The Helena independent., 1892-09-25

of picks and crowbars and six wheelbar
rows from France. The workmen, not be-
ing able Il, lift the crow5ars and picks,
hammers'i them ur into horseshoes. They
disDaE: ed the wheelbarrows by taking off
the wheels for play things for the ohildren
then they swung four of the square bodies
under camels to carry freight in, and the
other two they rigCed with lifting handles
so that each wheellsss barrow could be car
ried by eight men-two sticks crOsswise
aud two !engthwise being placed under 1t.
In this way thev transport more or less
dirt--generally less.
The chief tool used here, and probably
throughout Syria, is u dwarf hoe about as
big rs the palm of the hand, with short
han le to it, and the natives squat down
and hoe up II little hemp of sand with this
and then carry it off III the dirty little
napkin on their heads.
1t seems cs tain that tie railroad will
actually be finished i'll a few weeks. The
cars already run, lrregularly. up to Artoref,
half way to Jerusalem. The Holy City and
unholy civilization are being connected
with unwonted tes-ties that bind steel
rails to each other and to the enduring
earth. And the sluggish Arabs. becoming
aware of the emulation Of these new-fash.
ioned sleepers, rub their eyes and yawn,
with laneuid res.ntment in their hearts,
sit up under the cactus bushes and stare
at it.
cry ont, "Chorazin! Chorazin! Change cars
for Cnpernaum!' or the bold rider of the
real chariot OF fire will salute his passen-
gers in the valley of the Jordan with "All
oat 70. Cher!th, where Elijah was fed by
the ravens Twenty minutes ior refresh
mants.'
The one thing that most astonishes me
here is the utterly barren and desolate char
| aoter of the whole county in late summer.
| Palestine is y cluster OF mountains. without
| rivers or wells for irrigation. The tourist
| travels for days without seeing a single run
| ming stroam. or a fnrm, or fence o. hedge.
| or house or hut outside of the squalid lit
tie villages. or hardly u tree or green thing
! wonder il the Old Testament snumera-
| tion of the population is strictly accurate.
According to Numbers. 1:46, not less than
100000 Jews came into Palestine--fvs
times as many az the present entire popula-
/ ton. and according to Second Samuel,
XXX. -. they had increased to 60OO,0O0-
ten times the present population. This
would give an average of 600 to the square
| mila-surpasslng that of the most fertile
countries of Europe. But we are told In
tine Old Testament that the Hebrews from
seventy-five ull told increased to 5000, O00
in abou. 800 years, which i'm plies that each
woman had moro than eighty children. l
| am afraid there was some mistake in the
| Hehraio method OF enumeration. How
could suoh dense multitIdss have been
nourished on these parohed and dismal
| hills?
asked well-informed Englishman in
Jerusalem m how the farmers got along.
| "Farmersp' said he, with a surprised
rising infection. There are none or next
to none. All the people live in huts in the
little Villages. They 20 hungry the most ol
the time. They all try to get away and
some succeed" .
why do they not take land and raise
crops?''
because the Turkish government lays
| its hand ON everything. The arabic land
all belongs to the government, and the law
permits any man TO till IL who chooses on
condition of paying tithes--that is. tar
| amounting to ona-tenth of the crop.
| IA heavy tax. you cay, but that Is by nc
| meRns the most. The tax collectors are to.
tally irrssponsible--to every body except the
sultan. lhs Turkish government let's oul
the Office of collector TO the highest bidder
vance to return the greatest revenue. di.
rect premium for robbery and tyranny,
Sometimes the lucky bidders sublet theil
contract to others, and they to others again
the last bidder extorting enough 10 pay
the government aud himself and all the
blRekmail between. 10 do this. instead oi
taking q tenth Uf the crop, when II ia har.
| vested. they take quarter of 10, or, per-
haps, "A half OF il, and shs farmer 10 robbed
and lett pennilsss. These collectors are
army othsers, and they have not besn paid
a cent in four years. 80 they habituslly and
system atically steal by tRoit permission ol
the QovsrAmsnt. There 10 only one way :,