The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-01-07
land latest
ADDITION TO THE
ARENA OF WAR
Marrow Strip Along Mediter-
ranean Sea, Sacred to Three
Great Religions, Is Added
to Conflict-area.

Washington. y. c., Jan. 7.-Tko
latest land 10 have been brought
within the rapidly expanded war area
is that thin strip upon the eastern
coast Of the Mediterranean sea. the
Holy Land. sacred 10 the believers 81
three ~orld-reliElaas 20 ChrIetiana,
Jews and Moslems. aud ground
wherein we're Graded Ideals wh'ch
have made almost all civilization trlb-
ntary. II IL a bridge between the Mos.
lem power an Asia Minor and the
Aoslrni mower in Egypt and 20 as
auniea strategic Importance In the
war Of the nations. Yet the Holy
Land Is q land eiabaimed In the
spirit and custorns OF 5000 years AGO.,
according 20 q description OF village
life there a. prepared b. John ID.
whiting Tor the National Geographic
Society.
Manners and customs which. pre-.
vailed in Palestine In Biblical DAYS
are stiii unchanged. While the
townspeople are losing their anclent
customs and quaint costumes. the
villagers are, In these things. as they
were 5000 years ago. Three distinct
classes lnhabit the land: the Bcdoulu.
. nomadic. war-ioving race; the Eel
laheen. agrlculturists. shepherds and
yillase-dweliers; and the Madnniyeh,
who i've In the towns and cities aud
are artisans.
"rhc present day villages are locat-
ed. "a q rule. either on the tops Of
hilla originally for protection. or
near some spring or source Of water.
Many are built upon the foundations
Of buildings whose origin dates back
Thousands of years. There doesn't cx-
ist a single example OF a peasant Wiz
inge that has been founded In mod
ern times.
Village streets are crooked. mar
row and unpavcd. .. The farmers
houses are crowded close together
for protection. These houses consist
OF n large room. usually square.
About two-thirds OF the space within
Ia devoted 10 a raised masonry plat
form, some 4 10 10 feet above the
ground. and ibis IL the kitchen. store
room, bedroom and liying-room %
tho family, Below this platform. the
cattle and flocks are housed. goats
and sheep, "A few work cattle. and
perhaps q donkey or camel.
"E-ch village has - guest-chamber
which h the social uenter for all The
village men. who love companionship
aud are great gossips. ZACH day. boy
turn. II of tho villRers furnishes the
coffee beans and sugar To he served
To the men who gather nj the guest
chamber. lie. also. supplies the food
and bedding II some ordinary guests
come along.
They are Of course. great rcspec-
ters OF persons; so that n a common
man happens in, q couple Of fried
eggs with bread and olives will do for
him. II n more important parsonage
arrives. u pair Of roast chickens is
provided for his supper: but II "A still
more honored one or a company of
men appear, a lamb or kid Is killed.
The village E~uest-chamhcr II "a club
~ the village men.
Children IN the peasant families
are always welcomed. The father
prides himself IN his boys. Even the
mother prefers them. n when ques-
toned ms Ia the number OF her off
spring, she VIII say she has five chill
dren and two girls or whatever the
numbers may be. This Is the more
strange since the would-be husband
must pay his father-in-law n hand
some price Tor the girl. while hoyh
are a heavy expense, and their wives
and Weddings are costly affairs.
Women are loked upon as some
thing Inferior. The woman may never
call her husband by his first name,
but ON father of Ahmed or what
ever the eldest sons name may he.
The wife likewise takes the naine OF
her first-born son. The husband viii
never say my wife or mention her
first name, hut win say either the
mother ~ Ahmed or my mmiiy.'
the relative IN my house the for
hidden or the daughter of my un-
Gle The reason for this last title IL
that the village men In the Holy
Land marries his first cousin In
preference To any one else. and in
fact she cannot marry another IL he
wants her
when the feilah or peasant child
Is born, ~ tender skin. without being
washed IL rubbed with olive oil and
salt For seven consecutive days Il
Is re-oiied aud when u week old gets
its first bath and X again oiled. In
some localities they consider u un-
safe - bathe the baby before IL b.
forty days bid Mortality among the
babies II great and II Is not Ia be
wondered az. Tor In view OF the rough
treatment they receive, Il becomes a
question of the survival OF the fittcst
The ways 81 these village folk.
their methods of agriculture, Of add
mi|nistnatinn OF household and conn
munity, and Of sanitation are print.
tive "reminiscences Of the days before
the coming OF Christ. The refuse af
their villages are piled In great heaps
around a.. and there left Go tester
Their blowing is "a bare scratching Of
the ground with wooden plows. while
they thresh their grain by failing
and treading and mill Il In stone
mortars.
THE marriage customs OF these
people are interesting. Young men
marry ut about 20 and girls between
~ and 10. The son, ON coming 81
m-nrrlagcahle age, picks hts wife by
choice Of sight-no courtship ~ al
lOwed-when his father oranges an
further details The girl has no
voice In the matter. The price OF a
$500