| 439 The Jews are gathering in as fast as the land will hold them, forming colonies. They are trying to buy more land just above where we live. It is high and sightly, and the price is also high. The owner wants a thousand Napoleons for it, which the Jews will not give; but they get it for less. There is a colony also near Ramley, at a place called the house of Dagon. They have been there one year and a half. They have farming utensils and a steammill to grind wheat, and are doing well; in fact the Jews are gathering fast, and the land is being built up as fast as it can be; even the Arabs say it is the last of the world. About one year ago there was a company of about fifty families came from the frozen regions. They said they heard that the Messiah was expected soon. They were six months coming, the way was so long. They lost all their goods, and had to be helped here. They went to Jerusalem, and are being helped by the mission that helps the Jews. They are small of size, as if they had always been half frozen. The Russian Jews are the best of all; they are more civilized. Many of them are being converted in Jerusalem to Christ. Outside of Jerusalem the Jews have built a large colony just outside the Jaffa gates. One year ago this spring I went to Jerusalem for the first time. I went to the Passover among the Jews and ate with them, and drank of the cup which our Lord said he would drink again in the kingdom anew. There is also a colony of Jews in Gaza, that are doing well. They have bought land there near the city, and have a steammill; so you can judge whether the wheat grows well or not. On the Oggee stream there are four mills full all the time. At Sarona, the German colony where our wheat fields used to be, they have windmills to grind the wheat. On the mountains of Judea they have also windmills, and the land is filled with improvements. Every new well furnishes sweeter water than the last one.
Mrs. Alley went to Palestine with the company under George J. Adams. (See volume 3, pages 449, 450.)
Annual conference for 1884 met at Stewartsville, Missouri, April 6; Joseph Smith and J. W. Briggs presiding; H. A. Stebbins, R. M. Elvin, and J. M. Terry, secretaries. The ministers present and reporting were: Josiah Ells, E. C. Briggs, T. W. Smith, A. H. Smith, J. H. Lake, J. R. Lambert, W. H. Kelley, J. S. Patterson, J. C. Foss, Heman C. Smith, J. F. McDowell, R. J. Anthony, D. H. Bays, M. T. Short, I. N. Roberts, J. F. Mintun, G. T. Griffiths, G. S. Hyde, W. T. Bozarth, J. F. Burton, R. M. Elvin, Joseph Luff, G. E. Deuel, Thomas Nutt, Rudolph Etzenhouser, Joshua Armstrong, George Hicklin, T. T. Hinderks, Henry Kemp, J. H. Merriam, John Landers, C. Saint Clair, H. C. Bronson, J. T. Kinneman, E. L. Kelley,
(page 439) |
