The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 22, 1955, Image 2
f
Pa^e Two
THE CLINTON CHRONICLE
Thursday, December 22,1955
LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
CHANGES ONLY SLIGHTLY
We Can Hardly Wait Til Santa Comes!
•i
Bethlehem. Jordan. Dec. i7—
On the Plain of Boaz to the east, j
little Bedouin girls follow the|
wheat harvesters to glean bits
of grain. »
. Men in flowing headdress j
trudge along rocky trails from
the south women, children and
baggage.
The whine of reed flutes from
distant slopes heralds the passing
of lonely shepherds watching
their flocks.
Identical .scenes might have
welcomed the Holy Family on
the outskirts of the little town i
of Bethlehem the day Christ was |
born.
At the time <Sf Christ’s birth j
Bethlehem was a market town j
for rural people, especially for j
Bedouins to the east and south !
In this respect, the town has not
changed
As long ago as David's time 900
years before Christ, David’s son
Chamaan, built a caravanserai
here which served as shelter for
Bedouins and their flocks as they
moved in and out of the town.
That same caravanserai was
probably the inn w'here Joseph
and Mary were unable to find
lodging. The Caravanserai has
disappeared but the same kind
of Bedouins still come to Beth
lehem.
Marked by the typical Arab
headdress falling dowm over the
neck and shoulders, the wide
shouldered cloaks and their lop
ing gait, these Bedouins throng
Behtlehem’s streets almost any
day. They come in to buy artd
sell on a meager scale and spend ■
long hours in crude sidewalk
cafes sipping thimble-sized cups
of bitter Arab coffee.
The market place for these
people is an open square paved
with flagstones. The grain, rice,
vegetables or old clothes for sale
are displayed on flat trays on
the ground or stacked in crude
temporary w’ooden stalls.
The settled inhabitants of
Bethlehem's population, number- 1
ing around 10.000. live in a city
which still bears the mark ot^
the Crusaders. The overwhelm-1
mg majority of the population
is Christian; only one Moslem
minaret convpetes with innum-;
erable church spires and domes;
in Bethlehem's skyline.
These people live in stone 1
houses, many of them with low
domes as protection against sum
mer heat and winter rain. Some
of their houses date back to Cru
sader times. Many open into
cobblestone streets barely wide
enough to accommodate an au
tomobile. The arched gateways
and vaulted roofs stretching
across the streets recall the me
dieval Europe of the Crusades.
Costumes of the women of
Bethlehem bear the Crusader
mark Those who wear tradi
tion dress have long full gar
ments, usually black or dark red
decorated with square stitched
red or gold embroidery, usually
A group of Thornwoll Orphanage children—Michael Tucker,
Gene Hatchell. Joe Allen. Ronnie Colbert Donna Fowler. Margar
et Gooch, and Bobby Gooch—are trying so-oo-o hard to be so-oo-o
good and can hardly wait for Santa's visit.
Has a Good Selection of Last
Minute Gifts
ALL NATIONALLY ADVERTISED MAKES
WATCHES
PEN AND PENCIL SETS
LADIES AND GENTS STONE
RINGS
BLUE NILE DIAMONDS
BILLFOLDS—LUGGAG E
TIE PIN SETS
Sterling Pieces for the Bride
or Housewife
Remember—If You Have Not Completed Your List Be
Sure To Shop
in the form of a Crusader’s cross.
These women w r ear a head
dress found only in Bethlehem
and unknown in the rest of Pal
estine. This is a conical shaped
high hat, covered with a large
white veil.
When Christ was born the peo
ple of Bethlehem lived largely
from sheep raising and olive
growing. Many live from the
same occupation today. Olive
groves braced with stone terraces
fall away from the edge of the
town to the Plain of Boaz be
low. On the plain wheat is
grown. Here Ruth of the Old
Testament story gleaned behind
the harvesters, just as Bedouin
girls do today.
Many Bethlehem inhabitants
owm flocks of sheep or goats in
addition to the land they till.
Caring for these sheep dictates a
way of life unchanged since the
night shepherds on nearby slopes
heard the angels sing of the new
born King Shepherds daily leave
the town and take thier flocks
over the same slopes where the
angels sang. Sometimes they
travel 25 miles in a single day,
clambering over the rocky hill
sides to find bits of grass and
Shrubs.
A new element has been add
ed to Bethlehem’s population j
since 1948—Arab refugees fromj
Israel. Driven from their homes
by the Arab-Israel war, these)
people live in the outskirts of
the town in tents, hovels andj
caves. Many a baby has been!
born in the past seven years in
circumstances similar to those of
Jesus—in a grotto shared by ani
mals, placed in a crude wooden
crib made by the father.
On Christmas Eve, these refu
gees sit sullenly beside the road
watching well-dressed tourists
arrive for Christmas ceremonies
at the Church of the Holy Sepul
chre. Since there are no Euro
pean standard hotels in Bethle
hem most visitors stay in Jerusa
lem. They drive back and forht
for the Christmas Eve services
which recount the incidents of
the day the Holy Family came
into a crowded Bethlehem and
found "there was no room for
them in the inn.”
Almost for the first time in
history, the shepherds of Beth
lehem today have their freedom
of movement restricted. Within
sight of their town is the mili
tary frontier dividing Arab Jor
dan from the newly created state
of Israel. With the war still un
settled shepherds are forbidden
to approach the demarcation
line, for fear of touching off a
frontier incident.
Dorothy Haynes Wins
Individual Honor In
State In Bread-Making
Dorothy Haynes, 18, has been
announced as state winner of the
individual demon
stration award
the 4-H bread
demlons t r a t d o n
program.
Dorothy, who is
a member of the
Whitt e n Village
4-H group, dem-
ostrated ‘‘making
biscuit s.” She
gave nine bread demonstra
tions, prepared 196 meals, and
96 dishes in her foods work. She
made 22 exhibits in foods and
canning, and won two blue rib
bons. She was secretary and
vice-president of her 4-H club
and secretary of county council.
Her local club leader was Mrs.
Beatrice Sloan.
Standard Brands, a national
grocery corporation, presented
her a 19-jewel wrist watch for
winning the South Carolina hon
or.
Dorothy Haynot
At noon each day shepherds
1 must leave grazing grounds to
find water for the flocks. Many
visit Solomon’s Pools near Beth
lehem at midday. In the eve
ning the shepherd carefully
: counts his flock as it enters the
I fold, one by one. The flod may
be a little stable built by the
shepherd. More often it is a
limestone grotto, with the en
trance practically closed, to ad
mit only one animal at a time.
Bethlehem’s status as the
birth-place of Chrsit has given
the town a new modem industry
—tourism. The otherwise sleepy
little town ranks as one of the
foremost sites of religious pil
grimage in the world and every
year it is visited by thousands
of tourists from all continents.
It is the center of numerous re
ligious orders and institutions of
all types — Catholic, Orthodox,
Armenian, Protestant. The varied
dress of friars, priests, nuns, sis
ters, add to the color of native
costumes.
Many modern Bethlehemites
make a living by carving objects
of piety from mother of pearl,
Dead Sea stone and olive wood.
These souvenirs, along with em
broidered and brocaded Crusad
ers’ jackets are offered for sale
in small shops not far from the
Church of the Nativity, where
Christ was bron.
The shopkeepers lounge in the
sun in the sidewalk cafes, wait
ing for tourists to arrive at the
church. As soon as a tourist ar
rives—and tfoey are easy to spot
him in a pack. Each offers his
—the shopkeepers converge on
services as a guide. He will
show the tourist through the
church and all the other Beth
lehem a no charge.
This offer may sound suspic
ious, but it is valid. The guide
asks no money. At the end of
the tour he invites the tourist
to his shop for a rest and a cup
of coffee or tea—still with no
obligation.
Once the visitor is seated the
shopkeeper casually calls atten
tion to the souvenirs he has to
sell. The tourist is lucky if he
can escape without buying.
The Canavati brothers, who
once had a shop in Laredo, Tex
as, but now have returned to
their homeland are masters of
this type of salesmanship and
claim to have pioneered in it. i
Business is slow for these peo-.
pie most of the year, but when I
Christmas comes, Bethlehem’s I
population more than doubles for
a few days and souvenir sellers
are happy.
J. M. Babb, 80,
Laurens, Dies
Laurens—James Martin Babb,
80, of Rt. 2, Laurens, died early
Sunday morning at the Laurens
county hospital following several
years of declining health. ,
A lifelong resident t of Laurens
county, he was the son of the
late Barnett Babb and Sarah Pa-
pen Babb. He was a member of
Wayside Baptist church.
Surviving are his wife, Lola
Moses Babb; two sisters, Mrs.
Etta Sorgee Miss Mary Babb,
both of Laurens; one half-sister,
Mrs. Fannie Wood of Greenville.
Funeral services were con
ducted Monday at 3:00 p. m., at
the Kennedy Mortuary by the
Rev. Ray Craine. Burial was in
City View cemetery.
Laurens Federal
Declares Dividend
A semi-annual dividend payable
at-the rate of three per cent an
nually has been declared by the
board of directors of Laurens Fed
eral Savings and Loan association
for the six-months period ending
December 31, according to W. H.
Harley, president.
VISIT BELLINGRATHS
Mr. and Mrs. Wade Mobley, of
Red Springs, N. C., are spending
the holidays with the latter’s pa
rents, Dr. and Mrs. George C.
Bellingrath. Mr. Mobley is prin
cipal of the high school in Red
Springs.
Robert Hays Has
Articles Published
In Two Magazines
Robert Hays, assistant profes
sor of English and technical writ
ing at Southern Technical Insti
tute, is the author of three recent
ly published articles. Hays, who
has written a number of publish
ed articles in the past, serves as
head of Southern Tech’s English
department.
His three most recent articles
appeared in the January issue of
the nationally popular magazine,
“Young Men,” and in the past two
Issues of “Plumb" magazine, a
trade journal. All three articles
concerned technical education for
technicians. In his articles Keys
focused attention on the shortage
of technicians and the opportuni
ties for technicians in industrial
work.
Hays has also written two ar
ticles to be published shortly. Both
concern the legal and grammatical
aspects of trade-mark usage.
Southern Tech, a unit of Geor
gia Tech, is located in Chamblee,
Ga.
Hays is married to the former
Miss Peggy Copeland, of Clinton,
daughter of Mrs. Guy L. Cope
land. He is a graduate of Presby
terian college.
INFANT SON PASSES
Clifton Wilton Murphy, infant
son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Mur
phy, of Clinton, RL 1, died Mon
day afternoon at Hays hospital.
Surviving besides the parents
are the grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. Herman Murphy and Mr.
end Mrs. Grover Kirby, all of
Clinton.
Graveside services were con
ducted Tuesday at 11 a. m. at
Calvary cemetery, Clinton Mill,
by the Rev. Lee Powers.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to express our appre
ciation for the kindnesses and
expressions of sympathy shown
us at the time of the death of
our mother, Mrs. H. L. Lipford,
and sister, Mrs. H. F. Shealy.
—MR. AND MRS.
GEORGE A. REID
G. BROWNING GOLDSMITH
METROPOLITAN LIFE
representing: the
INSURANCE COMPANY
I Madison Ave., New York 10, N. Y.
will gladly recommend a
program planned to fit
your personal Life insur
ance needs. Call or write:
TELEPHONE 512
107 Calhoun St. P. I. Box 354
Clinton. 8. C.
of the Holiday J***
k reflected'm
two fettle worefc
(jmstms
May happiness, peace and
contentment be in store for
all of mankind. May your
holiday be rich with the Spirit
that makes Chrietmaa new
and wonderful each year.
Befc
YOUR J
'M0ADVJR
Okecittp
A PROGRAM
Last Day Today
Dec. 22 Monday-Tuesday
Dec. 26-27
...Th« fabulous
story of ths most
amazing psopio in
Amsrica todayl
A Christmas Treat For the Whole Family!
Co-Starring ROBERT STACK
Friday-Saturday Dec. 23-24
TRAIL OF THE LONESOME
PINE
>Y . *
Technicolor
With HENRY FONDA, FRED MacMURIJAY
i SYLVIA SIDNEY
% * • lliaiEi^BHEsSKi
Wed.-Thurs., Dec. 28-29
SR WAITER SCOTTS
tor
QUENTIN
DUNWARD
MertThun
7=»r Key Robti
SSr 1 KENDALL-HORLEY
llOOUJR^*’ CARTOON
CARTOON’
moiTiOM m
A.
For hundreds of years, and from many lands, the tradMont of
Christmas have been handed from generation to generatkm.
The tradition of mistletoe comes from England... the Yvla log
from Scandinavia ... the Christmas tree from Germany ... Saint
Nicholas from Holland. Add to these the good old tradition of
sending Christmas greetings. We send ours with a \
appreciation of your friendship and good will.
M. S. BAILEY & SON, BANKERS
Established 1886
Capital and Surplus $600,000.00
Member F. D. I. C. — Our 69th Year