Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-23
PALESTINE THIS YEAR.
Travel There Hindered by the Cholera.

Mr.. C. S. Noyes sailed from Port Said on the
Suez canal March 20, for Gibraltar, where he
| intended to land for visit to Spain. He had
just returned from short trip TO Palestine,
Jaffa, Jerusalem and the country around Jeru-
salem. In consequence of the Holy Land season
having been shortened by the cholera quaran-
tine there was great rush in that direction
now that the quarantine has been raised, and
the steamers landing at Jaffa we're very much
crowded. Many Of the passengers were
obliged either to go without berths or to
take quarters in the second cabin, which
was SO infested with feas and bugs that
sleep was out of the question. The trip from
Jaffa 20 Jerusalem is made the same way as
heretoiore-either by carriage or on horse
back. The report that the railroad now in
construction between these places had been
put IN operation for part Of the distance is
not true. So far from being completed,
work upon it is now at standstill half
way to Jerusalem, only the more easily
graded portion toward Jaffa having
been constructed, and the projectors are
now seeking funds in Europe to go ON with the
undertaking. Capitalists do not respond very
freely, as the road is not thought likely to be
paying investment The season for visiting
Palestine lasts only about three months, and
freight traffic would not amount to very much
in competition with the wonderfully cheap
and convenient transportation by camels,
those ''Ships of the Desert" which pick
up their loads at the freighters' quarters in
Jaffa, and deposit them at the purchasers
houses in Jerusalem without any bother of
transfer of freight to and from the railroad.
Should the railroad project be extended to
Egypt whereby visitors could reach the Holy
Land without tho dangers of the landing at
Jaffa, it would have good prospect of success.
The land speculation scheme which
was associated with the railroad project
seems to have come to grief, and the
land boom near Jaffa and Jerusalem. started
year or two ago, has collapsed, There is much
fertile land near Jaffa and on the plains of
Sharon and the Jaffa oranges are in great de-
mand like our Florida Indian river oranges but
so many discouragements are thrown over all
industrial enterprises by the Turkish govern
ment that while Palestine continues under the
control OF that dog-in-the- manger power there
Is not much prospect Of any great amount of
business development in that country. The
carriage road from Jaffa to Jerusalem (forty
miles, is very good i'll dry weather and the trip
can be made very comfortably i'll
one day, In wet weather the road is muddy
and full Of ruts, especially across the Plains
OF Sharon. Beyond Jerusalem the journey to
Jericho, the Dead Sea and the River Jordan is
made yet on horseback or in chairs carried by
mules, but good turnpike ID under construc-
ton and vii, be completed by next season all
the way through this district.
Just now the appearance o, the destructive
locusts in vast numbers near Jericho, in the
Jordan valley. has caused great alarm, and the
roads leading to Jericho are filled with gangs
Of iaborers conscripted by the government to
go to the infected district to fight the locusts.
The locusts are destroyed by driving them into
layers of brushwood which are covered with
petroleum and fired when fully occupied by
the locusts. The laborers get no pay for their
work beyond the food supplied.
At Jerusalem one finds an unexpectedly good
hotel-the Grand-and an ideal landlord in
Manager Gelat, whose praises are sung by
many Americans in the hotel registry. Consul
Merrell, who has written much and well on
Palestine, and knows the country thoroughly
is also the right man in the right place here,
and is always ready to be Of service to visit
ing Americans