Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-10-12
Val1ey Of
JOrdan...
Especial Letter.)


that through which the river Jordan
winds it's tortuous course. From it's
narrow defle where the headwaters
of the river gush in a thousand bub-
bling rills from among the stones of
the cave of Pan, through marshy plains
to its wide stretches of land around
the Dead sea, it is replete with names
familiar to every one who has read
history, either sacred or profane-
On the mountains, whose shadows
fall over the valley. Moses received the
law from God and centuries later
Christ passed through its highways
and its byways. through its populous
cities and fertile fields, preaching and
teaching the lessons with which all the
civilized world is now familiar. 1t is
the scene of the lifework of the great
est teacher and leader of men that
humanity has ever known. Herein He
was adored and worshiped, scoffed at
and jeered at, tempted and threatened.
In this valley, He cured the sick, raised
the dead to life, made profound think
ers of humble fishermen, stilled the
tumultuous waters of the sea with His
footstep and wiped cut the stain of
original sin with the agony of Geth-
semane and the darkness which closed
around the tragedy of Calvary fell
upon the winding Jordan.
Long Before the Coming of Christ.
even before the prophets told of the
future advent of the Messiah, events
which make history were transpiring
along the banks of the Jordan. Wars
ragged, cities rose and fell, and gov
ernments were established and shat
tered. The soil was fertile and the re-
gion rich and populous. Phoenecians,
Greeks and Romans came and con-
quered at different times and the hosts
of the Persians and the Syrians spread
| it with waste and desolation. But 1t
| always recovered from the attacks OF
the invaders and during the life OF
| Christ teemed with humanity and
b1ossomed with fertility.
Now there is little of the old life in
the valley. A scanty supply of fish
would reward the fisherman who
| might cast his net, the focks are few
and scattering, the fields are barren
| of the lilies and there are but few evil
denceS that this was once garden spot
! of the world. The mountains still rise
| in their majestic splendor, the Jordan
dashes as of yore over precipices ano
rolls sluggishly through marches, Cali
| lee often lashes into fury as it did
when the Master babe it be quiet and
| the Dead sea shimmerS in the sunlight
| but the spirit and the life of the val
| ley are gone. War, pestilence, earth
quake and time have contributed tc
| the surrounding scenes of ruin.
| The valley of tie Jordan stretches
from north to south in the eastern par
| of Palestine. The river is formed from
| the waters of springs
| Gushing From the Labanon Mountain.
and Mount Hermon. For number Of
miles it's course is through a wildly
picturesque country. Mountains tower
above either side and the stream
dashes over dizzy precipices AM
through deep and rocky chasms Il
varies greatly in width and depth. II
some places it is not more than fifty
yards wide and from three to sever
feet deep. Its source is about LOO
feet above the Mediterranean sea
but where it flows into the Deat
sea it is 1916 feet below thi,
| level In direct line from it
source to its mouth it is 12O fee
miles long, but its course is SO wind
/ ing that within a soace of sixty miles
long and from four to five miles
broad it traverses at least 200 miles
| and during this time plunges owe
twenty-seven formidable rapids. Be
| fore it spreads into Lake Meron, nov
called Hulch, it struggles through
| morass which is thickly overgrowr
| with papyrus. On leaving this lax,