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Show Jerusalem WHAT echoes that first locomotive whistle must have awakened in Jerusalem! The echoes of 3,000 years. The echoes of David's songs; the echoes of the singing of Solomon's Solo-mon's men singers and women singers; the echoes of the old time fights between the Philistines Phili-stines and Israel, the echoes of Isaiah's prophesies ! and Jeremiah's lamentations; (he echoes stealing down of the Sermon on the Mount; the echoes of the blows made by nailing the blameless one to the cross; the echoes later of the coming of the Roman legions; of the destruction of the great temple and the cries of tho thousands that died in that awful final assault; tho echoes of tho wars between crusaders and the Mohammedans; the echoes of the ages that have brought no rewards, of the generations of men that have lived and died in vain. The same methods prevail there that did in the long past, the farmer clings to the same plough; the beggarly trucksters sell their pomegranates pome-granates and figs as of yore; men and methods have changed no more than have the donkeys and camels. Will the locomotive, the electric light and motor mo-tor and telegraph and telephone stir that region and cause it to throw off the lethargy of the centuries? cen-turies? They may by causing the present occupants occu-pants to be pushed aside to give room for more energetic races. ' It is said a scheme is on foot to utilize the ' waters and put under cultivation many millions H of fertile acres near Israel's ancient capital. If H that is done then commerce will go there and put M up her trading posts; then will follow department H houses; some enterprising genius will figure that H a new temple, like the one Solomon built, will draw H immense crowds yearly for all time to come; he ' M will organize a syndicate, sell the stock and build H it; the streets will be widened; moving picture H shows which in themselves will contain 3,000 years H of history, will be put on exhibition; a theatre H will be opened and the Passion Play with new M realistic effects will be presented; a real estate, H board will be organized, and some little red B schoolhouses will be erected and then the morning B papers will announce that real progress has M started upon its march Avhere all has been blight m and decay so long. m This for the physical forecast, but what of the M religious? Who can anticipate what that will be Hj when Christian and Israelite and Mohammedan, H under the swift mingling caused by the locomo-M locomo-M tive and under the electric light meet in the M ancient sacred places, and each begin his work. M Will it lead to warfare, or will it lead to a cornel corn-el mon simple belief that all may subscribe to? Who M can te'l? The locomotive whistle signaled a M change of front there and a forward march, but M will that march mean a renewal of the old vio-M vio-M lence, or a forward glorious advance up into the H light? |