The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-01-09

WYE ALL know of Bethlehem
Ny ! as a small town in Judea and
Wv and sing about it in our ca
rolls, but probably few real
iZe how much it still contains that
helps US to visualize the first Christ
mas. To those who know it well-its
narrow, winding streets and lanes, cob
blestone paved; its age-old homes
with walls of rough-cut stone grown
mellow with years of sunshine; its
vineyards, olive yards, and terraced
gardens; and, most of all, its people
and their Biblical custOms-it still
speaks wildly of the Nativity story.
The town, browning hill and domi-
mating open valleys to the east and
south, lies Just far enough to the north
of the busy road that links Jerusalem
and Hebron to be undisturbed by con-
gested traffic. With the exception of
q handful of Moslem neighbors, its
6,O0O hospitable inhabitants are all
Christians and live together in amity.
1t is not to be supposed, however,
because we find here pervading spir-
it of peace, quiet and friendliness,
which to a great extent is missing in
the larger neighboring cities. that the
Bethlehemites are an INDECENT, easy
going people. Quite the contrary. 1t
is not only the absence of political
and religious animosities among them,
but their thrifty industry that has
brought on a state of well-being.
AS we pass through the confined
archway, now up by steep flight of
street steps, we may hear the hum
and screech of tools carving pearl
shell into ornaments or cutting thick
sections of the same material into
beads. The result may be a brooch,
lady upon the return of the pilgrim
purchaser to some distant land. 1t
may be an intricately carved and in
laid crucifiX to hang, perhaps, on the
wall of some small, lonely chapel; or
it may be a snow-white rosary mount
ed with pure silver, destined to find
its way into convent.
Artisans work IN Homes.
These handicrafts, which, according
to local standards, have brought at
least a decent living, sometimes have
been the avenues to modest wealth.
Best of all, the industries have cult
waited a sense of independence and
self-respect in the natives.
The places of work are by no means
sweatshops, although hours of labor
are long and hard nor do they SAVIOR
of the factory. The shop consists of
a room or two in the home or adjoin-
ing it. Sometimes only the members
of a family work together; at other
times a few outsiders are employed.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor and
working with the simplest tools and
contraptions, the artisans turn out
squeak of a saw or the rasping noise
of manly files cutting away at the hard
shell is not a pleasant note, still, I'M
less they have stopped to return in
fOwery Arabic the salutations of pass
ers-by, the workers probably will be
in singing in unison tunes centuries
old.
A little way beyond this shop a sol
itary man sits under the dense shade
of a fig tree, making beads from a
palm seed known commercially as
vegetable ivory" but locally as
"Mecca fruit" These beads are dyed
in vivid colors and made up into Mos
lem rosaries, on which the faithful re-
peat their prayers. Large numbers
find their way through the markets of
Arabia to Mecca and Medina.
Not all the folk of Bethlehem are
humble laborers. Many families are
modestly well off. Their men have
journeyed afar In their youth, mostly
TO the South American countries, and
there have built up fortunes, begin
ming possibly as peddlers, then oper-
ating retail stores, and finally becom-
ing wholesalers and supplying the new
corners from their native land. Pros
porous as result of their efforts In
the countries of their temporary adop-
ton, these merchant princes have re-
turned to pass their declining years
in the homes of their boyhood.
Many Have Travelled.
Many such successful adventures be-
gan life in the Bethlehem pear, shops,
saving small amount from each thou
sand beads turned out. BY dint of
hard work and patience, they gathered
enough for steerage tickets and. once
abroad. they were helped along by
their compatriots already established.
Others of them came from more pre-
tentious families. Their fathers NAV
have boosted of being coffee and
spice merchants" importers of COM
modities in the period before the coun-
tries around this end of the Mediter-
ranean were opened to world COM
merce by steamer and railroad. Those
were the days of the sail ship and the
desert camel, when the merchant did
not write or telegraph for his goods.
but instead took long journeys, select
ed and bargained for his wares. and
with them returned home by caravan.
When about to start for a foreign
land. Bethlehem youths still think
much of Ridda Waldain. the parting