The National tribune., 1907-09-12
CONSUL AT JERUSALEM.
Remarkable Record of DIR. sclnh Merrill.

The State Department frequently has
some of the most interesting visitors of
all those who come to Washington year
in and year out. These are the Consuls
who return from distant posts. One of
them, who is in town this week, is DIR.
Seiah Merrill, for 16 years United States
Consul at Jerusalem, and for % or 80
years resident of Palestine. For be-
fore the Government appointed him as
Consul he was in Palestine as an arche-
ologist, and travelled much thru that
country, studying ancient relics. Now
an old man, the Government has trans
ferred him from the post he has occu-
pied SO long, and will send him to Brit
ish Guiana.
All the Consuls are called in to the
State Department at intervals, general
ly while they are home on leaves of abb
sence. They can tell more during per-
sonal conferences than is possible by
letter. Coming from every continent on
the globe, they bring vast fund of in
formation, but in the multitude of peo-
pie of importance who are constantly
coming and going few of these Consuls
attract much attention.
DR.. Merrill is a civil war veteran
having served as Chaplain of the 49th
U. S. C. I. He cut short his course of
study at Yale College to go to the front
and has lived very active life ever
since. In the '70's he had been ordained
a Congregational minister, and entered
upon his researches which have made
him one of the foremost Palestine
scholars in America. He conducted ex-
plorationS and excavations, ore of his
most notable feats having been the ex-
cavation of the second or outer wall of
Jerusalem. That was some years ago.
Since then the Turkish authorities have
been discouraging research work at Je-
rusalem.
He and his wife have found life pleas
ant in the Holy City, altho it is hardly
a place one would choose for perma-
nent residence. 1t has no newspapers,
altho 1t has population of $4,000 peO-
pie, no theaters, no concerts, no lee
lures. The 1000 Europeans there, in
Guiding a few Americans are thrown
upon their own resources largely for
entertainment and amusement. The
evenings are not as dull as one might
suppose, altho the streets are dimly
lighted at intervals by kerosene lamps
I'VE manage to find a-plenty to do
said DIR. Merrill. "Of course, there are
no Libraries. but we get a few books to
read. Friends send us an occasional
volume, and we dispatch this from
house to house, where we know it will
be welcome. little newspaper printed
at Alexandria, Egypt, which is about a
days Journey from Jerusalem, brings us
meager tidings when there is anything
of world Importance. We get newspa-
pers from London and America, but
they are many days old We chat with
friends. make calls, write letters and do
number of other things to fill in our
evenings. Many travellers come to Jeru-
salem every year, and Il very pleasant
feature of our life is meeting these ex-
cellent people. They are called trav-
elers,' while the swarms of people who
come from Russia, Austria, Greece and
other countries are termed pilgrims
There are between. 5000, and 10000 of
these annually They are cared for at
hospices Qodging houses)."
DIR. Merrill says the Jews are rapidly
acquiring property fin and around Jeru-
salem. in spite of then fact that the
Turkish authorities PLACE obstacles in
population of the city IS now composed
of Jews. They speak a jargon known
as Judeo-German. The city virtually
has three Sundays in week. The Ma
hometans, who comprise about 10000
of the population. observe our Friday
as their Sabbath, the Jews observe Sat
urday and the Christians observe Sun
day. But Saturday is more like the
Sabbath than either of the other two
days.
Jerusalem is not a commercial port
but a semi-diplomatic port, and a large
part of the business of an American
Consul there is to look after the pass
ports and naturalization papers of a
considerable class of American citizens
who come there. There have been many
cases of fraudulent passports and nat
uralization papers, and DR.. Merrill has
been industrious in ferreting these out.
There are approximately 1000 Ameri-
can citizens in Jerusalem. DR.. Merrill
has had to deal with eight different
af
Palestine in his period of service there
and has had rare good fortune in get
ting on amicably with all of them.