davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
THE REAL PASSION PLAY
Mr. Henry Ellsworth, Wealthy American Who Visits
Oberammergau Every Year, Brings Word From Anton
Lang, the Christ of the Play, That the Pictures
Shown in America Are Not Authentic

, in Paris in March, 1907, by an ambi-
tious photographer, who set his own
stage and hired his own actors, as
moving picture concerns do in their
other work.
Herr Lang, through Mr.. Ellsworth,
has authorized the American press to
say that no photographs except those
made by Mr.. Ellsworth, on this page,
have ever been made at Oberammer-
gau. This authorization bears the
signature Of Herr Lang.
Mr.. Ellsworth, who has spent part
! of each year since 1889 at Oberam-
mergau, said:
I'm London moving picture COM
pany gave me a private view Of it's
Oberammergau pictures, but they
knew and I knew :hey were not au-
thentic. In Europe the exhibitors of
such pictures dare not declare them
authentic, for every one would know
it was not true, so we'll are the tradi-
! tions surrounding The Passion Play
understood. The following scenes are
depicted by the moving pictures, and
Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, the
Star of Bethlehem, Birth of Christ,
Massacre of the Innocents, Flight Into
Egypt, Arrival in Egypt, Holy Family
in Nazareth, Christ's Baptism, Raising
Lazarus from the Dead and Christ
Walking on the Waters"
The next performance of the Pas
sion Play will be given in 1910. About
every ten years since 1884 there has
been a performance. The regular
performances are on Sundays and
church holidays. In 1896 there were
twenty-seven performances scheduled,
but because of the attendance twenty
extra performances we're given.
Every possible vestige of CONNER
cialism, or any thing that might look
like commercialism, has been kept
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

plain that we were endeavoring to es-
tablish a record, and his answer was,
PLENTY of time!" However, we were
not able to go without him because he
is a relative of the .Sheik of Palmyra.
with whom I was not acquainted. We
had to stay. We asked Faris Aga to
go with us to his house but he re-
fused to ride on the "devil's horse" "
We were therefore obliged, according
to the custom Of the East, to walk
with him. There were a. dozen
Bedouin chiefs, armed to the teeth,
awaiting his return, hoping to learn
from him something about the mys.
terious genii. When they saw him
with us they backed out of our way.
Leaving Faris Aga and our party, I
went over to the Bedouins and ad.
dressed them in their mother tongue,
which seemed to soothe their fears.
The first thing they asked was:
Have you seen the genii?'
! I tried to explain that it was only a
carriage, but. even this they did not
understand, for they had never seen
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
THE FIRST AUTOMOBILE TO
CROSS THE SYRIAN DESERT
BY sALIM G. TABET..

Mr.. Philip Secaf, a Damascene, was
the first to import into Syria an auto
mobile of modern perfection. had
often imagined what a great sensation
this self-propelled vehicle would
cause among the peasants in the in
terror of Syria, most of whom had
never seen railroad or even expert
enced the luxury of carriage ride,
but I did not expect the unusual con-
sternation which we encountered.
Mr.. Secaf invited me to accompany
him on a trip across the Syrian des-
ert. I at first feared that we might
fall into the hands of hostile Bedou-
ins. But I wished to determine the
practicability of service for tour
lists between Damascus and the ruined
city of Queen Zenobia, in the Syrian
desert, Palmyra, so set fear aside.
Well supplied with gasoline and ex-
ira tires, we started with joyous an
ticipation on our initial journey from
Beyrout to Damascus over the pic
turesque Lebanon mountains. When
we were about twenty miles out of
Beyrout we stopped for refreshments
for ourselves and water for the cars
cooling tank. Every persn in the vii
lage of Ain-Anoub who saw us climb
ing the steep approach gathered in
the village square to look at the won
derful thing that could go without the
aid of men or beast. '
The summit of the Damascus car
riage road is little over 5000 feet
high, yet our car behaved remarkably
well, and with all the roughness of
the road Especially that part from
Aleh to ShOtra) We were able to
travel the distance in two hours less
than by rail. Future automobilists
will find this road and all other roads
throughout Syria fit for driving, as un-
der the new regime graft among gov
ernment officials is done away with.
On reaching Damascus there was
large crowd to meet the first automo-
bile owned by Damascene. Women,
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

Where are your horses of the car
riage?" he asked. 'How are you able
to go without something to pull the
carr" ..~-
Women, children and old men were
running from all directions to see the
unknown object; but they were afraid
to get too near until, encouraged by
Faris Aga, who was now having a
thorough look at the car, they dared
to close in upon us until it was diff
cult to keep them at convenient dis
tance.
Our plans were to leave Kuryatan
Immediately for Palmyra, but Faris
Aga insisted that we should come in
to his guests house. 1 tried to ex-
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

"Oh DEAR" sighed the widow,
:glancing at the bachelor confdingly
as he turned his horses into Central
park just as the o'clock parade was
beginning. II wish I had brother
for-for few minutes!"
The bachelor nearly dropped the
reins.
I'D be one to you," he began,
doubtfully, "only I hate to join the
throng"-
There isn't any 'throng,' Mr.. Trav-
ers,' interrupted the widow, in an in
jured tone; '.it's a rare privilege
"Oh, we'll, exclaimed the, bachelor,
more eagerly, IF I'm to have all the
privileges"- .... ,.-r.ss-s
Il want somebody" continued the
widow, ignoring the impertinence, "to
tell me the bitter, brutal truth about
myself. Girls who have brothers
have such an advantage over those
who don't. It's constant rehearsal
for matrimony, without al the attend
ant pangs and disappointments.'i
"If you mean," remarked the bach
elor. flicking the off-horse spitefully,
'that they get used to having pipe
smoke around the house and lose their
distaste for swear words and their re-
spect for masculine authority and
their illusions and their faith in men,"
That's just what I do meant" cried
the widow, clapping her hands de-
lightedly. "They have nothing to
learn"
Heaven forbid!' calculated the
bachelor, piously.
"Nor to get used to nor to be dis
appointed in! They go into matri-
mony unhampered by illusions or de-
lusions, or the belief that man is
going to be as noble and tender and
fascinating before breakfast and with
out a collar or a shave as he is after
dinner in dress suit. when the lights
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

the religious atmosphere in the valley
of the Ammer becomes dense. It is
estimated that during the last century
not fewer than thousand persons,
principally women, went insane as a
direct result of watching the Passion
play. During each performance
fwomen became hysterical and had to
be carried out in order to allow the
actors to proceed calmly.
Each performance is preceded by
mass at o'clock in the morning;
after 8 o'clock in the morning no one
is admitted to the theater, visitors
arriving later being required to wait
until the midday intermission.
The present theater was built in
1889 at cost of. 100000. It's seating
capacity is 1000, eeYry seat being
reserved. In 1890 the government
compelled some changes in the play,
but they were of a minor character,
and did not detract anya from the
dramatic quality Of the production.
Anton Lang, who played the part OF
Christ in 1900, was a stove repairer
and potter, and was only twenty-five
years old. His predecessor was the
revered Joseph Meyer, wood carver.
In 1900 Lang was perceptibly nervous
at his work on the stage and received
valuable coaching from Meyer, who
spoke the prologue. ~,
Anna Flunger, who played the part
of the Virgin Mary, was only eighteen
years old. She was the daughter of
the village postmaster, and consid.
cred the most beautiful girl in the
valley of the Ammer. Her family for
generations had taken part in the Pas
sion Play, her grandfather having
played the part of Christ in 1850, and
her aunt the part Of Mary in. 1880.
While she played her part acceptably,
her face was generally said not to
bear the stamp of high spirituality
that belonged to Rosa ! Lang, who
played the part in 1890.
Sebastian Bauer, the Plate of the
play was captain of the village fire
brigade. Sebastian Lang, the Gaia
phas, was sacristan.s All of the act
resses and actors are selected not
alone for their appearance and his
trionic ability, but for their moral and
religious character their ability to
live again the lives Of the actors in
the worlds greatest drama.
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
S2.4o PER YEAR.

one. The Chauffeur brought the car
around, and on hearing it's noise they
were on the alert. 1 told them that
this was our horse, and that they need
not be afraid, as we were friends Of
Faris Aga, and therefore friends to
his friends. Faris Aga invited them
all to go into the guests house, and
he called me to speak to them. 1
asked their chief, Emir Nimr, to ride
in the motor, but he replied:
mo! AS long as my horse and
camel can carry me through the des-
ert 1 do not care to ride anything
else''
Nevertheless, after luncheon, he
consented, and took his Seat beside
the chauffeur. We expected some
surprise, and feared he might try to
jump out. But as soon as the car be-
gan to move he threw his strong arms
around the chaffeur and held him so
fast that we were compelled to force
him to loose his grasp and thus give
the chauffeur chance to steer the
car. A little later he came to me
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

Ever new, although 264 years old,
and ever of absorbing interest to re-
ligionist and unbeliever alike on ac-
count of the extraordinary traditions
that surround it, the Passion Play of
Oberammergau is depicted truthfully
on this page for the first time in au-
thentic photographs.
Since the camera has come into
ready use by tourists there have
probably been more efforts made to
photograph the Passion Play in it's
original setting than any other sub.
ject. All these efforts except the one
the results of which are shown in this
paper have been unsuccessful because
the rule that no camera should be al
lowed within 100 feet of the stage at
Oberammergau has been impartially
and vigorously enforced
No consideration of money or infiu-
ence has succeeded in suspending this
rule until Mr.. Henry Ellsworth, a
wealthy American, through his friend
ship with Anton Lang, the Christus of
the play, was permitted to make photo
graphs when the play was last put on.
Since last year there have been dis
played in Europe and America no few
er than 700 sets of moving pictures
that, on this side Of the water, have
been represented as actual photo
graphs of the original Passion Play.
Mr.. Ellsworth's investigations show
that not one Of these pictures was
made on the scene, and that no NOV
ing pictures ever have been made at
Oberammergau.
Furthermore, unless every tradition
that has shrouded the Passion Play
for more than two and half centu-
ries be torn asunder, no moving pic
lures ever will be made of this re-
markable theatrical performance. It
was found that the photographs al
legged to depict the play were made
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

children and grown men came long
distances, some in carriages, some on
horseback and some walking Z They
blocked the way and pushed each 9TH
er as if it were election night in
Broadway. 49,. F i
We left Damascus , through the
street called Straight and out through
Thomas Gate, thence over the Aleppo
carriage road as far as Katifeih.
Here We turned to the right and went
by way of the village of Adameih.
In my fourteen years Of travel I have
met many hospitable sheiks, but never
have I met one whose hospitality
could compare, with that of sheik
Da'ass Of Adameih. This honorable
chief is actually happy at the sight of
strangers in his village. When we
reached his village we intended to
spend the night at Jaroud, three miles
beyond, at the guests house of Mo-
hammed Pacha El-Jaroudi, but Sheik
Da'ass met us at the entrance of Ada
meth and insisted on our coming into
his house for rest. The moment we
entered he refused to sit with us un-
less we granted him his wish, saying:
Gentlemen, if you think I am
worthy of your entertainment pray
you order the men 10 bring in your
baggage. 1 beg of you not to disgrace
me by your refusing my invitation 2
This, of course, was not our plan,
yet the sincere and kind words he
showered upon us made it impossible
for us to refuse his earnest plea.
The following morning we left Ada
meth for Kuryatan. The time required
for camel driver to ostravel this sixty
miles is seventeen hours. The desert
begins about six miles east Of Ada
meth and extends for hundreds of
miles far beyond the center of Arabia.
We went for nearly sixty miles with
out seeing human being or green
tree, but we met herds of hundreds
of gazelles. The desert was as level
as the sea, with bare mountains on
each side. Near Kuryatan we met a
number of caravans of camels A fly.
ing, whirring man made motor car had
invaded the land where, from time i'm.
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

and lovable without being either a
saint or a hero ...
"And chock full of human feelings"
put in the bachelor, without being
exactly a devil or criminal"
And that he doesn't mean half the
unpleasant things he says"
"Nor half the pleasant ones"
What" The widow dropped her
handbag. -. ..'*'>
The bachelor glanced up at her crit
ically. ~. -
What makes you wear your hat
over one. ear?" he asked, nonchal-
antly. .. - .f .+-.~..
"Mr. Travers!" The widow clutch
ed at her hat desperately.
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

with serious look, as if disgusted
with himself for not trusting to the
word of a friend
with your permission" he said, II
will take short ride, provided Faris
Aga comes with u.s.
To this Faris Aga agreed, and we
had a good ride at high speed, and
both of these desert bred men seemed
to enjoy it immensely
Leaving Kuryatan we had to travel
by a rough road through ploughed
fields.
Before we were half an hour on the
way we sighted Ain el-Bayadah, a
Turkish military barracks built on the
site of an old Palmyrian castle.
The entrance to the ruined city of
Palmyra is melancholy sight. The
shattered and scattered columns were
depressing, and those still standing
had solitary, sad appearance, as if
weeping over the lost glory of the
capital city of Queen Zenobias en-
pire, which included Egypt, Palestine
and Asia Minor, and extended from
the Nile to the Euphrates, and north
ward from Betra to beyond the Gal
lician gates.
The entire village and the Sheik,
Abd-Allah, turned out to see the noisy
visitor. Sheik Abd-Allah had been to
Europe. He knew what an automo-
bile was, soothed the fears of the peo-
pie, and came out to meet us with
cordial welcome. We drove right in
to his court yard. When we told him
that we came that day from Kuryatan
to Palmyra it was hard even for him
to credit the story. Faris Aga, our
desert guest, assured him that it was
so.
1--WE left Kuraytan when the sun
was high up in the sky" he said, land
the Muazin~ had not yet called the
faithful to the noon prayer We have
done the trip from Kuryatan to Pal
myra, which takes your swiftest
dromedary or horse twenty-five hours,
in four hours and half in this auto
mobile" ..s .
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

foreign to the Passion Play through
all the years it has been given. The
last forty-seven performances at
Oberammergau brought in s247,OO0,
the admittance fee ranging from fifty
cents to $3.50. From these forty
seven renditions, however, there wa3
no profit, as the income was all re-
quired in the legitimate expenditures
of the performances. -
Oberammergau has a population of
1,400 and of these S56 take part in
the play. There is no element of
medieval mysticism in this wonder
full play, staged in the peaceful village
in the Upper Bavarian valley of the
Ammer. It originated from a vow
taken by the villagers when plague
was raging, and in the beginning the
monks Of Ettal are believed to have
written the play. It was in the be-
ginning of the last century that the
play in substantially its present form
was written. The next performance
will be given on the third Sunday in
May, 1910, and performances will con-
tinue until the last Sunday in Septem-
ber. Mr.. Ellsworth will return to
Oberammergau in a short time.
Il hope to be able to pass the rest
of my life there" he said. "I love
the place because every one there is
honest. There is no guile and no de-
ception. When one meets a woman
in the street he knows she is pure,
and when you meet man you know
you may trust him to the end of the
earth. It is an atmosphere that ex-
lists nowhere else so far as I know;
and is the only sort Of atmosphere in
which such theatrical production
could be preserved in all the sanctity
and purity of motives suggested by
it's traditions"
It is difficult, yes, impossible, for
even the religiously disposed in far
away America to appreciate the
weirdness, the dramatic sublimity, the
tenseness of emotional tuning that
accompany the rendition of the Ober-
ammergau Passion Play. In a COM
munity deeply religious at all times
the devotional depths into which the
villagers plunge during the period pre-
ceding the rendition of the play are
profound. By the time the first per-
formance has been polished to the
highest possible state of perfection
The Appeal., 1908-12-05


tits the way you Look to-a brother,
retorted the bachelor, refining in the
horses before the widows door. "Of
course to me- .~.
LET me out this minute!'' demand
ed the widow.
Mot" declared the bachelor, lean
ing over in the dusk and kissing her
lightly on the cheek, until have told
you good-by''-
"How dare you!" cried the widow,
rubbing her cheek with her handker.
chief. : y
"Just brother!" finished the bach.
elor, with a low laugh, as she disap.
peared through the door and he
climbed back into the trap,
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

memorial, the great method of trans
portation had been the camel.
We went on peacefully and reached
the threshing village of Kuryatan.
Here we we're met by Faris Aga, the
chief of the village, who had been at
tracted by the automobiles horn,
which was something he could not un-
derstand. We stopped. I jumpel out
to shake hands with him, and he
shrank from me. It was several min
utes before he recognized me, and
then in surprise asked me when I had
returned from America.
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
Famous English Hedge.

The work of pruning the mammoth
beech hedge at Melkicour, Pertshire,
on the estate of the Marquis of Lans-
downe, is now being carried out. The
hedge, which is the most famous of
it's kind in the world, was planted in
1715. It is one-third of mile long
and about 100 feet high. It is pruned
every eight on ten years, the opera
tion, as may be supposed, being both
difficult and costly one. Special
apparatus for the purpose has to be
obtained from London.
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

"And most of your pompadour at
the back of your head?"
TITS the fashion!"
And that bunch of iuffdub under
your chin, and so much powder on
your nose, and those pinchy- Looking
gloves, and all those jingly folde.rols
on your wrists and
Isis that the way l look to q
man" gasped the widow.
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
Had His sympathy.

Yes said Miss Jiltham, che was
an old flame of mine. And when you
told him / was to be married next
week, did he seem sorry?" :,
Yes, he admitted that he felt very
sorry" replied Miss Cable.
Did he really ?"
Yes, although he said he didn't
know your fiance personally"
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
slight misunderstanding.

Slight Misunderstanding.
DO the people of this community
devote much Of their time to gastron-
omy ~ asked the. city boarder.
Nav, don't reckon they do" an
swered Farmer Geehaw. "Ez fur ez
know, they ain't a TELESCOPE in tn
hull township
The Appeal., 1908-12-05

Every time man gives 5O-cent
present he expects a dollars worth
Of thanks
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
A Slight Jolt.

A Slight Jolt.
He (boastingly)- TT takes six gen.
erations to make a gentleman, you
know
She Calmly Yes, and what a
pity that it only takes one generation
to unmake him!"
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
Pertinent Query.

Professor How long can a man
live without brains 2"
Bright Pupil don't know. sir.
How old are you?,
The Appeal., 1908-12-05
china's New COINAGE,

The one tael silver coins which
have been adopted as the standard
coin Of Chinese currency are expect
ed to be minted next year. They viii
be limited to 10000, 900.
The Washington herald., 1908-01-05
BACHELOR GIRL CHAT
THE GOLD CURE FOR LOVE.
BY HELEN ROWLAND.
BY HELEN ROWLAND.

candy habit is too much candy; and the
best cure for love-is too much love"
Il know how 1t feels!'' exclaimed the
Bachelor Girl sympathetically, rubbing
the kittens ear down over its eyes.
WHAT!
Just like a girl does. returned the
Bachelor Girl calmly. when she has been
thinking Of a man as a being afar-off and
unattainable and returns TO find him sit
ting waiting for her on the studio
steps"
Il wasn't" declared the Mere Man.
''Or walking at her elbow. or on the
carpet at her feet, Or
That's a different thing" protested
the Mere Man stOutiy.
But it's the same feeling" declared
the Bachelor Girl. 'Its-it's just like
watching somebody else eat dinner after
you've finished your desert II a man
wants TO keep a girls interest" she add
ed, regarding the Mere Man significant
~, he should keep her guessing"
And If a girl wants TO keep man in
fatuated.' TetOrted the Mere Man. she
should keep him at a distance"
And waiting for her favor"
'Or an answer"
'Or a kiss"
''Or a sign Of encouragement. It's a Pc
euliar thing about love-" continued the
The Washington herald., 1908-01-05
FRILLS IN FASHION.


It is becoming more and more the fash
lon to wear sman-shaped frilIs standing
a little out from the upper edge OF "a
neckband. and these little shaped bands
Of chiffon. muslin. or lace are not really
frills at all but they surround the throat
and jut out a little behind the ears.
Some Of the more prominent actresses
have long been attached TO this kind Of
throat arrangement Rejane frequently
adopts IL, and so do Bartet and SoreL
Sarah Bernhardt used frequently 10 wear
muslin frills-that We're in reality frills-
round the top of her neckbands, and
many well-known society women now
adopt the same style.
This mode is one which is effective and
satisfactory when properly handled A
shaped frill Of some purple material may
make the throat look soft and round and
shapely, or, with ease, it may make il
look dowdy in the extreme. When
blouses are worn with walking skirts
and semi-tight coats the correct thing is
the pleated waterfall frill. which is i'm
menseiy fussy from throat 70 bust. and
which then assumes more modest pro-
portions until the walstline is reached.
These fTills-at their best-are made of
the finest possible muslin, hemstitched
and guiitiess Of lace or insertion. They
are fastened on either side OF the tucked
strip Of muslin which takes the studs,
and the friils must never be starched.
The great object Is to have them as full
and soft as possible. When you buy these
! frills Teady-made you nearly always tind
/ them edged with Ealenciennes lace, but
/ the best plan is 10 have them made "a
| order by some clever little needleworker
/ The lace edge gives the whole thing an
/ ordinary appearance at once, and, besides
/ il Is Incorrect in this connection. Quanti-
/ ties Of Valenciennes are being used in
every possible way. but this lace must
| not be introduced Oh these waterfall
| frills.