The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-05-06
THE STREETS ARE TOO NARROW
Electric Lights. Up.To'Date
Waterworks and Picture
rheaterS To Follow.
wrprSG OUT THE OLD SPIRIT


alters. it is safe to say that many
devout persons soon will have
distinct shock on visiting the scene
OF Christs labors.
In certain respects Jerusalem bids
fair to be thoroughly European
led at no distant date. Its iso-
lation, once considerable. in spite of
the existence of European religious
foundations and the annual influx
OF pilgrims, has had to yield during
the last 40 years to a host of new
influences that have invaded con,
servative Palestine. Chief among
these are the great increase OF tour
list traffic, the construction of rail-
roads from Jaffa. the growth of
education among the Arab pop
ulation. and last. but not least. the
rapidly increasing immigration OF
the Jews. who numbered 500 souls
in all Palestine a century ago, but
now form so per cent of the 10000
inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The municipality of Jerusalem
has now granted concession for
the electric lighting of the city and
for the construction and exploita-
ton of an electric street railway
system to the French Perier Bank.
which also seems to have obtained
an option on the construction of the
much-needed waterworks.
Till now European residents and
some of the wealthier natives have
bought their drinking water, which
is brought up in tins and barrels
from the big spring at Bittir. by the
daily train from Jana. But it re-
mains to be seen whether the mass
of the population will be willing to
make the waterworks concession a
paying proposition by abandoning
the use of the rain-water stored in
the cistern. which every native
house possesses. Such a departure
from custom would doubtless result
| in "a decrease of malarial fever,
which is naturally rife in Jerusalem.
the cisterns being ideal breeding
places for Anopheles and it's kind.
but in matters of drinking ,Orientals
are the most conservative of men.
There are Turks at CONSTANT
nople who all their lives long slake
their thirst with water from one
spring. and one only. and the aver
age Egyptian prefers the distinctly
favored and slightly turbid Nile
water to the purest and most limpid
streams that issue. sand-filtered
from artesian wells.
In 1874 the Baroness Burdett-
Couts offered to spend $4,000 on
the water supply of the city provid-
ed that the municipality OF Jerusa-
lem undertook to find $500 or
5000 a year necessary for the up
keep The municipality declined
the offer.
The construction of no fewer
than four lines of street railway is
proposed by the concessionaires.
All will start from the Jaffa Gate.
on the western side of the city wall.
One will run. through the principal
commercial quarter and the new
Jewish suburbs for two miles along
the Jatfa road. Another. branching
northwards, will serve another mass
of Jewish settlements. A third,
bearing to the northeast. past the
New Gate, and running for a while
more or less parallel with the city
wall, will then turn northward,
passing the tombs of the kings. and
follow the Damascus road to the
head OF the Valley OF Jehoshaphat.
This line will pass close to Cor
don's Calvary" The fourth line
contemplated will run from the
Jaffa Gate to Bethlehem, some six
miles to the south
II will be noted that none OF
these lines enter the old city within
the walls. the streets of which are
too narrow to admit trans without
extensive and costly appropriations
and demolition. by the terms of
the concession the municipality is
to become owner of the street rail
ways and the electric lighting SER
vice after 40 years. First-class
fares will not exceed three cents.
except between the Jana Gate and
Bethlehens a journey costing ~
cents.
Sentimentalists will no doubt re-
greet the advent of contrivanees
tending to destroy local color.
But the lines will not pass through