The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-11-01
OUTWITTED.
How mn English Telegraph Manager in
Epypt Tried to Earn $4,000 and n Title,
and How He Was Outwitted by His Amcri-
nom SubnrI;uptn

How IN English Telegraph Manager in
Egypt Tried to Earn $1,000 and n Title,
and How He Was Outwitted by His Amcri-
cnn subordinate.
The successor to the Egyptian
throne always rewards the person in
forming him of the death of his prcdc-
cessor by promoting him to the rank
of hey, and paying him 100000 pias-
tres (S5,O00.) When Said Pasla, to
whom Ismail Pasha, the late khcdive,
succeeded, was dangerously i'll at Alex
andria, Ismail Paslla himself was at
Cairo. 1t is said to have been proved
beyond a doubt that Said Paslla died
of slow poison, which Ismail Pasha
had personally administered, and when
Islnail subsequently did the same
thing successfully to many others
Egyptians said that the victims had
been "saided." BE this as it may,
| Said Pasha was seriously unwcll at
! Alexandria, and the ambitious Ismail
was anxiously awaiting at Cairo the
news of his demise. At that time the
Eastern Telegraph company had not
yet established their lines all over
Egypt, and Cairo was joined to Alex
andria by Il single line belonging to
the Egyptian government, and which
was managed by acertain Mr.. Thomas,
an Englishman who is still in the
service of the country.
Mr.. Thomas knew how anxious
Ismail Pasha was to receive the news
| of Said Pasha's death, and he further
knew that the reward to the person
first informing Ismacl Pasha would be
the title of hey and 100000 piastrcs-
| both of which would be very acceptable
to Nh. Thomas himself, and which he
resolved to get. His Office was in AL
cxandria, but knowing that the news
must come over the telegraph wire
which he controlled, he told his subor-
dinates at Alexandria that he was
going on a visit of inspection to Cairo,
where he might stay for some time.
He asked them to be very careful
during his absence, especially as to the
important news concerningSaid Paslla's
health-about which poor 1smail
Pasha was very uneasy-and, mounting
his dromedary, started for Cairo.
The Cairo office was then managed
by a young American from Baltimore
named Tinney, to whose surprise MI.
Thomas, instead of going to the hotel
as he had always done, took up his
quarters at the telegraph station, where,
besides staying all day, he also passed
the night. lie never left the office for
one minute, having his meals brought
to him there, and always being near the
| instrument to see what passed over the
wire. The system by which the tele-
graph was worked in Egypt was by
impressions Of dots and lines on paper
bands, and not by sound as it is in
| America, and Mr.. Thomas kept his eye
on the slip for fully ten days and nights
| and vet the news he was so anNiously
expecting came not. Young Tinney
was at a loss to understand what all
this meant, and was much annoyed by
the managers proceedings, who he
thought suspected him, and therefore
watched him. Mr.. Thomas had by
this time become quite nervous,
the effects of slcepless nights were
plainly visible in his face, and
at about 3 o'clock one afternoon, feel
ing exhausted, he told Tinney that he
was going to take a little rest on the
floor, giving him strict orders to call
him in case any telegram came about
| the death of Said Pasha. Tinncy then,
for the first time, discovered what
all Mr.. Thomas anxiety was about,
| and as soon as the latter was fast
asleep he called in the Arab book
keeper, from. whom he learned in a
casual way, as if in no way interested,
that the bearer of the news OF Said
Pasha's death to his successor, lsmail
Pasha, would receive the rank OF hey
and 100000 piastres.
Hour after hour passed; many bust
ness and other kilograms came, but
not the one expected. At the COM
mencement Mr.. Thomas awOke every
time the instrument licked and asked
what it was. but at last he slept so
heavily no ordinary noise would wake
him.
About two hours after midnight
stick, tick, tick" went the instru-
mcnt. Young Tinney became all ears
and eyes, and he knew in a few sec
onds that Said Pasha had just then
expired at Alexandria. lie immedi-
ately tore away the slip, unscrewed
the instrument, took away. part OF it
with him, and pulling off his boots,
left the room, making us little noise as
possible. Fer further security he went
up to the store above and disconnected
| the wire. lie then ran us fast as he
could in the direction Of the Ezbekich
road, where he knew Ismail Paslla
lived. Arriving at the little kiosquc
the latter then occupied, he was
stopped by the guard, but upon telling
| him that he had ran all the way from
the telegraph station to give the paslla
news of a revolution that had broken
out in Alexandria during the night,
He WIS ktlII Ill ClS bttoSiii'iio "ii'iA
word was brought from upstairs that
Ismail Pasha would receive him. The
moment he saw the telegraph operator
enter he knew what had happened, as
nobody had been more anxiously eX-
pecting the news than himself, not
even Mr.. Thomas.
Tinney told him in English, which
language Ismail Pasha understands,
that Said Pasha was dead, and then
gave him the slip off the instrument.
Ismail asked him his name, and upon
his saying George Tinney, the pasha,
who was now viccroy of Egypt, wrote
something on a piece of paper, and
handing it to him, said: chimney Bey,
l thank you very much; here is an
order on the treasury for 100000
piastres, and the trade naming you hey
will be the first l shall sign"
Battle With q Bear.