The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-05
IN HELENA.
An Artist Gives a Graphic Word
Painting Of the City Of
Jerusalem.
Excavations Giving Strong Points
Corroborating Old Testa-
ment History.
Col. Fairman Lectures to = Large Audience
at the Congregational Church ON
benton Avenue.

The members of Rev. r. D. Kelsey's COM
gregation, as we'll as q number OF other
people, filled the Congregational church on
avenue last night TO overlooking to
hear Col. Fairman's lecture on Palestine.
The colonel il q landscape and maine
artist, who can paint word pictures as read
lily as he can place scenes from nature upon
tho canyas. He ia 81 years old, yet in spite
Of his years is a man of great energy of
mind and body. The lecture was delivered
in an easy conversational tone and lasted
one hour and twenty minutes, but it was 10
interesting that few realized the hight OF
time. Col. Fnirman travelled a good dealin
the Holy Land and his observations are
presented in an attractive manner. devoid
of any guide book flavor and the misleading
information doled out by dragomans.
He commenced by comparing the time
taken to travel from here to Jerusalem now,
and ut the commencement of the century
twenty-three days the present limit-one
year would be required before modern ap-
pliances. He described the journey TO
Jerusalem with some of the details, such as
would strike an American; the Topography
OF tho Holy Land, the present boundaries,
population, divisions of peoples, general
habits and condition of things in the mod
ern city were graphically described. He
gave an exhaustive treatment of the archae-
~olosioal discoveries, especially those of DIR.
Robinson and Captain Warren, who exam
ined critically the claims of the different
localities to identity with the New Testa-
ment history, and discredited all upon
apparently rational and historical grounds.
His description of the ancient site of the
Temple and the excavations revealing the
lost way INTO the valley of Hlnom, also the
description of the excavations of the Ger
man government of the church Of st. John
were exceedingly interesting, and gave some
very strong points corroborating that OF
Old Testament history. The misrule of
the Turkish government, the crudity OF
travelling facilities, the general bankruptcy
and misery of the country with it's strong
natural resources wore critically laid bare
He uttered some novel views with refer
ence to tho restoration of the Jews, and an
taQonized the idea that the Of
the Semetie race. now known rs the Jews,
represent the body inhsriting the s%criptuia
promise of God's restoration as a people
and an empire. declaring his conviction in
asmuoh az they represent a very small frag
ment of the Jewish tribes and that thu
great mass of the children of Abraham by
lineage are mingled in with other races anc
people, and this in connection with the fac
that the faith of Abraham, rather than the
physical Lineage, il the stronger claim te
the promise; demonstrating by strong affirm
alive evidence that northwest European
and the population Of the British isles ar
probably the descendants of the so-oalles
lost tribes, and are the psopl
Of promise referred to. He ais
asserted4he signs of vitality and oapacit,
to maintain empire among the nations o
the earth of the English speaking race a
indicating Gods providence of their dom
nation. He then referred to the prob
able immediate future of history, which h
surmised to be tho advancing Of Russi'
southward, absorbing Turkey, Asia Minor
and Palestine, and 80 by extending To
Russian empire, weakening its system b
contact and commerce with western PEG
pies, and thus breaking down the tw
barriers, Russia and Turkey. that now pre-
vent the reflux tide of modern civilizatio
from reaching across the old continent, OK
pressing the hope that the %conquerin
Saxon would continue his march by God.
providence until they would shake hand
across the Pacific ocean from Japan an
China to young America. d IA