Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-06-07
HOLY LAND LIFE SAME
AS IN TIME OF JESUS


mis- retirement from business Mr..
Glessner has been globe trotting.)
In riding through Palestine one is
impressed by the great number OF
people in the fields on the mountain
sides and along the highways. This
is due in large measure to the fact
that everything is done in the most
primitive manner. IN travelling
through Illinois in spring time one
sees a"mers in their fields but one
man there will do ten times the work
a man uOes IN GahIee. In our cOun-
try the products of the soil and fac
tory are transported by railway, but
here the donkey and camel perform
that service. In America farms are
separated by fences and live stock
are turned out to pasture. Here there
are no fences and fiocks and herds
are watched by shepherds. All ami
mails require caretakers and frequent
ly man, woman or child is seen
tending a couple of goats or dOnkeys.
No enclosures for the taking care Of
fOcks or herds are seen and possibly
the shepherds have to look after them
at night, which would account for the
bOnfres seen burning on the plains
and hillsides after nightfall 1t is
astonishing that with the fertility Of
the valleys and the abundance Of food
animals, the inhabitants should con-
tinue to live in squalor and poverty
in undiscovered novels. The cattle
are not consumed by the people but
are exported, the reason assigned be-
ing that there are no facilities for
slaughtering and caring for the meat
and that the people have been accus-
toned from time immemorial to liv-
ing on their flocks of sheep and goats.
Cows are rarely MIXED and butter
is almost unobtainable. 1t is too
much work to milk and churn and
what butter is to be had is produced
from goats milk When the Germans
were in the country they shipped
both milk and butter to the towns and
cities of Palestine but when they were
driven out that industry ceased. But
ter from the Empress of Scotland was
sent up TO Jerusalem to supply the
hotels with this essential in serving
the Clark passengers. 1t is practical
ly impossible to change the habits of
a country and the people of Pales-
tine prefer to live as their ancestors
ala and the English who are now in
control will have a hard job if they
undertake to int oduce modern meth
DDS. The only nation that has made
any Roadway has been that of Ger
many. England herself is far behind
the times IN tilling the soil and in
many other things and thus is poor
leader although good administrator.
The introduction of the automobile is
bringing about one change. Gasoline
is shipped from America in square tin
cans holding about four gallons. The
chauffers knock holes in the tops, use
the contents and then sell the cans to
the natives who use them for carrying
water on their heads and thus in
few years the picturesque sight Of
women carrying earthen water jars
will no longer be witnessed. Water
is the hardest thing to obtain in Pal
eStine. There is usually only one
fountain or we'll in community and
there is a constant procession to and
from that source of supply of women
and children. The men are never
seen carrying water but you can
always find plenty Of them playi lg
cards or smoking. The woman is the
burden bearer over here.
AS we ride through the valleys we
notice the large numbers of brown
tents occupied by Bedouins. They
never live in houses or huts. These
tents are made of goat skins and.
consist usually of two sections, one
occupied by the males and the other
by the females of the household. Oc-
casionally there is third section for
use of guests. These tents are in
groups and each colony selects its
Sheik who is the major domo of the
tiny community and settles all dis
putes.
We observe along the splendid
highway numbers of damaged motor
trucks and are told that the same
were owned by the Germans who
abandoned them before leaving the
country, but ruined them for service
before DESERVING them.
We drove from Nazareth to the city
of Tiberias passing through Cana OF
Galilee where Jesus performed his
first miracle, turning water into wine.
Children ran along our carriages or
fering for sale little carved wooden
Jars, indicative of the Biblical Incl
dent which has given prominence to
this small collection of huts. They
would not accept American silver so
we had difficulty in securing one jar,
our English small money having been
spent at Nazareth.
We passed over the battle field OF
Hattin, where the Crusaders were de-
feated by the army of Saladin in 1887
and along the Mount of the Beatitudes
and soon viewed Mount Hermon,
crowned with snow, and the Sea of
Galilee beautifully blue in the bril-
liant sunshine of a spring morning.
1t sparkled like a million diamonds
as we approached the City of Tiberia3
along its western side, winding down
the mountain with a hundred turn
ings. Here Herod Antipas erected his
summer capital to be able to take adj
vantage of the warm sulphur baths.
The Sea of Galilee stands out in the
mind and heart of every Christian as
it was the scene of many activities OF
the Saviour. Here He walked on the
surface, stilled the waves and fed the
multitude. To the north of Tibereas
lie the ruins Of the ancient city of Ca
pernaum, which are now being eX-
cavated. The tourist route covers
sail on the lake which we enjoyed and
on our railway ride back to Haifa we
had our first sight of the historic Jor-
dan, which enters the sea at its north