Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-08
DEsERET EVENING NEWS, SATURDAY, AUGUST s, 1903.

fxty years ago could have been had
for nothing. because deeply covered
with sand, is now worth many dollars
an acre. and Is utilized for vineyards
German and Jewish coonlsts have
planted the finest orchards and In the
nelghborhooi Of their scttlomentsgrain
fields are greeting the eye Of the tour
1T, whore formerly were only desola-
ton The Lord always goes with His
childfen, ana wherever industry II
brought to bear upon the land, His
blessings are added, and as corse-
Qnence the early and late rains, as the
fall ana spring showers are called, are
descending more coplously and regu-
larly, than during the time when the
land was desoiate Railways are now
conveying passengers 10 The principal
cities, All this has taken place since
the dedication o. the land by one Of
the servants OF the Lord BEFORE that
time, hardly anybody thought OF the
redemption of Palestine Since that
time the redemption has been going on
gradually. and Is sin continued,
The change that has come to
the city of Jerusalem within the
last years Is representative Of what is
taking place all over the country Jeru-
salem Is no longer confined within the
ancient walls. II has extended far to
the north and west, and now covers IN
area outside Of the walls greater than
the area OF the old city within. This
building activity has also caused some
curious changes In topography. The up
per Hinnom valley has been filled in,
and within the walls the old Pool OF
Bethesda" has received similar treat
ment One who has seen these changes
understands better how In antiquity the
Tyropeoh and other valleys within the
limits of the ancient city were filed up
with debris In similar manner, so that
the present walls and houses rest at
places on or In rubble over a hundred
feet IN depths
The population Of Jerusalem today is
about double what I, was only twelve
years ago, the Increase being attribut-
able almost entirely TO the influx Of
Jcws. It is difficult TO ascertain exactly
what the population of the city is or
how large a part Of II Is Jewish. Well
Informed citizens now claim that there
probably are $4,000 Jews The best in
formed outsiders claim that there are
at least 1000 Jewish families In the
city which would support this estimate.
II tails figure be correct, then the Jews
Of Jerusalem are more than twice as
numerous as all the other inhabitants,
Moslems and Christians, combined.
The Jews outside Jerusalem, Hebron,
Tberias, and safed are scattered In ag-
ricultural colonies established on the
Phllstine and sharon plains, aud other
places These colonies are benevolent
attempts TO provide for the Jewish ex-
Hes. and to restore Palestine to the Jews
by bringing them back to agriculture
and manual labor. The best known and
the most prosperous of them is zikron-
Jacob al Sammarin, In the foothills OF
Mount Carmel This is foundation OF
Baron Rothschild who established It in
memory Of his father Jacob.
The Germans Of the Temple Colony,
WuItembergers In the face OF great
obstacles have not only built up settle
menls at Halfa, jana. and Jerusalem,
but ure extending their activities and
have made further purchase OF a large
additional tract OF land on the plain of
Sharon, north Of LYDIA,
In this way, the redemption Of the
country is being accomplished II would
be misleading to say that Palestine now
Is a country IN which milk and honey
fiow; Il Is still to a large extent a ruin,
Hut the possibilities are there. And in
the hands OF industrious laborers, and
under rational government, II viii
still become one Of the most beau
tlfdl qpots Of the Old World.