Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-06-17
LETTER FROM JERUSALEM.
An Interesting Description of The Land of
Bible History:

Through the kindness of Chas.
Fankhauser of this city, We are
furnished the following extracts from
a letter written written to Mrs
Louisa Fankhauser, mother of Chas..
by her nephew. Mr.. w. c. Blatler
| 1--WE are treated royalty a: every
place we stop. Everything is done
for our comfort that we could expect
and much more. Our committee has
Everything managed to perfection and
program has been carried out in
full. We are shown the principal
lsights at every place we stop. There
are over 500 of us and one would
think not all could always be accom-
| modated but we are, even in carriage
drives. OF course it often makes
quite string of vehicles and the
times the natives have on such oCca-
slons is interesting to see and hear.
One always tries to out yell the other
and it is great.
We have now been pretty well
over and around the city. A carriage
drive of days took us to Jericho,
the Dead Sea, and the Jordan, over
splendid road down hill as the sea is
1000 feet lower than Jerusalem.
| Jericho has population of $50 and
three hotels. After lunch we drove
in two hours to the Dead Sea.
Nothing there but a row-boat, sail
boat and much history. We could
not resist the temptation to 60
swimming and enjoyed it very much.
The water is eight times as salt as
the ocean and one cannot sink but
floats like log.
Another hours drive brought us to
the Jordan. Many were disappointed
in its appearance, as it is a narrow
stream with steep muddy banks. Here
a man from Pittsburg was baptised
by immersion. Some cottonwood
and other brush line the banks.
Wecan readily locate the mountains,
seas, rivers, and cities of the bible
but you can not think what a strain it
is to believe what the natives want US
to in regard to the location of so
many things that happened 1900
years ago. They have a place for
everything even to the tree where
Judas hanged himself. We have
| pointed out to. us the tomb of
Lazarus, tomb of Joseph and Mary
and Martha with the walls only still
standing, and the Garden of
Gethsemane about half an acre full of
flowers, with nine cedarS and eight
olive trees, one of which is two or
three thousand years old. They also
point out the spot where the disciples
slept the night before ascension, the
place where Judas betrayed Christ,
and the place where Stephen was
stoned. We are taken. to two tombs
of Christ and can take our choice.
The natives are SO accommodating
along this line that every one should
come away satisfied.
The population of Jerusalem Is
about 10000 and its area 30 acres.
The wall is two and a half miles in
length and there are 81 towers and 7
gates. The site of Solomon's temple
contains some twenty acres on which
two mosques now stand.
From high tower on the Mount
of Olives one gets fine view of the
city and surrounding country. To
the east in the Jordan valley, the
mountains of Moab, Mizpeh, and the
hills of the Wilderness. I now have
different idea of a wilderness, all
rocks and not tree in sight. In
places along the hillside, small patches
are cultivated. The same wooden
sticks are used for plows as 1900
years ago. l have seene farmers
blowing with OK and donkey yoked
together. Camels are used for
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