The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-06
TcIcgruphic Service fra Egypt.

The importance OF the telegraph III min
tary operations Is shown by the anxiety OF
the English concerning the fidelity oil tue
native interpreters who must from absolute
necessity be employed TO translate the DIS
patches sent not only over the region now
the theatre of conflict, but also TO the nome
Government. The language lsed III the-
transmission OF messages Is the Arabic, and
when the wires were first put up IN that
country the feeling OF the necessity
for secresy was so great on the part
OF the rcigning Pacha that he very cum
ningly had native operators employed
TO learn both English and French phoneti-
cally, but no one Of this class OF useful SER
wants was ever permitted TO learn TO write
either OF these western languages. The
service, like some other departments OF the
civil government, was carefully kept IN the
Arabic language, with the exception OF the
Offices OF the Red Sea Cable Company,
which has always been in the hands OF the
British. The native operators, 1t Is safe 10
say, are among the worst sc0undrels TO be
met In the Eastern world.
HOW IsMAIL BECAME KIIEDIvE.
When Said Pacha. the Viceroy who pre-
coded the deposed Khedive, now living in
Naples, Law sick in Alexandria, it was
given out that his malady was trivial
affair; and so any one would have be-
levcd who ever saw his giant frame, his
swarthy face and imperial carriage. He
was a man who ate his five meals day,
and was fond Of and participated in every
form of indulgence. Ismail, who had Il
rival to the throne in his uncle, Hahn
Pacha-still living, and who was a brother
of Said-kept up a constant system OF es-
pionage on Said for when the latter had
come to the throne after the stran-
Cling of Abbas Pacha he remembered
what then occurred. 1t was no less than
this For three days the dead body Of Alb
bas Pacba was driven about Cairo in his
usual state carriage, which has been in the
habit of appearing daily, and this in order
to deceive the populace and thus permit the
then Chief of Police to intrigue for the
succession. But the embalmer had not
done his work well, and corpse could not
long travel in Eastern toggery through the
streets OF the capital, and the scheme eX-
ploded, and Said put himself at the
head CT the State. 1t was therefore
important for Ismail TO have his spies
at the bedside of said while he remained
in Cairo. and hence, with the aid of his
abundant private fortune, he very skiliully
organized the Geographic service in his
own interest. In the dead OF night he was
awakened by his faithful telegraphic agent
"Said is dead" With few OF his faith
full followers he repaired to the mosque,
where he went through the religious forms
of the succession, summoned the military
commanders, and Cairo and Egypt awoke
the next morning with a new sovereign,
very much to the general astonishment.
The telegraphic operators were immedi-
ately made beys, and they did not thereaf-
ter have to work for living.
OPERATORS AT SPIES.
AT the seat OF government of every Pro-
vincial Governor OF Mudir the telegraph
operator is a very important parsonage,
He is, although strict etiquette would pro-
hibit it, cheek by iowl with the Governor
General and an honorcd guest at his feasts,
and in the majority OF instances q spy on
his actions. The Egyptian Government
has always had keen eye on the telegraph,
and ii now extends almost to the Equator,
being carried across the desert and over
waste areas on short iron posts. Did the
Bedouins suppose it was carrying to Cairo
tales of their depredations the most power
full force Egypt could summon could not
have retained the poles and wires in SER
vice. When Herald correspondent was
sent to the Soudan to investigate the slave
trade he used the Soudan line from Khar-
toum, i'll secret understanding with q
confederate in Cairo, not in any apparent
cipher, but upon apparently Indifferent
matters. When he arrived from that
country, nearly year later, it was found
that none of the ineXplicablc dispatches
to the Egyptian mind-had reached their
destination. Those friendly to the inter-
nal administration had. The corruption
and utter irresponsibility of the service
have grown worse with advancing time, and
it is not strange that the English foresee a
danger in the hands Of an enemy who Use
the always heretofore honored flag of truce
as a convenient decoy.