Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-02-18
JAFfA AND JERUSALEM.

NEXT summer tourists To Jerusalem
will be- enabled to make the trip from
Jaiis TO the sacred city surrounded By
all the modern comforts afforded by
railroad transit. The French conn any
engaged In building the line expect 10
have II completed In n short time.
II Ia only few years since there was
anything like n respectable road be-
tween the two points. For the present
iolerably fair wagon way, travellers Ia
that part OF the world are indebted to
tho visit, few years ago. Of AN italian
prince. As soon NJ the Sultan Of Tur.
key learned OF the intention Of the
twig Of Italian royalty To make the
trip, lac forthwith ordered two or three
thousand OF his Arab subjects to go TO
road.making, aud the turnpike was soon
completed with litticor no expense TO thc
Turkish government. over this road
tourists have ever since travelled be.
tween Jaiia Apd Jerusalem, the charge
for the trip being 8 to . francs, according
to Inequality ofthceonveysnce, etc. The
government charges toll at each end
for wagons, revenue. officers being mp
proprlately stationed " make the col
lections. All this will be changed In
few months, As the French company
will soon complete IL undertaking.
The rails, elcepers, three locomotives
and forty.olght freight cars are already
delivered ut Jaha. This capital Of the
company Ia 100000 ffsucu, that IL,
$500, 900, which ia In 5000 shares OF
slO0 each. There Is also mn issue OF
5000 per cent. obligations, payable
10 bearer, OF 900 francs (sl ,sOO,O In
bonds OF 800 esch). 1t has obtained
an absolute concession for seventy-oae
years OF the line from Ja1a TO Jerd.
salem, with the option Of extensions TO
Nablous In the direction Of Damascus,
and To Cara In tn, direction Of Port
Said. This was granted to 1t by y
frman dated Oct. 2s, 1855.
A careful estimate has been made Of
the probable traffic which win be
managed by the line. This estimate IL
formed on data and statistics collected
on the spot, and II II supported by the
Consular reports OF the Foreign Oilicc
and by the official records Of the trade
OF the port OF JaiIa. This company cal.
culatcs on gross annual return for Its
first few years OF s938,00O. ON thi,
basis and according to n contract ioi
the working Of the line made with the
Soclcte de ITavaux Publics 1t Con.
structions, with scale OF expense
decreasing from 80 to 20 per cent. ui
the amount OF tho returns, n minimum
net annual IL looked for OF $4,000
The payment OF interest and the re-
demptlon OF the Is 900 bonds will TAX,
only 500, 400 a year.
Tho distance between the two point
ia about ntty.four miles. On n bee-lin,
II Is probably about twelve miles short
or, bat owing to the rough and hills
character OF the country the railroad
route will have to be somewhat rir
cultous. The time occupied In making
the trip 10y the present means Of transit
In about twelve hours. As soon NJ
railroad communication Ia established
1t will be reduced to about two hours.
The result Of this initial enterprise o.
Ia class will be the net-working of tn,
Holy Land with u railroad system, al
that country is bound to become QUE o
the rreatost commercial centres OF Ia,
world.