El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-03
Copyright, 1910. by Frank c. Carpenter,


walled on each side with ca"eliAe
shops, and fIllel with crhw-i "f Sy-
rians. Bedouins, Armeaiars, Jews and
the other strange characters Of rais
part of the east The arched tunnel Is
lighted only by noies in the roof 1he
shops have neither windows nor d0C1s.
They seem to have been cot out of the
walls, and the largest of them Is not
more than Is 10 20 feet deep Some
are so narrow you can stand at the
front and reach both walls with your
hands, and none is much higher than
your head. Nsvertheless each IS
store, and it IS walled with shelves
filled with goods There IS only
enough room outside ethe shelves for
the merchant to sit, and me customers
must stand in the street as they shop.
Cobblers and Timers.
These bazaars are classified, oae
business being devoted to each There
is a shoemaker's bazaar where scores
Of cobblers are working At the en-
trance to each cayelike shop two shoe
makers sit. with untanned calfskin
aprons tight about them. sewing
away. Between them on a block OF
wood, an olive tree stump it may be.
rests a slab of white marble This Is
the shoemakers' bench. upon which
they pound the wet leather soft with
what looks like brass paper weight.
II is as big as a tumbler and of about
the same height, tapering from the t"p
to the bottom.
The shoes are all made with feeble
and thread. The sales are IF camel
hide and the uppers of kidskin or
goatskin. These are the common shoes
of the peasant, selling for from 81
cents to 81 per pair, according 20 size.
As I watched the cobblers I asked as
to their wages, and was tod they
received from 40 to so cents for labor
ing from sunrise TO sunset.
In another street timers are work
ing, using oil cans to make pots and
pans Their shops are not much big
ger than cupboards, and the workmen
ere long bearded men in fez caps AID
gowns.
The Grain Market.
Farther on is the grain market, con-
sisting of many great vaUEed cham
bers, one or more Of which belong TO
each merchant The vaults are filled
with piles of wheat, corn, barley, oats
and milIet spread out on the floor.
The grain is sold by measure saw
Bedouin come in to one of the vaults
to buy two bushels of oats 1t was
dipped out by the peck, the merchant
shaking the measure to make the
grain solid, and then heaping up the
top with hands so that the oats form
ed a cone This was the good meas
ure pressed down. shaken together and
running over" as mentioned in St.
Luke. The people here never buy
grain by the sack, and they want to
see it measured out before their eyes.
II the buyer is not present he cannot
be sure Of getting good measure, and
1 am told that the hypnotic grain sell
ers are sometimes able to impose upon
those who purchase, making them
think they get more than they do
A Jerusalem Bakery.
Much of the grain of the Holy city
is ground at home, and a great deal
OF that Of Palestine is turned into
flour by hand mills. Some flour is
imported and some is ground in mills
run by camels or donkeys. In baking
bread the dough is kneaded at home
and brought in great Jumps to the pub
lie ovens. These are to be found in al
most every street. They are cavelike
vaults, running down below the street
level. At the back of each vault is the
oven, with a sort of well before its
open door. In the well stands 1.-THE
baker, with a long paddle in his hand,
upon which he puts in and takes out
the loayes. I have seen many bakeries
of this kind. The fuel used is olive
wood, and the oven floor is marked
out in blocks, SO that the baking OF
each family is put on a separate block.
The loaves are about an inch thick
and of the size Of tea plate. They
have a hole in the center. The baker
makes them from the dough, bakes
them and returns them hot from the
oven to the customer He receives 2
cents for each half dozen loaves, or
he may instead take a toll of one loaf
for each dozen. Before starting the
baking he greases the floor of the
oven with olive oil.
The reason for these public bakeries
is the great cost of fuel The Arabs
baking is the cheapest. This reads:
Send your bread to the oven of the
baker even though he should eat the
half of it,"
1 frequently see boys carrying dough
TO these bakeries, or bread home from
them They use trays which they bear
on their heads. Ancient Jerusalem had
It's Bakers street for we read that
Zedekiah, the king. put the prophet |
and commanded that they should give
him daily a piece of bread out of the
Bakers street"
Delicious with Salad.
During my stay in Jerusalem I have |
enjoyed the salad which is served at
the hotel with an olive oil dressing
This is a land of olives and the oil is |
delicious. 1t is as clear as honey and |
1as tint like the green of chartreuse |
say I have enjoyed it, but L doubt |
hat I will enjoy it hereafter. Why? |
have seen how it is made. Come /
with me to an oil mill which is kept /
lust off David street, not more than (
/ stones throw or so from the pool J
IF Hezekiah- Tt consists of a cave
which is half stable, half mill. In the !
stable section are stalls for horses, /
ionkeys and camels, which are eating |
chocolate brown cakes from stone |
hangers. These cakes are made of the |
-of1,Sa of be nlirnr q al 80