Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-09-01
Egyptian Mudirs.

/ populations residing beyond the limits
of cities and larger towns, with their
habitual wariness about going to war,
have not as yet taken any direct or at
least serious part in the outbreak The
action of the Governor of Minieh, 136
miles up the Nile from Cairo, was a
perfectly natural proceeding for that
official, when he refused to permit any
\ interference with the administration
of the railways. The province of which
Minieh is the capital is agriculturally
one of the richest in Egypt, and the
/ Governor considers himself an import
ant factor in the governmental ma
chinery along the Nile. When travel
ers stop there he generally provides an
elaborate Turkish dinner, the inevitable
chibooks and coffee, and gayly capari-
soned asses and dOnkeys on which to
mount to visit the points of interest "
/ ing beyond the town. Then follows the
| tdn.iSSer, with the Egyptian dancing
/ girls; the g10hGZee, which holds the par
/ " far beyond midnight to the sound
OF revelry and the rude native music
! Few of the large towns along the river
have ever had a heartier or more hospi-
! table Mudir than Minieh. The town is
simply mud city of some ID, 600 souls,
dwelling near the bank of the river in
all of the squalOr peculiar to the Egypt
ian habitations. In these settlements,
and as such they are further to
southwark, the entire population
men, women and children-are
made to work. The Mudir holds
his appointment from the Khedive
or through the Minister of the Interior,
who manages the entire local admins
tration. The Mudir has supreme charge
of the taxation in his province, in fact,
Is King of the domains over which his
! jurisdiction extends. He must, how
ever, be careful to see that every inter-
mediate official between himself and the
Khedive receive handsome presents, and
neither must they be insignificant in
point of value, usually consisting of a
handsome bag of British sovereigns with
proffers of eternal gratitude. At least
annually the Mudir makes visit to
Cairo, and there he is expected to sig
nalize his advent in the capital by sub
stantial testimonials to the Khedive
These generally take the form not only
of money, but also of the handsomest
Egyptian maidens whom he can find in
the province. Nor is their social quail
! ty respected. There have been in years
/ gone by terrible reprisals on account of
the ruthless desecration of the house
hold. Among the more spirited Bedou-
in Arabs, when their daughters and sis
/ tiers have been seized for the harem of
| the Mudir or the Khedive, the scheme
of blood revenge has been developed,
and retribution has followed until whole
families have been swept away. 1t thus
appears that the Mudir is but a slave of
the ruling power in Cairo, making the
| better Governor when he can excel in
! pandering to his immediate superior the
Minister, and then to the Khedive. Thus
/ it is that when Arab, now the supreme
| power ut Cairo. calls on the six Mudirs
of Upper Egypt for 500 horses and $50
camels they will be forthcoming or the
MudirS will lose their positions.
1t is not always safe for Governor of
n province To reside among the people
whom he has plundercd and oppressed.
1t also not unfrequently happens that
the Governors are nothing but common
assaSsins, who are called upon to exc
cute the summary and secret vengeance
OF some Minister or favorite ut court of
whom they stand in awe. A case that
occurred while the Herald correspondent
was in the upper country is directly to
| the point. A Turkish official of HIGH
rank-he was Bey-had long been a
favorite of the Khedive at Cairo. for
they had been educated together in
France. This official was, therefore, a
| great deal around the palace, and it oc-
CURED to the Khedive's mother that she
would like to marry off favorite child
OF the harem to q gallant officer in re-
ceipt OF large pay. The Bey was sum-
moned by the Khedive and told that his
mother had found him wife-a won
drous creature. OF course in the East
such an intimation to a subordinate is
simply a command; yet while the Bey
submitted he secretly chafed at what he
considered gross imposition upon q
friend, Turkish ariStocrat, and an Off
Ger accustomed to European liberties
and customs. The marriage took place
and was grand fete, costing many
thousand dollars. OF course the
Bey had never looked upon her
tace until after the nuptial knot
was tied. and when he did
neither the countenance nor the owner
thereof was to his liking Two years
went by and the Khedive's mother per-
ceived that the young wife was slowly
pining away. At last persistent in
quiry made the girl disclose that from
the very hour OF the ceremony the Bey
had declined to treat her rs his wife.
The khedive's mother-a perfect tigress
-hastened to his Highness and de-
manded that rho Bev should be put to
death instantly. He could not refuse.
The Bey was Immediately seized, con-
veyed by 4 guard 1890 miles to the
Soudan. and upon his arrival the Gov
ernor-General was ordered to stranCle
him; but the Governor-General hap
pened TO be the lifelong friend of the
condemned man and allowed him to
live. Six different orders were sent TO
kill him, but not one of them was
obeyed. The Herald correspondent
was the guest of this gentleman in the
Soudan for over two months, and these
facts came from his own lips. A better
educated man one seldom finds in the
worlds travel. He finally joined cara
vans with the Herald correspondent on
journey of 1900 miles to Cairo, and re-
turned to Khartoum 10 become Gov