The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-25
JERrsALEM's HOLY PLACES.



HuQLy that is 10 say because Of
I'LL the religious ernc;ken they have
uC awakened in millions OF asvoas
worshipers who have believed in
thesr authenticity: for the Jerusalem
OF Christ is hgiried deep beneath tho
Jerusalem 90 to-day. and the most sacred
Places % 81 arS Known 20 have been oas-
side the walls. Moreover what holiness Is
attached 10 them they Go net owe 20 sasir
official custoiians on tie spot. After the
ceremony az the Evangelical Church Of the
Redeemsr TO give the new German church
It's fun tstlei ! wandered into the Church
OF Chr!sts SepaicfEe The supposed tomb
Of Cnrist Is a recess in the rock some as-
tie way below the level Of the church fioor,
and Is reached hy a Hight OF steps A mar
row door, about four feet IN height, leads
into the recess. or gretto, ia which a Fran
ciscan monk Is constantly on duty. The
grotto reeked with the smell OF tie gaudy
lamps which lighted tho place. Three
women were kneeling by the tomb. enc Of
them nass.onstely kissing the spot where
she believed the feet Of taa dead Christ 70
have rested.
On ascending to the area or the church
l asked a monk the way 10 Calvary. He
stared. "Go!gotha." I said Whereupon
he nodded erasQueiy in the direction Of
the stairs close at hand. and told me 20
walk I'D. SO upstairs I weat. bat was s.i!l
puzzled 10 find Golgotha- Near the land
ing monk with bis sleeves turned up and
n dirty white apron ever HIS brown rcha
WAS scruabing sacred vessels With q towel
exactly in the manner Of london waiter
cleaning his dishes. He rubbed and pci-
ished In the waiter style. and threw his
towel over his shoulder IN the waiter
style. There was no more suggestion OF
reverence In his manner tnan there would
be IL the Church Of the Sepulchre were .
Partisan restaurant. Having watched him
fer a minute or two. I asked him where
Golgotha Was. He made a gesture with his
thumb over his right shoulder. and with
out a word went on plying his dishcloth.
Feeling more irritation and disgust per-
haps than was compatible with the eharac-
ter OF the place. l repeated my question.
Whereupon my monk. still seruboing hts
vessel. pointed with his not too clean san
daied foot 10 "A socket =, the floor.
There" said he. 1.-THE cross was fixed, aud
this Ia Golg0,ha" indicating with sweep
OF his towel the position generally. IL
shocks one 10 be told 10 run upstairs to
Golgotha and take the first turning 10 the
left II think IL was}. For business sake
as many as possible OF the spots associated
with the Anal scenes in Chs!st's life have
been huddied together.
or all the monkish faces I saw in The
Church OF the Sepulehre I observed only
one that I could call IN ans degree inteili-
gent Those monks were engaged In Moth
candles. putting UP or taking dawn flowers.
receiving backsheesh. mechanically sing
ing hymns and 50 on. Walls. shrtnes.
screens etc. were so overcfowded with
lamps and chandeliers that the church pre-
scented the appearance of vast ware
house. The church seemed 70 be sacred TO
mechanical ritual. and to that only. or any
religious feeling I failed to discover =
trace. The feeling such scenes produced
In myself was one OF melancholy and utter
aversion.
At Bethlehem, whittier followed the
kassers procession, one might have cx-
peeted symptoms of q different spirit
among the custodiana % the scene of ths
Nativity. But the spectacle % mdnas.io
life there is Just as depressing as at tho
Church of the SepucAre In Jerusalem. a
siipshod. unwashed. hiear~eyea monk.
who begged me 10 give him some tobacco.
loosely searched the pockets az the Syrian
youth who guided me over the buildings.
10 see II he had any. My youthful syrian
guide. who spoke English fairly well. had
once played his part In Barnum's-~or was
IL Mr.. Kiraify's7-pasieboard East at
Esrrs Court. Said 40. pointing TO ths
three Turkish soldiers who were longing
about the church: They are sentfies. to
prevent the monks from fighting each
other" The Church Of thu Nativity In in
the Joint occupation Of Greek. Latin and
Armenian monks. Easter Is the time Tor
E&tGUNS, nit tnN luiki&u NHnlTlfH Keep
watch all TIE year round lt in perhaps
the only duty in the performance OF which
the Turk deserves the unstinted sympathy
and respect of every Christian. or ucn-
Christian, with a slimmer Of genuine re-
ligious feeling. AS for the Garden Of Geth-
semane with It's pathetic msFnories~~weii.
there are two rival gardens The gsrdsa
generally accepted ss such is surrounded
with wire netting. and suggests the drearY
respectabiiity OF "A cheap villa" IN SUBJ
urban London
do not envy the man who can gaze an
moved upon tho Mount or Olives. Bat the
more one feels the apeii Of the place, she
more one IL repealed by demonstrations ef
the kind that accompa nisG the op@a-asr
service held on the top os the mount anf
attended by the emperor and empress and
their suite. An artlst correspondent who
was present with me compared tho return
of the crowds from Oiivst 70 that az Lon
Gon's mnltituGes from EPSON races. In
everything except mechanical ritukl~par-
rot.iike repetition ~ f4rmalitje%-Jasasa-
jef1 strikes ne Tire most rTellesous. or
city IN the world. II IL With
out a doubt the headquarters OF lies.
shans .mpoxtufes % the ecclesiastical
order That the fame % srYe pietT burns
IN r. here and there. I aSu we'll aware. I
speak emily Of general results ~Loadon Dsfiy