BOTTLING HOLY WATER.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 101, 9 April 1907, Page 6

BOTTLING HOLY WATER.

One occasionally reads m the account of the christening of some exalted infant that it was baptised with Jordan water. Por centuries this precious liquid has been looked upon as Holy Water, and pilgrims to Jerusalem used to bring back with them, through all the weary trials of their return march, small vessels of it for their friends who were wiable to seek it themselves. Now the demand for it has grown so much, particularly m America, that the transport of Jordan water has become quite a considerable industry. The business was not easy to operate. Syria is so far behind the rest of the world that it has no casks m which water could be stored, no waggons to do the hauling to the nearest seaport, seventy miles away. Colonel Nadaud, the originator of tlie business, first •had the idea from seeiug visitors to the Jordan carrying away the water m bottles and other vessels. He began by forming a water company. Next he went to the Turkish authorities at Constantinople and outlined his scheme. They had no objections to the removal of the water, .J>ut pointed out that the number of obstacles would make the* plan commercially a failure. From the Jordan to the nearest seacoast port at Jaffa is seventy miles, and to make the journey the mountains of Judea have to be crossed. These are about 2,600 ft above the level of the Mediterranean, and 3,800 ft higher than the Jordan itself. Taken m connection with the primitive transportation facilities, a serious problem was presented. The lack of casks was remedied by bringing wood from Asia Minor, and making suitable vessels m which to carry the water. To supply tho lack of waggons, special trucks were built.