El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-28

/ beds slung between poles which are
I fastened to camels, one going before
and the other behind and trained to
keep step. The cameIs are adorned with
coins, shells and other ornaments for
! the occasion, and hundreds of small
bells Jingle as they march. In advance
| of the procession is a large camel litter
hung with green cloth and embroidered
with gold. This contains the green flag
/ Of the prophet and one Of the Oldest
! copies of the Koran now in existence.
/ In addition to the worshipers them
! selves the caravan has an escort of
] soldiers and Bedouins. There are also
many half naked dervishes who sing
and howl and cut themselves. shouting
out texts from the Koran, as they go
on their way.
Within the past few months the rail-
road which has been building from Da-
mascus to Mecca has been almost COM
pleted and it is a question whether this
will not cause this great caravan to
become a thing of the past as far as
the travel between Damascus and
Mecca is concerned pilgrimage also
starts out from Cairo and one OF these
not long ago was headed by the pres
ent khedive.
At Fatfma's Tomb.
During my stay here have gone out
to the cemetery to take a look at the
tomb of iAfohammeds favorite daugh-
ter. AS I remember it, Mohammed had
several wives. in addition to the four
which he allows to each of his follow
ers. His first wife was Khadija, the
widow whose fortune first made him
prominent, and whose servant he was.
AS 1 remember it she was his first
convert. Two of his other wives and
Fattma are buried here, and Thursdays
many yelled women come to mourn at
49, Z
dOmed mosque about 10 feet square
with a praying alcove facing toward
MEGA. Fatima lies in a marble sar-
cophagus. which stands on a pedestal
covered with green velvet and with
piece Of green cloth at its head. As i
looked at the tomb I saw several rags
tied to the bars of the window and was
told that they were put there as the
pledges of sick persons showing that
they would give money to the mosque
if they should be cured.
The tomb of Saladin, the great Mo-
hammedan general who fought Europe
during the crusades, is also in Damus-
Gus. When the emperor of Germany
came here he wished to lay a crown
of gold on it, but this was contrary to
the principle of the Mohammedan re-
Hgion which will not allow such
things in their mosque. Therefore they
mosque outside and it is there that this
crown is now kept under glass doors.
In the Footsteps of st. Paul.
I have spent some time during my
stay in Damascus in hunting UP the
footsteps of ST. Paul, the apostle. You
viii remember that he was one Of the
Jewish officials, and was breathing
out threatening and slaughter against
the disciples of the Lord" when he goa
6a oh RI crfU Lott m
the synagogs of Damascus, that he
might bring such Christians as he
found there to Jerusalem for trial. He
was on his way here and was not far
from the city when the light from
heaven shined round him and blinded
him and the Lord said unto him:
It am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
II is hard for thee to kick against the
pricks."
You remember how the blind Paul,
or Saul. as he was then called, was led
into Damascus and taken to the house
of a man named Ananias, not the hus-
band of Sapphire, however, nor any as
sociate Of the champion liar of history.
You recall how when he came here he
again received his sight and being
converted, was baptized. It was the
house of this Ananias, according to
my guide and the guide books, that
visited the other day. found the Ana
ns7s of the present by no means averse
to small gift of silver. He took all
my spare change, and then asked for
more. I later discovered that the au-
thenticity of the house is questioned
and there is another Ananias house,
which is now used as a chapel. I look
ed for the house of Naaman the Syrian.
and was shown an old building which
is occupied by lepers.
In the Street Called Straight.
Tt was in the street called Straight
that Ananias met Paul. This is one Of
the principal highways of the Damas-
Gus of today. It leads from the chief
gate on the south to the bazaars, and
is about the only straight street in the
city. 1t goes right through Damascus.
and is so wide that two or three car
riages can pass within it 1t is the cen
ter OF traffic, and while there I saw
caravans of camels, donkeys and
horses bringing in and taking out all
kinds Of goods One line of camels was
loaded with poplar trees as long as a
telegraph pole, the end Of which drag
ging the roads as they walked. Behind
them came donkeys with panniers Of
green cucumbers and horses loaded
with baskets of Jaffa oranges, each as
big as the head of a baby. I mean the
oranges. A mule followed the horses.
It was loaded with butter from the
Interior, the butter being packed in
black leather bottles of the shape and
size Of a tin dinner bucket
Where st. Paul Was Let Down in a
Basket.
Saint Paul had a lively time in Da-
mascus. He preached in the synagog
and COMPOUNDED the Jews. After a while
the Jews took counsel to kill him, and
they watched the gates day and night
for that purpose. It was then that his
friends took him by night and let him
down over the wall in a basket You ]
may read about this in Acts tx, and in
Corinthians, ii. II. Paul himself states
that the governor of the city sent a
garrison to arrest him, and that 1t was /
through a window in the wall that he /
was let down in a basket and escaped |
This very place is now shown and /
have made a photograph of the spot.
The wall is a great structure of stone. /
with a mud wall on top. There IS 3 /
house on the top at the place indi-
Gated. This has windows with great |
bars across them, and it is very easy
to imagine how Saint Paul might have
been let down from such a place wher
he made his escape.
Frank G. Carpenter !.