Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-03

SATURDAY EVENING, SEPT. 3, 1881.
Mummy Mining.
New Ork Times.
Tho recent discovery near Thebes of
bonanza of ancient Egyptians is one of
century. Surface indications of mummies
and other objects of archaeological interest
had been known to exist for some time in
mountain gorge about four miles east of
the Nile, and Herr Brugsch, of the Boulak
museum, made q prospecting tour in that
region last June. On exploring pit 35
feet deep, he struck vein Of enormous
riches, which has since boen worked for
distance Of 200 feet. This vein consists
principally of Egyptian kings, queens and
pfincesses, Of whom 3G have already been
taken out. With these dead Egyptians
are also found large quantity of manu-
scripts, jewels, gods and other useful and
interesting objects. A careful assay shows
that the vein yields about seven mummies
to the ton, together with 80 per cent. by
weight, Of gods and manuscripts. In point
of richness this vein-or rather pocket
has hitherto never been equaled i'm the All
mails of archaeological mining.
Hnd tho kings found by Herr Brugsch
been merely the cheaper variety of late
Egyptian mOnarchs, the discovery would
still have been of great Importance, but it
SO happens that the explorer has struck
some of the most valuable kings of whom
We have any record. Among them is the
identical king who erected the Obelisk now
in Central park, and We may now expect
the World to devote itself as ardently to
the project of bringing this king to Am
erica as it did to the project Of supplying
the Central park with an obclisk. Still
more valuable is the body of that Pha
raoh who would not let the children of Is
rael 20, and who was finally drowned in tho
Red sea. 1t is to he hoped that
some rich Hebrew will buy Pharaoh
no matter at what pricc-and exhibit him
for twenty-five cents a head, to the curios-
ity and scOrn of the Jewish race. In this
way tho dead king, would, after the lapse
Of three thousand years, receive a proper
punishment for his oppressive treatment
of the Israelites, while 1T the same time
some descendant of that once despised race
would make An easy fortune rs Pharaoh's
exhibitor. Hopes are entertained that
among the mummies Of Egyptian matrons
not yet identified there will bc found the
too famous Mrs. POtipllar. Could she be
exhibited in Sunday schools as an IL
lustratiOn of the story of Joseph there
would no longer be any need Of picnics,
fairs and strawberry festivals, for the at
traction presented by the real original
Mrs. Potiphar would simply irresistible.
Even more important than the mummies
Of PharOah and Mrs. POtiphar are the
papyri which form part of the scent dis
- SC hnlinuoh hat
when these papyri arc read they will
It is supposed that among them will be
found tho Egyptian version of the trouble
with the Israelitcs which resulted in the
Exodus and it will be extremely inter-
esting to compare it with the Israelitish
version of the affair. 1t is hardly probable
that an official Egyptian history will
agree in all things with the Mosaic record,
and We shall probably find Pharaoh
represented as voluntarily driving out
the Israclites because of their tendency
to mOnOpOlize all the offices and all the
wealth of the kingdom, and as having ac-
cidentally perished in the Red Sea in cOn-
sequence of having been seized with
cramps while bathing. Orthodox people
need not expect to find any Egyptian pa
pyruS i full confirmation of the Jewish :lc-
count Of the Exodus, for the Egyptian his
tOrians had advanced sufficiently far in
civilization to write history in way to
meet the views Of their fellow citizens.
The discovery of this great Egyptian
bonanza ought to attract the attention of
those Ingenious persons who arc constant
ly forming silver miuing companies to the
richness Of the Egyptian deposits. Royal
mummies and ancient. .papyri are OF more
value than their weight in silver, provided
they are judiciously put Oh the market,
and the Valley Of the Nile is probably
rich in sphinxes, Obclisks, and other arch
geological treasures. Mining is incxpen-
sive in Egypt. since there arc no rocks to
blast, and nothing to di, through except
sand. 1t would pay to work u vein yield
ing Only one mummy to the ton, but rs y
matter of fact mummies arc always found
in !jewel-bcaring strata, SO that, after the
mummies are taken out, the sand can be
profitably worked over Tor gold and silver
ornaments and small gods. Any mummy
mining company that can make satifac
tory arrangement with the khedive, and
begin work almost anywhere iii Egypt,
will be reasonably sure to strike mummies
and papyri in paying quantities, and to
make dividend within six months after
driving the first spade into the ground.
As field for mining speculation, Egypt is
vastly superior to Colorado, and the man
who could not write 4 convincing pros
pectus for mummy mining company
would be utterly lacking in imagination.
According to the best Psychologists, the
Egyptian monarchy came into existence
about eight Thousand years ago, SO that
there is little fear that the miucs Of num-
mied kings can be exhausted in one day.
No time, however, should bc lost in organ
izing mining companies and selling stock,
for il England and France jointly occupy
Egypt free mining will not be tolerated.
Strength OF wines.
Chambers journal.
The amount of alcohol present varies
greatly in the several liquors Of which it
forms the Intoxicating ingredient, rum
containing about seyenty-fiye Der cent. {: