The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-23

From The Journal Bureau, Colorado Building,
Washington.
Washington, March 23.-The COM
mercial exploitation of Palestine and
Syria continues without intermission.
The work is not going forward with
great rapidity, owing to the numerous
obstacles thrown in the way by the
Ottoman government. but the progress
Is real, and the day is not far distant
when this land of Bible story will have
relatively as much importance for the
world at large as it had at the time
of it's ancient splendor, when Solomon
was king.
From the earliest times down to
A. D. 70, when Jerusalem was taken
by Titus, Palestine was one of the
garden spots and most highly devel-
oped agricultural sections of the
known world. Indeed, it's productive
ness did not cease until after it's con-
quest by the Mohammedans, the blight
of whose long-continued rule has
made it desolate.
Now that the attention of the great
nations of the world is being directed,
for commercial reasons, more and
more to the far east, Palestine again
becomes important. 1t is in the path
way Of those who travel east and
west by land between Europe and
Asia. 1t Is near the entrance to the
Suez canal, by means of which its
products and those of the Asiatic in
terror for many hundreds Of miles,
can be carried along the east coast Of
Africa. 1t commands cheap water
carriage to all Mediterranean ports,
and there is talk of building line Of
q 1uyo from
Mediterranean thru India to the Pa
cific, following the old caravan routes.
Such line would be a competitor
or the trans-Siberian railway, whose
commercial utility can never be GER
tain under a desDotic form of govern
ment, but, unlike that railway, it
would traverse countries teeming with
being projected presupposes the trans
shipment of goods at some Syrian
port. A development Of this char
acter would rehabilitate the entire
country, and cause it once more to
flow with milk and honey" and
would probably hasten the time when
the lost sheep of the house of Israeli
would again be gathered together, in
realization Of the dreams of the ar
dent Zionites.
Four Railroad Lines.
Consular reports during the past
few months have called attention to
various phases Of the improvement
now being made in Syria and Pale
slime. Four lines of railway are either
built Or building, mostly with capital
from Belgium and Germany.
First in point of interest is the
railway from Jaffa to Jerusalem,
opened for traffic in 1892. 1t is pro-
posed to extend it, in accordance with
the original plan, by branch, lines to-
GAIA, Nablous, Jericho and the Dead
sea, and an extension Of the main line
from Jerusalem up the Jordan valley
to Damascus and connections with the
Yafa-J jerusalem line, now building.
The franchise for the railway from
Haifa to Damascus has been bought
back by the Turks, who are building
as rapidly as possible on across the
Jordan eastward for a connection with
the Damascus-Mecca line. For this
money has been raised by popular
subscription among the Mohamme-
dams in all parts of the world, includ-
ing the Philippine islnads. 1t will be
the route for pilgrims and will do
| away with the expensive, slow and
unsanitary caravans which heretofore
have furnished the only means Of
reaching the burial place Of the
prophet. Much of this line has al
|
cover the route. 1t will throw open
to civilization the trans-Jordan coun-
try, hitherto as inaccessible as Tibet.
The railway from Beirut to Damas-
Gus, a French undertaking, which
crosses the Lebanon mountains, is do
ing thriving business. Lately new
feeder has been opened, known as
the Damascus-Hauran branch, run.
ming down the valley of the Orontes
to Baalbeck, HONS and Klamath, from
which last-named point it is being
continued to the Euphrates. Starting
from HONS, tourists may now reach
the ruins of Palmyra after q shor1
carriage ride.
Threshing Machine in Damascus.
In Damascus the chief events Of the
year are the departure and arrival OF
the pilgrims to Mecca. The superin.
tendent of these pilgrimages, Abu
Rahman Pasha, is one Of the wealthy
men Of the country. AS the owner o,
large estates, he last season received
from Indiana a modern steam thresh
err, the second machine of the kline
ever sent to that country. Consul
Ravndal of Beirut says that its re
cent triumphal march thru Damas
Gus stirred up the famous whit,
city" of the east from center to cir
conference. On its way to the coun
| try 1t broke down many bridges, bu
, pulled itself and train out of the cree]
, beds without much difficulty, an
finally reached the pasha's estates
none the worse for it's trip.
Mr.. Ravndal thinks the introduc
) ton Of modern agricultural machin
cry will ameliorate the Industrial an
social conditions of the syrians. L
!. a wide sxpanse Of territory nea
Mount Hermon, where this machin
will operate this year, the people Hv
and work as they did in the day
} when Abraham crossed the plains wit
, his Chaldean f1ocks. Many thousand
? Of acres of fertile land are lying idle
New machinery will mean it's re
clamation, and the further retiremen
of the predatory Bedouin tribes whic
for centuries have made their home
in these waste places.
Speaking of the commercial de
= velopment Of Palestine, consequent o
the Introduction Of modern agricul
tural machinery and the constructio
of lines of railway, Consul Merrill a