The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-20

Of all the quaint Christmas celebra-
tons the world over that in the holy
city of Bethlehem ranks pre-eminent.
This little village. with ? normal pop
ulstion of less than 5000 people. be-
comes in Christmas week a great cos
saopolitan center of $4,000 or $4,000 de-
vout souls, all eager TO pay homage to
the place hallowed by the Savior's
birth.
In Bethlehem the people are brought
face to. face with the wonderful scenes
which are but feebly known by book
TO the rest of the world. Here they
see the place where the three wise
men OF the east halted after their long
Journey. Here they worship the shrine
enclosing the manger in which Christ
was born. They walk along the same
road followed by the Virgin Mary in
her painful journey to the ancient city.
Buildings and ruins are there which
the eye Of the infant Christ rested
and beautiful TO look upon, teens with
the realities which the rest of the
world celebrates as an event, lost in
TIE haze of antiquity.
Bethlehem is about the only thor
oughly Christian city in the holy land
Latin, Greek, and American races form
nlhe-tenfhS of the population, and for
the most part they are prosperous peo-
pie, proud of their city and prone to
regard Jerusalem as of secondary i'm
portance. Jerusalem is but five miles
away to the south, and is easily dis
cerntble. The road from Jerusalem to
the city of David is up hill nearly all of
the five miles, and even in December
the rays of the sun make the journey
a terribly hot one
This road presents a wonderful sight
in Christmas week. Nearly all of the
visitors to Bethlehem come by way of
Jerusalem, and they must follow It's
road, some on foot, others on patient
little donkeyS, many on camels, a few
on horses and whole families in cum
bersome vehicles. Boxes and barrels
OF provender, bedding and tents, chairs,
tables and cooking utensils on carts
and wagons make such an endless pro-
cession that it would seem as if the
whole world were moving into the lit
tie city on the hill.
A CITY OF TENTS.
Hotels in Bethlehem, there are none.
Those who come for a stay of several
days must either find shelter and food
in the homes of the regular inhabit-
ants or bring those necessaries with
them. Most of the pilgrims bring tents
and the few things that are necessary
for the brief stay. Hundreds of these
little white tents are pitched upon the
hills and fields about the city; people
swarm in and out of them. jabbering
away il a multitude of different
tongues, boxes OF provisions are strewn
about in tremendous confusion, little
cook stoves send W feeble curls of
smoke, and Bethlehem proper becomes
lost in the avalanche of strangers
Stern looking and silent Arabs on
camels or horses. carrying the long fe-
rocious looking gun of Damascus; ma
tive Syrians whose eyes have been
blinded in battling with the sands of
the desert: long-coated and heavy
bearded Russians, squaIe-shouldered
and soldierly-looking Germans, Eng
lishmen in silk hats and frock coats,
busy sightseeing Americans, fussy and
gesticulating FTenchmeu, Spaniards,
Italians, Greeks. all are jumbled to-
gether. each bent upon doing and see
ing everything in his or her own way