Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-05-20
A. C. BAKER WRITES
ABOUT PALESTINE
Visit to Jerusalem, That City Of His
tory an Important One. Sees
Much of Interest.
THE HISTORICAL PLACES
PROVE VERY INTERESTING
Travels Over the Plain of Sharon
the Country of the Ph:listines.
Sees the Home of Samson

/ little train curves round the noun
tains and our guide points to the
cave of Samson where he hid when
persued from his raids below.
1t was here he hid after his de-
ceptive wife, Delilah, had shorn him
of his locks in which lay his great
strength.
We are passing up a very steep
grade, on either side the mountains
are terraced with stone walls, we see
many places where TO get a piece
of land as large as tabletop that
weeks of work in walling had been
done and then the dirt carried from
distant wash to cover it. / cannot
describe this miserable country to do
! it justice, there is hardly anything
that one could call soil, the rocks
filling in every inch of space.
Our train whistles, we are at Je-
rusalem that city of history. Soon
carriage is carrying us up the in
cline to our stopping place. To the
right, as we ascend, is the tower of
David, just beyond the Mount of
Zion, about a mile beyond the Mount
of Olives. We pass along the walls
/ to our left is the German colony with
good homes, at the top Of Mount
Moriah is our hotel or stopping
place. About three hundred of our
company are to stop at this place;
the cooks have been brought from
the ship to cook for us here. This
is large Monastery built by an or
der of French Monks that we were
told were expelled from France, the
name of the place Noter Dame De
France, a fine four story building of
cement, just outside the walls of
the city.
The distinguishing mark of our
brothers was shaving the top of the
head l found them pleasant, and
soon after getting there went on
top Of the roof where one that spoke
good English described the surround
/ ings.
1t is just before shutdown and we
are facing the south. Down to the
right and in front of us is the val
ley of the Hinnon; this drains into
the Mediterranean, to the left OF
us is the valley of Jehoshephat run
ming into the valley of the Kedron
and draining into the Dead Sea- di-
rectly south is the Pool of Sloan
just beside the Kedron. Above this
I to the west is the Mount of Zion, tC
the east of this is the Mount OF
Olives, between us and the Mount
of Olives is seen the great Mosque
of Omar, built on the site of the
temple of Solomon. Above this and
nearly south of us the church of the
Holy Sepulcher; between these two
a, large Lutheran church built by
king William of Germany. This
priest informed us that the kine
preached in this church when in Je.
rusalem. Far over on the height Of
ground to the east of us we see the
summer home of King William. Here
our informant told us the Kings
son spends his summers. 1t is al
immense castle and occupying the
most prominent location on the
mountain beyond the valley of Je
hosophat.
Directly north our brother point
ed out to us the American colony ant
o. little to the east the Episcopa
church, the grounds which King
William gave to the church. This
priest told me that King William
had received from the Sultan pres
ents of the finest locations in the
city, that the Sultan had used spec
ial effort to get the good will OF 81
strong a friend.
Soon l shall visit all these places
and will give a short description.
might here mention that to TIT
west we could see the Mediterranean
\ fifty miles distant, to the east, lit
tie south, we could see the Deat
Sea and far above and beyond seven
ty miles east from us we see Noun
Nebo, the place from where Moses
showed the Jews the promised lane
and where he died. Above the Deat
Sea we could see the Jordan, fift!
miles east of us away down there
emptying into the Dead Sea 129:
feet below sea level, the lowest de
preston in the earth's surface.
Friday morning, Feb'y 9th, W.
early start on a drive to the Jor
dan. Our little plug horses, three
of them to a carriage, rope tug
and other equipment to match, W.
pass around the walls of the city
by the Mount of Olives through
Bethany, where We visit what Il
POINTED out the home Of Simon thu
Ileper, the home of Mary and Mar