The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-03-28
IN OLD JERUSALEM.
Miss Blanche Davis Writes from An
Gent City.

written in Jerusalem, who left Mt.
Lake last summer for tour of the old
world:
Jerusalem, Feb. 10, 1907
My Dear Father:
l decided to write to you from
Jerusalem because thought you would
be more interested than any one else,
for you have been here yourself We
have had very interesting time so far,
and are now in Jerusalem. We sailed
from Port Said Sunday night, the 18th,
and arrived in Jaffa on Monday at noon.
We landed in little boats with the tough
est looking Turks imaginable and on
very rough sea. We could not go
through the little passage between the
rocks, for it was too rough. After get
ting settled at our hotel we took car
riages and drove to the house where
Dorcas lived and died and was raised
from the dead. don't know whether
her tomb was discovered when you were
there or not, but we saw it this time,
and also the church erected near the
home in memoriam. We then went to
the house of Simon, the tanner, which
you described in your book. Mary and
have been reading it this evening.
We went up on the roof, saw the well,
but did not drink any of the water as
you did. No wonder you got sick. Do
you know forget what water tastes
like, it has been so long since have
had any.
We left at seven in the morning by a
good train for Jerusalem. We passed
over the plain and picked a rose Of
Sharon for you at one of the stations.
1t is enclosed with this letter There
are $50 many beautiful orange groves
here. The oranges are very large and
they are very cheap-a basket contain
ing about twenty for less than franc.
We had luncheon at the hotel before
starting out. The first place we went
to was the Consulate for msil then to
the church of the Sepulcher. There
were a great many Russian pilgrims
visiting it and making offerings at the
supposed tomb and place of the cruel
iXion. We went across the street from
it to St. Johns church and to a Russian
church, then along the Via Doloroso up
to Catholic orphanage. Down under
the building fifteen feet is the real Via
Doloroso, and we saw it and also the
judgment seat of Plate.
The next morning we started for
Jericho by carriage, The road is quite
good in spots and the scenery is beauti-
full. We drove over the hills until we
saw below US the plain of the Dead Sea
and beyond the mountains of Moab. We
had luncheon at the hotel and drove
across the plain about five miles, to the
Dead Sea. 1t certainly is beautiful but
we didn't like the taste of it. Isn't it
terrible? 1t was quite rough and cover
ed with thick foam. | suppose it was
caused by the salt. After taking sever
al pictures we drove again in another
direction to the River Jordan. Talk
about disappointment! It's the most
insignificant, muddy excuse for a river
ever saw. Uncle Sumner baptized
two little girls who were with us, out in
the river, at sunset, almost in the
shadow of the mountain from which
Moses looked over the plain.
We drove back past the place where
Gilgal was, to the hotel and went to
bed. 1t was real spooky to be there and
listen to the jackals bowling out on the
plain. We got up early in the morning
and started back to Jerusalem. We
stopped at Bethany and saw the sup
posed tomb of Lazarus and the ruin of
the house of Mary and Martha.
We arrived in Jerusalem in time for
luncheon, and afterwards went down to
the big quarry from which King Solo
mon took the stone for the temple, then
to Jeremiah's grotto where he. is sup
posed to have written the Lamentations
and to the tomb of Christ in the garden.
1t looks more like the pictures you see
than the one in the church of the Sep
ucher.
We left Jerusalem next morning by
carriage for Hebron. We saw Solo
mons pool on the way. 1t was beau
tiful drive. The roads were fine and
the country was so much prettier than
that on the way to Jericho.
You know Hebron is the place where
Abraham was, and there is a mosque
built over his tomb. No one but Mo
hammedans are allowed in it, and we
didn't care much. There is not much
in Hebron, but Uncle Sumner thought
we'd better take the trip because of the
history of the place. On the way back
we stopped at Bethlehem. The church
of the Nativity is built over the place
where Christ is supposed to have been
born. 1t is divided into three parts,
the Undenominational, the Greek and
the Roman Catholic. A Mohammedan
soldier is stationed between the Greek
and the Roman parts to keep their