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S WE crossed Palestine, riding over
those ancient byways that wind
through hill and dale leading to the
holy city, we were deeply impressed
by the pilgrims—not only by their
numbers but by their very air of
patient eagerness —as they trudged
the dusty roads footsore and weary.
As we neared the city we knew that
Jerusalem was already filled to over
flowing with these pilgrims, because
the roads leading into the city were
lined on either side with crowds of
these pilgrims camping in the ditches,
with their potsand pans and bedding.
Although it was midday when we arrived ami
the sun beat down mercilessly, many of these
tired pilgrims had spread a small scarf or shawl
across sticks and were sleeping in its shade.
Still they continued to flock into the city, carry
ing palm branches in their hands, until all the
highways round about Jerusalem were lined
with these weary but devout people.
One could not help pitying them, while at the
same time admiring their wonderful devotion.
Thousands of them had walked hundreds of
miles through Russia and across inhospitable
‘ Turkey, being treated in the latter place more
like dogs than human beings. If there is one
thing above another a Turk hates, something
that arouses his Mohammedan indignation, it is
the sight of these Christians, devout members of
the Greek church, plodding afoot across the
sultan's domain with but one thought in view
—to kiss the tomb of Christ. You can only
marvel at their religious zeal which enables them
to withstand the tortures of a long journey and
the abuse of the cold-blooded Turks.
Fortunately, our quarters had been reserved
long in advance, otherwise we, too, would have
been forced to camp among the pilgrims beside
the highway. As these pilgrims come in sight
of the Holy Land they fall upon their knees, fac
ing the Jerusalem they love, so simple and beau
tiful is their faith.
Jerusalem’s places of interest during the Easter
week are many. They are made memorable
through their association with Christ on and
prior to the day of his crucifixion. We first vis
ited the Garden of Gethsemane, where, so many
years age, he went to pray, "Not my will, but
thine.” This is really a very small plot of ground,
sbout twenty-five feet square, containing many
flower beds and some extremely old olive trees.
Always kept in good order, on the occasion of
Easter this hallowed garden is made glorious
with beds of flowers in full bloom.
There is also the Via Dolorosa, or ‘the street
of sorrows." through which Christ passed on his
way to Calvary. Along this street are the vari
ous stations of the cross, recording the incidents
hi this memorable journey.
Then there is the Church of the Holy Sepul
cher, where the elaborate Easter ceremonies are
held. This church is in reality a massive build
ing containing vast congeries of churches,
chapels and shrines in which the various ■ sects
worship. There are within these walls thirty
seven so-called "holy places," although it must
be said that there is a grave question as to the
authenticity of many of these.
As we approached the outer gates of this
church we were annoyed by the painfully incon
gruous note which was struck by the deafening
medley caused by the yelling and screaming of
dealers in "articles de piete,” or, in other words,
"holy relics." All sorts of venders were shout
ing at the tops of their voices and eagerly
clutching at all comers in their frantic endeavors
to make a sale— representative descendants, in
deed, of they who once made the temple "a
house of merchandise."
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Knowing that during the days of the actual
Easter celebration we would have little oppor
tunity to see these things, owing to the great
crowds, we took occasion to visit them the day
following our arrival. Among the principal
places of interest in the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher are the supposed tomb of Christ, the
stone of unction, the holy sepulcher, the Greek
church, the chapel of St. Helena and Mount
Calvary*
The first of the Easter services in the holy
city consists of the "washing of feet.” This
occurs on the Thursday before Good Friday, ft
is a Greek ceremony, short and unexciting, and
takes place in the courtyard of the church Not
withstanding that it is unexciting, every available
space in the courtyard and every commanding
window and rooftop was occupied as the Greek
patriarch bathed the feet of twelve of his priests
as they' were seated upon a little platform.
On the next day—Good Friday—we witnessed
the Latin ceremony of the crucifixion. This is
interesting in away, but somewhat shocking to
the occidental idea. This ceremony takes place
over what is said to be the actual site of the
crucifixion. It is performed before a cross on
which a dummy figure has been nailed. At th©
conclusion the figure is taken down from the
cross and placed in a white sheet, the crown of
thorns and the nails drawn from the “hands” and
"feet" being placed on silver salvers. After this
a procession is formed which leads to the stone
of unction, where sermons are delivered in six
different languages.
Saturday afternoon we witnessed the ceremony
of the "holy fire," to the minds of the pilgrims
the most important ot’ all. There is a certain
impressiveness about it. but the grandeur is lost
in the mad struggle between the Latin and
Greek worshipers that changes what should be
a solemn ceremony into a veritable mob scene.
At the time we were there much talk was heard
of either abandoning this ceremony or greatly
modifying it, and I must confesS that all of our
party agreed that unless it could be conducted
in an orderly manner it should certainly be aban
doned.
There is an old tradition in Jerusalem that
long after Christ, had arisen and departed from
the holy sepulcher holy fire from heaven was
seen to descend into the sepulcher. Time has
deprived this tradition of the greater part of its
weight, but it must be admitted that many of
the ooor faithful but ignorant pilgrims still be-
THE BULLETIN. IRWINTON. GEORGIA.
his heart’s desire was to light this candle by the
holy fire. Within ten minutes the thousands
struggling around the holy sepulcher inclosure
had lighted their candies, and the church was a
mass of tiny lights from each of these candles.
We were told that much better order had
been maintained on this Easter during the holy
fire ceremony than ever before, and we could but
wonder what some of the past ceremonies were
like, since rive persons were removed on stretch
ers while we looked on, having been severely in
jured by being pushed down and trampled on by
the struggling mob.
It was interesting but by no means comfort
ing to note the hatred exhibited on every hand
by the Turks.
We watched the line forming for a procession
where the Turkish soldiers were drawn up as
a guard, much as city policemen keep back the
crowds during a parade in this country. When
ever a Turk got in the crowd he was well handled
and assisted to a vantage point if he cared to
see, although for the most part the Turks would
not deign to look upon it. Whenever one of the
Christians was pushed by the crowd into the line
of Turkish soldiers he was promptly and effective
ly pounded with the butt of a rifle. Not openly,
but rather surreptitiously, the soldier stared
straight front at the same time he maliciously
and viciously jabbed backward with rifle butt,
generally grievously hurting whoever was unfor
tunate enough among the pilgrims to be crowded
against the lines. Above all it was the Armenians
who were thus abused.
On Sunday morning there were more cere
monies in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
These ceremonies were conducted in many lan
guages. and the vestments worn by the priests
were unusually gorgeous.
At noon on Sunday the Easter week ceremonies
were over for the year. An hour later the great
army of pilgrims was flocking out of the city.
In all directions they were traveling with their
few belongings in bundles, but by far the greater
number journeyed out on the highways that led
across the Holy Land and into Russia.
By night not a pilgrim remained, while all
along the roads round about the holy city were
left the litter and the ashes of the campfires'
where so many thousands had encamped during
the week. The next day Jerusalem became the
same quiet, sleepy city that it was when the
man of sorrows rode into it and was taken be
tore Pilate.
lieve the flames they wit
ness to be literally holy
fire.
We secured a good van
tage point from one of the
upper balconies, and by
two o'clock the church
was tilled to overflowing
with a zealous yet excit
able mob. The Greek
patriarch, accompanied by
the Armenian high priest, |
entered the holy sepul
cher, and instantly there
was a hush throughout all
the church. On either
side of the sepulcher are
holes, and soonjlaines ap
peared through these
holes. Instantlythe strug
gle commenced. To us it
was a terrible sight to see
the pilgrims fight to get
near the holy flame Each
pilgrim held a candle, and
GEORGIA WEEKLY
EDITORS TO MEET
Plans Are Perfected For Approaching
Convention Os Weekly State Press
Association
10 MEET AT EASTMAN
Dates Set For July 13 And 14—Pleas
ure Trip To Brunswick With
Ocean Cruise
Atlanta.—The executive committee
of the Georgia Weekly Press assocht-' '
tion met in the office of CommUslon^r
of Labor Hal M. Stanley, former pres
ident of the association, and named
July 13 and 14 as the dates for the
annual convention to be held in East
man.
C. M. Methvln, editor of the East
man Times-Journpl, and former pres
ident bf the association, was present
with a delegation from Eastman to |
assure the committee tiiat the editors
will be royally entertained in the
Dodge county capital.
The program committee will an
nounce shortly; the complete program
for the convention ami other informa
tion for the members. It was decided
that the editors, following the meet
ing iii Eastman, will be takeif for a |
trip to Brunswick, where they will
cruise for several days in the waters
of the Atlantic.
Members of the committee present
were: P. T. McCutchen, president, rep
senting the News and Banner bf.
Franklin; C. E. Benns, secretary, rep ;
resenting The Herald of Butler; Hal
M. Stanley, corresponding secretary,
representing the Courier-Herald of
Dublin; B. H. .Hardy of the Barnes
ville News; .1. F. Shannon of the
Commerce News; Rush Burton of the
Lavonia Times.
High Praise For Reserve Bank
Atlanta. —-Tribute was paid to the
administration of the Atlanta federal
reserve bank by . Congressman Wil
liam Schley Howard, in an address
here upon the subject of “The Re
gional Bank and Its Relation to Gen
eral Business.”
Mr. Howard pronounced the mana
gers of the Atlanta bank men who
had displayed marked ability in or
ganisation and, administration and as
serted that even greater achievements
were ahead in that the system was
only in its swaddling clothes. He pre
dieted that the stress of business con
ditions due to the European conflict
would -be a boon to future conditions
because it had taught the farmers and
business men of the cities a lasting
lesson in co-operation.
The weight of the regional bank sys
tem upon the democratic party was
also emphasized. He declared that the
party must either stand, or fall upon
this piece of constructive legislation
“No section of the country in Amer
ica has paid a higher premium on its
commercial, industrial and agricultu
ral transaction Ilian has the cotton
growing states of the South," said Mr.
i Howard. “The one enigma in finance
I could never understand was why a
section of country that produced one
crop annually that sold for nearly a
billion dollars, should, by the first of
May of a following year be on its
knees pleading for .funds to produce
another crop to a section of the coun
try that never produced a dollar's
worth of the produce.
“Finally, I concluded, as we all have,
that it was due to our old banking
system, which had. in effect, establish
ed a great centralized system in New
York city. If the regional bank,
therefore, were not in existence, we
would be doing business all over the
South today with clearing house cer
tificates. The old national banking
system was admittedly the most in
elastic and unresponsive system of
banking to business demands of any
system in the world.
“But to my mind the federal reserve
system is the most scientifically pre
pared banking and currency law in ex
istence. It is an absolutely panicless
law. There is no way by which human
ingenuity can conspire to create a
panic as long as the wheels of com
merce and agriculture are kept going.
“If business men throughout the
country will familiarize themselves
with the practical workings of the fed
eral reserve system. Instead of con
demning it upon the statements of the
enemies of the system and the critics
of the administration responsible for
its enactment, they will have nothing
but tire highest encomiums for its in
tegrity and assurance of commercial
freedom.
“In regard to conditions in our local
banks, Washington statements show
that less than 5250,000 of paper has
been discounted by our local banks,
which is evidence of their now pros
perous state and their ability to fur
nish ample credits without using the
federal reserve bank with its low dis
count rates.
Watson Case not Transferred
Savannah. —Simon Gazan, law part
ner of Judge H. D. D. Twiggs, denied
that there was any intention of ask
ing that the case of Thomas D. Wat
son, indicted by the federal grand
jury on the charge of sending objec
tional matter through the mails, be
tranferred to Savannah for trial, and
said that the only Object Judge Twiggs
would have in seeing Judge Lambdill
in connection with the case was in
regard to a probable date for the trial
to be held at Augusta.
DOINGS AROUND f
;. state capital |
Women Score Schools * . J
Atlanta. —Representative*-’ women"'of J
Atlanta were out in full force ,at the t
meeting of the board of education to’
present a report on the conditions of
the schools of the city. Never before
has such a full and detailed report
been made to the board, and the con- .
dition of some of the schools was
shown te be most deplorable. Sani
tation that endangered the health if
not the lives of the * children, play
grounds that were nothing more thafi
nmd’ puddles, builJings^ad’iy rn rt^ed
of repairs, poor drinking facilities, in
*siffitcienf” hlat, 'poor Ventifa^on and,
above all-, overcrowded^ school rooms,
were some of the ^n'e’sentnlents. -f he
women present represented every
walk of life. The woman of society,
fhte Montan wlio earns”her dwh living
and the woman from the humble cot
tage—all had representatives in the
executive committee or the Atl^nja
School Improvement association, that
appeared, before .the board to make a
reports of its findings.
Callahan Launches Good Plan
Atlanta.—A state-wide . campaign
for the encouragement "of-toinato' can
fling -at hopie has been launched by
P. F. Callahan, editor and manager, of
the Decatur New Era, who started a
department in the New Era, which
urges-that.a market.'be found for’the
young women. of Georgia who will
can tomatoes in the competition con
tests. Larger Atlanta papers have
taken up the campaign and the results
are expected to-be very, encouraging.
The girl-tomato canners, doing their
6tfn ’canning at home, 'should have a
market for their goods which are so
superior. The New Era editor insure
everybody will want home canned to
matoes if they can (inly get them and
a. sufficient demand created at the
grocers of the state so as to provijie
a ready market. . , .
Noted Georgia Jurist Dead
Atlanta.— Sadness reigns in Atlan
ta court circles over the..death .of
Judge L. S. Roan, in the Polyclinic
hospital, New York, from a cancerous
growth beneath the left eye.
The body was brought to Georgia,
and carried to Fairburn, liis former
home, where the funeral was held in.
the. First Methodist church. The inter
ment was in Fairburn., , . i-
The funeral ceremonies were deliv
ered by his former pastor. Rev. H. C.
Emory,'of Warrenton, assisted by Rev.
Charles ,JL. Bass, pastor of-the Fair?,-
burn church. ,
His connection with the’ Leo _M.
Frank trial and retrial Hearings
brought hirn into national note, but for
years Judge Roan had been known as
one of the most widely known jurist
in Georgia. He was borm in- Henr^'
county, six miles from Griffin, in 184«'
He attended school in Fayetteville
seminary, Fayetteville, Ga.
At the end of his schooling, Judge
Roan removed t 6 Griffin, where lie
undertook law in the office of the late,
Cincinnatus Peeples and Jno. D. Stew
art. In 1869 Ite was admitted to the
bar at the age of 20 years; and in,
1870 he opened his own law office in
Fairburn, which place he made hist
home at various times until his death
this week. . <
• He was appointed judge, of the Stone .
Mountain circuit by Governor Joseph.
M. Terrell in 1902, which judgeship
embraced the Fulton superior court,
and which office he held until his ap
pointment by Governor Slaton, In I^l3,
to the court of' appeals.
He presided over three of Georgia’s
most notable criminal .trials: .--the. ;
Daisy E. Grace, Callie Scott Apple
baum and Frank cases.
Since July, 1914, his entire time and
efforts have been devoted to his fail
ing health.'’ Most of this time has
been spent in the north, where he
sought the aid of skilled- surgeons and
medical authorities. - - , , -
He is survived' by liis wife, who
was Miss Willie Strickland, of Fair
bum, and whom he married in 1875;
and five children, Benjamin S. Roan
of Palmetto, W. E. Roan of Atlanta,
Leonard S. Roan, Jr., of Atlanta. Mrs.
A. W. Stubbs of Nanning, and Mrs.*
Henry McCurry of Fairburn.
- Ministerial Fight In Macon
Macon. —The Macon Ministerial as-'
sociation is not going to submit to
the mandate of the mayor and council •
issue to the effect that Macon’s red
light district shall remain where it is
and not be abolished as the ministers
requested. A meeting of the ministers
was held later, and it-was decided to
send a delegation to the city council
to submit arguments in an effort to
convince the city fathers that they
have taken the wrong attitude. The
ministers appear to be conducting a
losing fight since sentiment in Macon
seems to be overwhelmingly in favor
of segregation as the best solution of
the social problem. This view is not
onl ytaken by the city council, but by
the civil service commission as well.
Both state that they want no undesir
able publicity through the abolishment
of the district.
No Damage In Fanniri
Mineral Bluff. —It seems that tha
weather man has it in for Fannin
county this spring. On account of tha
rains during the winter months very
few of the farmers have .their.'land
turned and .ntany weye not able to fin
ish their fall‘'Sowing'of small grain.
However, there seems te be one rose
among- the thorns, in that so far as
can be ascertained, the fruit crop is 4
still safe. The peach and plum or
chards have ,ipade. some attempts to
blnom, but; have been frigfiteued^back
by’frosts and freezes. Appl^ atill req,?
trees are yet dormant, ' . .' - ■ '