The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-04-18
PEOPLE IN PALESTINE.
Nearly Ono Half the vlsitors From Jop-
pa to Jerusalem Are Americans.


Nearly One Half the vlsitors From Jop
pa to Jerusalem Are Americans.
There has been much written abOu
the Jews in America, but in his lates
report to the department of STATE
Consul Selah Merrill reverses the
usual order and writes a very in
teresting article on Americans in
Jerusalem. this in response to 8
series of questions from the depart.
ment. According to Mr.. Merrill:
records the number of Americans
residing during last year in the
Jerusalem consulate was Alb. of whom
80 were naturalized. The average
number resident in this district for
the past ten years was 80. of whom
2Ib were naturalized.
Mr.. Merrill explains that the at.
tempt to ascertain the number OF
transient Americans arriving at and
departing from the Jerusalem consul
lar district during the past year was
most difficult. because travellers come
in such a variety of ways-with tour
list companies. with private drago-
mans. or simply by themselves. I'VE
reckon as the tourist season from the
LIST of June until the LIST of June the
following year. and l have put the
number of American travellers arriv-
ing in Palestine from june /. 1891,
to June 1, 1892, at $50. and from fig
ures actually in my possession l am
certain that the number is not over
stated. This is about 40 per cent of
all the travellers that have been re-
corded as arriving in Palestine during
the period mentioned.
at may be necessary for me to say
to avoid any Misrepresentation, that
we do not reckon as ..travelers" or
tourists" people who visit this coun-
try rs ..pilgrims." of which class
there are from 5000 to 10000 every
year. Last year. however, owing to
nearly four months of quarantine.
the number of pilgrims has been
small.
LAS to the number of transient
Americans arriving and departing
from the Jerusalem consular district
TO-. the past ten years. it is not posi-
BILE to answer. except, ! can say that
the influx of travellers to this country
steadily increases from year to year
1.-The question in regard to the ap-
proximate amount of funds drawn
from the banks and bankers in the
Jerusalem consular district By Amer
leans under letters of credit, drafts,
checks, ETC.. during the past year is
likewise a very difficult one. To get
at it. even approximately, requires so
much work and the asking of so many
favOrs from the bankers that l will
not attempt reply. Moreover. the
Palestine trip is so mixed up with
Europe, and especially with Egypt.
in so far IS q travellers money is con-
cerned that no satisfactory statement
of the nature required in the ques-
ton could be given. In place of the
answer required. venture to lay be-
fore You an estimate of the amount of
money left in Palestine the past year
by American tourists or visitors.
Some travellers visit Jerusalem and
the neighboring places only. while
others 60 through the country to
Damascus and leave it at Beirut.
The number of American travellers
was $50. Three hundred at ten days
each equals 5000 days; $50 at thirty
days each; $500 days; total number
Of days. $500. From information
from agents of tourist companies. ho-
tel prOprietors. or dragomans. added
to my own experience and observa-
ton Il have resided in th's country
upward of eight years altogether), q
person can not make the Palestine
trip for less amount than IS q day.
while most travellers spend three
even f0ur-times that amount. At |
$40 per day for each person we have
$4,000.
"This should be regarded as the |
minimum estimate. and embraces |
American travellers alone, who, as / |
nave stated. are 40 per cent of the
entire number for the current year. !
some years the number of American |
'isitors to this country forms fully
ID per cent of the whole number. On |
he other hand, Americans spend !
money more freely than, say, the |
German travellers, although l do not |
mink they exceed the English in this
'-spect. Thus, it will be seen that !
trough travellers a large amount of
uoney is every year brought into
mis- impoverished land"
Shakespeare els In It."
How is it that some astute linguist