Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-10
ARABS EARLY HISTORY.
Born In the Delta and Active 10
halim's Cause.
Dismissal Of the Spanish Stoy-Years he
Served in the Army Beforehe Rose to
Eminence-Halim's Secret Agent
His Devoted Friend.
STORY OF AN EVENTFUL LIFE.

says the correspondent, to give your
readers a connected and truthful &C.
count of the early years of Arab Pasha's
history, since SO many improbable
things have been printed about him IN
Europe. He has been set down for a
native of Spain, and been declared to
have lived long in the Peninsula, while
he has even been said to have served in
the warehouse of q merchant of Liver
pool. Whence he came and how he
rose are, however, as l shall relate in
this letter. Arab admits that he does
not know in what year he was born,
and although this may appear singular
to the uninitiated, it is easily and salts
factoriiy explained by Orientals or by
those acquainted with the East. In
Egypt and Turkey time is not reckoned
from one fixed point, but various
events, such as a great fire, an earth
quake, or an extraordinary rising Of the
Nile-in the way Americans often say
this or that took place "during the
war" Arab says he was born just
after the indecent shiek was murdered
in the mosque at Cairo, which event Is
supposed to have taken place in the
year 1885, or Whereabouts, so that he
Is between AZ and As years old, although
he maintains that he is only 40. There
is nothing remarkable about his appear
ance. He resembles the ordinary mid
die class Egyptian one meets here every
day
In the Streets or at Cairo.
He stands five feet seven inches high,
is inclined to be corpulent, has very
small black, blOodshOt eyes, sunken
deeply into his head, heavy black and
gray mustache, and the high cheek
bones, wide nose, and lips denOting the
African. His father was a laborer on q
State farm at Tautah, on the Delta Of
the Nile, and it was here that Ahmed
el-Uraby was born. This farm was
managed by Swiss gentleman named
Jean Ninet, and, curiOusly enough, the
only European now in Afabi's camp Is
NJ. Ninet, who is in danger Of being
summarily dealt with by the English
If he should be caught. Arab received
no education whatever. The little Ar
able he can read and write he taught
himself after he was grown. In his
youth, however, he had learned to re-
peat many verses of the Coran, which
he now uses freely, and being a power
full speaker, he has always found eager
listeners to his discourses. He worked
upon the farm until the age of 20, when
one day recruiting company dashed
through the village, and, as he was not
fast enough in getting away from them,
was seized, put into irons, and taken of
to Cairo, this being the ordinary Egyp-
tan method of filling up the ranks.
Arab Pasha remained
A Private Soldier
for over twelve years, and was only pro-
NOTED to the rank of lieutenant through
the influence of M. Ninet, whom he
met accidentally at Thebes, where his
regiment was bunting down some Bed
ouin robbers. This was the turning
point in Arabi's life. Gratitude is a
great virtue among Arabs, and he be-
came, so to speak, the slave OF NJ. Jean
Ninet. This gentleman, soon after the
event, was dismissed by the late Khe-
dive, Ismail Pasha, because he was
known to favor Hahn Pasha, the only
surviving son of Mehemet Ali, and
from whom Ismail had practically
usurped the throne. NJ. Ninet had pro-
tested against the wrOngd done to Hahn,
and actually went to ConstantinOple in
hope of persuading the Sultan to rein
state him, but to no effect. NJ. Nlnet
returned to Egypt and has ever since
acted a. Hahn Pasha's secret agent, and
the eventful period through which
Egypt is now going is due very largely
TO his intrigues. He is seventy-two
wears old, but looks remarkably young
for his age; he is tall, handsome, and
of commanding appearance, and haV-
ing lived all his lifetime in the country,
knows the language aud people well.
He is known and respected by the ma
iority of the natives, over whom he has
an enormous influence, and he is, after
Arab Pasha, the most noteworthy man
of the revolutionary party. Lieut..
Arab was devoted to Ninet, and the
latter not only persuaded him to es-.
pOuse Hahn Pasha's cause, but used
him also a an intermediary i'll getting
other officers to do the same. He saw
that if anything was to be done it could
only be done through the army, and
the only way of getting at the army
was through Arab. Rumors were in
geniOusly spread that this officer was
Inspired by the Prophet,
and this had such an effect upon the
army and the people that the Govern
ment thought it wise policy to promote
him. He was therefore gazetted a
Major. NJ. Ninet, whenin Alexandria,
lived with Mr.. Douglas Gibbs, the agent
of the Eastern Telegraph Company, but
when in Cairo was the guest of the
Princess TOussoun, who tavors Hahn.
The Princess palace soon became the
rendezvous of Arab, Ninet, and their
followers.
The great point was to enlist the
sympathies of the lower classes, and
this could only be done through the
press, but how and where to print this
secret revolutionary paper was matter
of serious consideration. 1t was at
tempted once or twice in Cairo, but
the enterprise was discovered by the
Secret Police, and all who were proved
to have any connection with it Were
severely punished. 1t was then resolv-
ed TO issue the paper abroad, and the
Princess ToussOun provided the neces-
sary funds. The paper was called Aboo
Nddsard, and was printed by James
Sanua, of No. As Avenue de
Clichy. Paris, and was SNUG.
gled into Egypt, tightly packed
in sardine boxes. Once in the
bands of the revolutionary, or Young
Egypt, party, it was easily distributed
II was written in common Arabic, so as
to be understood by the people, and
contained wood-cuts which to US would
appear ridiculous, but which had had
great effect on the multitude.
One represented the Khediye
in the act of being baptized by an Eng
lish clergyman; in another he was SELL
ing the country "a slave in chaims) tc
England, and in anOtuer the khedive's
eldest son 1.-THE present KhediAe) Was
represented as falling from his horse
while reviewing his troops-such an &C.
cident being, ofcovrse, highly disgraceo
TO any Arab These papers were eager,
ly sought by Arabi's partisians, and die
not fail to produce the desired effect
but as 80 per cent. of the villagers could
not read, emissaries were sent all ovel
the country, travelling from village tc
village, where they were surrounded BY
the. people, who eagerly listened Il
promises of free grants of land, exemp
ton from taxation and from the dread
ed military service, if thep would only
s,,nYOrt Arahi The Khediye had mort.