The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-07-27
woRnp,s FA1R 1NoIDBNr.



Meeting That characterized =
Rev. Gruhier's visit.
Rev. John Gruhler, pastor Of the German
lutheran church. of town. had an experience
Turing his recent trip to the Worlds Fair
which probably no one else who has visited
.he great exposition has met with. The
,lerpyman's recital of the circumstances Of
the incident are quite interesting and they
will probably be better understood in his own
words. as told to a HERALD reporter
ut was in the fall Of 1858 that two pious
Young Germans from Prussia, both cabinet
makers by trade, emgrated to Jerusalem |
not with the intention Of being missionaries .
but with the intention Of showing the natives
what christian artisans ought to be. They
arrived there aud erected small shop and
began their work. but about nine months af-
ter both were attacked by Syrian fever,
which turned them both into a typhoid fever.
One Of them died and the other Ferdinand
Vester, was yet in the Deacouesses hospital,
Jerusalem, when /, in company with other
voupg missionaries arrived in Jerusalem,
y
After our arrival we commenced to form
little colony Of at FIRST about dozen young
men and afterwards other families In Pales'
| tine. whether in Jerusalem or the towns sur
rounding it, and this colony was of one heart
and one mind in all our relations which can
be understood when it is remembered that we
were surrounded by the natives, who were
not altogether friendly to us.
81 remained there seventeen years, pur-
suing missionary work. continued Mr.
Gruhler, "and in 1871 this colony was broken
up partly by the removal of my family and
myself to the United States. Twenty-Five
years elapsed and often fondly recall my
relations with my Syrian friends. Recently
| concluded to visit tho Worlds Fair and on
July 7th arrived at Chicago The morning
after my arrival found my way to the ex-
position grounds and having heard such a
great deal of the Midway Paisance | made
NV way there and first visited the German
village then went to the street Of Cairo and
found the donkey drivers aud camel drivers
exactly as they were years ago in their ORR
entail cities and streets. / then began to
speak with the people there and they were
all very glad to find an American who could
speak their language After spending about
an hour here with the Arabs asked if there
were any Syriaus from Jerusalem Bethlehem
or other like places on the grounds aud l was
told 1 could find many Of them in the Syrian
bazaar, and they directed me to the place
Arriving at the bazaar / was convinced l saw
a man who was a Bethlghemite. ! saluted
him in the Arabic language. e was sur
prised TO hear the salutation and asked me
where / learned the language. replied that
l no doubt lesrned it in the same place that
he came from. He told INC he was a Bethle-
hemite and he learned that had been a
missionary in the Holy Land. During the
general conversation l asked who owned the
olive wood, mother-of-pearl and other ware
! that were exposed for sale and he informed
me that he and his partner owned them
who is your partner? asked and he replied
, 'Vester.' Having been told that Vester had
left the bazaar for few minutes l decided
to wait and admire the wares on exhibition
= Shortly after | saw man enter behind the
counter. The sandy hair and beard had
been replaced by the white, but l was sure il
was the Vester of the Holy Land l ad
vanced and extended my arm over the coun
ter and he grasped my hand but said, YOU
features are familiar to me, but l don't know
where to place them. so you don't know
l. me- / said, but these words were hardly ou
of my mouth when he screamed, 1t is ole
brother Gruhler' Well, we fell into eaci
others arms and we didn't know whether t.
' laugh or cry and in order not to make mis-
take we did both, and that was our reunion
after % years last May.
after the greetings we went to a shad!
place in the German village and had gooC
long talk over old times. spent seven day
A in the grounds and on each day except one
\ had my dinner with Yester. 1 said at tn
b.. time that if ] had been obliged to return t.
Shenandoah without seeing anything else
should have felt that that meeting amply re
n warded me for the visit"
s. Rev. Gruhler brought home with him al
elegant watch case made of olive wood and
number of bracelets and breastpins made o
mother-of-pearl and of the most unique am
artistic handmade designs.