The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-20

movement in the Holy Land. The first
attempt was made when the Kaiser
went from Jaffa to Jerusalem. The
Sultan had the highway repaired, and
when the Germans travelled over 1t II
was watered for the first time in Its
history, being sprln--led from skin bags
/ carried on the shoulders OF women and
girls, and flied at the springs, wells
and cisterns nearby.
| The Russians of the Holy Land.
| An even greater invasion OF the
Holy Land than that OF the Germans
| is that of the Russians. This occurs
every year. and 1t goes on all the
time. It is, however, spiritual In
vasion and there is nothing CONNER
| cial about 1t. The Russians come here
by the $4,000 and $4,000 a year. They
are brought In by the shipload at Easter.
time. and during the whole spring
companies of pilgrims can be seen
! going about on foot from shrine to
] shrine over Palestine.
| Many Of the pilgrims land at Haifa,
the most northern port of the country.
From there they make their way on
foot over the mountains Of Galilee,
stopping at Nazareth and then gong
on to Tiberius. They stop and pray
at every holy spot and often kiss the
ground where they think Jesus or the
| saints have trod. From the Sea Of
| Galilee they make their way back to
Nazareth, and thence go across the
| plain of Esdraelon and through Sa-
maria to Jerusalem. I have seen thous-
| ands of them at Bethlehem, and have
met them tramping the weary road to
/ the Dead Sea and the Jordan.
i These Russians belong to the Greek
| Church, which owns the most of the
| = Nj
! Try, and which has all-told property
amounting to millions. including some
! Of the best real estate in Jerusalem.
The most of the property. however.
belongs to Gree catholics, who are
not Russians, and the Russian Church
4 seems to be an institution of its own
! kind. It has a great hospice outside
the walls of Jerusalem and also a
/ magnificent church on the top of the
/ Mount of Olives. It has similar insti-
tutions elsewhere, and Is a live factor
IN the religious conditions Of the Holy
I Land.
i, A Hotel Which Sleeps Ten Thousand.
The Russians have here what is
perhaps the largest hotel of the world.
1t can sleep 10000 at time, and In
4 addition has buildings for families.
.lIt is known as the Russian Hosplce,
i, and it lies at the west outside Jeru-
salem proper. 1t covers space Of ten
!, acres or more. and has high wall
\. about 1t.
Entering the gates of this hospice.
lone finds himself surrounded by Rus
SLAMS and Russian scenes. 1t Is a slice
Of the land of the Gear dropped down
in Judea, and there Is nothing Syrian
In sight. The men dress in caps, long
coats and trousers. the last being
tucked into high boots. They are long
bearded, long haired and fair faced.
! There are many red heads among them,
: and none seems to know Of the razor.
The women are clad in coarse gowns
which end at six inches or more from
, the ankle They wear boots or straw
shoes, and In the latter case their legs
arc wrapped around with cloths which
), take the place of stockings. They
, have handkerchiefs tied about their
heads, and their features are usually
Las hard and rough as those of the
men.
But suppose we go into the woman's
: quarters Of this mighty hotel. The
: building is cut UP. into cave-llke vaults,
which run from one side of 1t to the
other. These vaults are lighted at
the ends, and standing In central
hall 1t seems as though the windows
We're at least zoo feet distant. Each
7 vault Is eight feet wide ana nlteen
: feet high and It Is filled from end to
2 end with rough beds of pine boards.
E|JJpon the boards Is straw mating, and
space six feet square forms the bed
! and home Of each woman. At the back
7 of this she piles up her bread, tea and
other belongings, which she has
! brought with her from Russia. She
sleeps stretched out on the boards on
, the front In the clothing she wears In
! the daytime.
8 The quarters devoted to the men are
7 of similar nature. and those to the
Q families differ only in that the space
, for each holding Is larger,
\ Rring nrcaI From Russia.
o These PILGRIMS bring their bread and
= ten with them from Russia. IN add
h ton to this theyshaye few vegetables
4 which they buy of the natives, They
9 cook with OIL stoves When on the
d march each onzz4es some bread elonf