principally
beads, ornamented candles, incense, pictures,
works IN mother of-peari and olive wood,
Again we see shoe stores exhibiting slippers
and footgear In endless varieties with
pointed toes, principally In red leather, to
suit jew, Mohammedan and Bedouin alike.
Amor we meet with a tailor shop. Jews par
ticularly, sewing bnsily by hand and ma
chine, with rags all about them. Copper
and sllyersmiths, rs well as jewellers, are
common, and TO see them work with the
dexterity and adroitnoss exhibited; without
maEhlaery, shows at once the readiness and
skill OF a high order acquired. Their tools
are OF a primitive nature. The bellows con-
sists OF a perfect goatskin, with the hair
still attached. Its tail end is covered with
dirt aud next to the little charcoal fire,
whilst the other end has an aperture that
opens and closes, by two wooden slabs, held
In the hand as the same moves up and
down, tanning the fire in this manner, tho
other hand being busy with something else.
Arriving at the Church OF the Holy Sep
ulchre, our intention to walk into it are dis
tracted by a Greek funeral procession form,
ing in front of its little square. We came TO
u by a narrow, low, gate from the ca st
Tho corpse-a husband, az we hearts, taken
from the church, lying in a kind OF litter,
carried by six priests. not on their shoulders
but on their hands, by holding their arms up
In a bending position. In front of the corpse
are first two priests In white gowns, and
like a drum major they bold q kin of q scep-
ter each. the one end Of which they thrust
down from time to time. Next came several
priests gorgeously dressed, carrying the
symbols OF the Greek church. Next boys
dressed In white and blue gowns hold up
sticks surmounted by crown-shaped lanterns
lit. one priest continually swings the CEN
sor with incense, and behind the corpse fol
low a number OF priests In their common
dress. Then follows the widow, borne up
by two of them, and all apparently are shar-
ing her grief. Lastly follow a train Of peo-
pie. We took our station next behind the
widow. Her tears fell copiously while her
bosom heaved IN sorrow. Slowly we moved
up the many terraced steps that lead to the
right and west from the square into Christian
street, ana by 1t into the street of David.
Here we were fast gaining on five camels
heavily ladened with large boxes su spendei
from their sides in an 0blique direction,
hindered In their progress by the rains of
yesterday, which had made the roundish
stones OF the pavement extremely slip
perry, the poor animals staggering under their