The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-26

Copyright, 1910, by Frank G. Car
 penter)
 Beirut. "HE Turkish empire is on the edge
 of a railway development. More x than 4000 miles of road have all ready been built and lines are planned which will eventually connect Constan- tinople with Mecca and Medina, which will open up the rich plains or Asla Minor and, going down to Bagdad, make the valley of the Euphrates equal as a wealth producer to the valley Of the Nile Since landed in Syria have travelled over much of it's railroads. My first trip was from the port of Jafa up the mountains of Judea to the city of Jerusalem. My second was on the Mecca road from the lower end or the Sea of Galilee through the great plains of the Hauran to Damascus, and my last was from Damascus over the noun tains of Lebanon to this port of Beirut on the Mediterranean sea. During the latter trip I went from Kayak in the valley of Lebanon between the two ranges of mountains along the road which has been built northward through Coele- Syria to Aleppo, which will prob- ably connect with the Bagdad line
 The Railway to Mecca
 All of these roads are comparatively new, and some are still building. The Mecca line now runs as far south as Medina where Mohammed came after his flight from Mecca. and where his tomb is Medina has something like 10000 people and it is one of the most fanatical of the Moslem centers. IL will be the chief stopping place on the way to Mecca.
 Mecca lies about 250 miles still fur finer south and the track is being laid ox.I "a Christian civil engineers in the survey ing party, but the people are so in tolerant that the engineers are kept hidden the greater part of the tune and do their work inside the tents. They are not allowed to spy out the land, to see or he seen.
 The Bedouins are now causing the con tractors considerable trouble. The road wNl take large part of the pilgrimage traffic. and this, it has been estimated, Is worth to Arabia something like $loVoo,o" a year. Much of the money goes to the owners of the camels and the leaders or the caravans. These men are Bedouins, many of whom have been employed in the construction and in supplying the other laborers with food Now that the line Is nearing it's completion the Bedouins have lost their jobs. They are objecting to the railways and have torn up the tracks in many places. They are op- posed by the soldiers of the Turkish gov ernment, and the result is a great unrest which may cause a revolutions
 Pilgrim Cars
 The traffic on the Constantinople-D -Da- mascus and Mecca railway will largely be made up of pilgrims on their way to worship at Mecca and Medina As 1t is now, with nothing but camels to carry them. it is estimated that something like 100000 go there every year. and 1t Is believed that the railway will increase the traffic from 50 to 100 per cent. Christians and other unbelievers will not be carried to the holy cities, although they may make tours to Petra and other parts of Arabia. t.H.rst. This Mecca railway will have special accommodations for Mohammedans. Ger tain of the carriages will be fitted up as mosques, so that the travellers may per- form their devotions during the journey The praying carriages will be luxuriously Furnished. The floors will be covered with