Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-07-07

Friends of Jerusalem, which was
iounded in 1857 by Wilhelm and Chris
tian Hoffman on the principle that
Christianity was to found Kingdom
of God on earth. The Hofimans were
members of the Pietist braach of the
Lutheran denomination in Wurtem-
berg. and attempted to persuade its
members to ioin in the colonization
Of the Holy Land but as they did not
adopt the plan separate association.
called the Friends of Jerusalem,
was organized to establish an ldeaI
Christian community in the Land oi
Promise" and to commence the regen-
Grafton of its people by Offering an
example OF modern civilization and
honest industry to the Gentiles and
Jews. Five colonies have been estao-
lished at Jerusalem. Halfa, Jaffa, Sa-
roma and in the valley of Rephaim.
The colony at Haifa was begun in
s6g and now includes $40 souls. OF
whom seventy-three are Americans.
The remainder are from Wurtemberg
and southern Russia.
The interest of Americans in this
| GOlDUE lS tSDttlhliS ih' w '''S
that its leader was Jacob Schumacher
| of Buffalo. who was sent out by the
members OF the Temple society in the
United States in 1869 to select the To-
cation and secure the land. Christian
Orldorf of Schenectady accompanied
him. Having found the country
around Mount Carmel to their taste
they bought tract and obtained from
the sultan a firman authorizing them
to hold the titles in their own names
| This, | believe. was the first time TINS
privilege was granted to foreigners
Colonists came from the German bu
theran communities in Buffalo, Phiia
delphia. Schenectady and New YORK
City. bringing American ideas, Ameri
can methods and American tools and
machinery with them.
The land was allotted to individuals
and sold at a price proportionate tc
its cost. streets were laid out. reserVa
tions were made for churches, school
houses. hotels and other public pur
poses DR.. Schumacher was appointed
the head of the colony and remained
as such until his death in 1890. wher
he was succeeded by his son, who is
also .he American consular agent. IL
addition to their farming the colon
lists breed horses, cattle, sheep ant
poultry; they have a large soap fac
tory. from which they ship the fines
of CASTLE SOAP to all parts of thu
world; the export olive oil and othe
local products; they contract for thu
erection of buildings in all parts o
Palestine, having architects and en-
sineer among their number; the!
furnish horses. wagons and campins
outfits to pilgrims and tourists; the!
keep .ourists' hotels throughout Pales
tine (Which are a comfort and bless
ing. for they are always neat End com
fortable) and do great variety o
other things.
The Halia colony Is beautiful
oasis in this great moral desert, AM
1t is refreshing for travellers to tin'
clean hotels horcst people and cleal
streets But, as | have said thei
example has made very little impres
sion upon the natives who are a mon
grel race of Arabs, Ishmaelities Assy
rians. Greeks, Romans. Egyptians
Turks. and Jews. with good dea
Of Crusader blood mixed in them
They will not work. nor will the.
adapt themselves to modern condi
tions These Sons Of Ichmael ant
Esau prefer to live from hand t.
mouth for various reasons. and ther
Is no inducement for them to accu
mulate wealth, because if they di
they would be robbed of it by tn
officials No man can accumulat
capital in this country, no man ca
become better off than his neighbo
without exciting the avarice of tn
Turks and exposing himself to black
mail and persecution. Therefore tn
Germans have difficult task hefor
them Among their immediate SUI
roundings much improvement is nc
ticed. The City of Haifa has bee
ereratead by their influence. an
is now one of the most attractiv
towns in SYRIA Its streets ave con
paratively clean, its shops are wei
kept, its schools are sufficient for tn
education of the Moslem as well a
IHe tnlSidlu populdtlOn, ana IL
inhabitants have a reputation anon
their neighbors for honest 'ealing tina
was not suspected before the Gel
mans came.
Haifa might become a town of in
portance if the railroad to Damascu
which was started a few years ag
could be completed, but there is littl
prospect of the success of that entel
prise because of the jealousy of tn
sultan and the peculiar policy he pun
sues toward public improvements
The concession is owned by tn
Thames Iron company of Londor
which had graded fifty-seven miles
with splendid roadbed, bridges an
culverts built of heavy masonry, an
had laid six miles of track with sey
enty-pound rails when the governo
OF the province stopped the work b
order of the sultan and has not allow
ed it to be resumed.
The sultan gave as a pretext tha
he was afraid this road might inter
fere with the success and prosperity o
L. -.