Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-08-31

1uo hAuuar0-A hOWonco u th0 forhous
The following is from an article on
the trouble in Egypt which appeared in
the New York Herald: The action Of
the governor Of Minieh, 1876 miles up
the Nile from Cairo, was 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 CON-
siders himself an important factor in
the governmental machinery along the
Nile. When travellers stop there he
generally provides an elaborate Turkish
dinner, the inevitable chibooks and
coffee, and gayly-caparisoned asses and
donkeys on which to mount TO visit the
points Of interest lying beyond the
town. Then follows the fantisser,
with the Egyptian dancing girls;
the g,Ohasee, which holds the
party far beyond midnight to the
sound OF revelry and the rude native
music. Few Of the large towns along
the river have ever had heartier or
more hospitable mudir than Minieh.
The town is simply mud CITY of some
ID, 900 souls, dwelling near the bank OF
the river in all Of the squalor peculiar
to the Egyptian habitations. In these
settlements, and as such they are fur
ther to southwark, the entire popula-
tion-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 admin
istration. 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, however, be careful to see that
every intermediate official between him
self and the khedive receives handsome
presents, and neither must they be ia
significant in point Of value, usually
consisting Of a handsome bag of
British sovereigns with proffers
of eternal gratitude. At least
annually the mudir makes a visit
to Cairo, and there he is expected to
signalize his advent in the capital by
substantial 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
ity respected. There have been in
years gone by terrible reprisals on ac-
count Of the ruthless desecrstion Of the
household Among the more spirited
Bedouin Arabs, when their daughters
and sisters have been seized for the
harem OF the mudir or the khedive, the
scheme OF blood revenge has been de-
veloped, and retribution has followed
until whole families have been swept
away. It THUG appears that the mudir
is but o slave of the ruling power in
Cairo, making the better governor when
he can excel in pandering TO his imme-
diate superior, the minister, and then
to the khedive.
1t is not al ways safe for governor Of
q province to reside ameng the people
whom he has plundered and oppressed.
It also not infrequently happens that
the governors are nothing but common
assassins, who are called upon to exc
cute the summary or secret vengeance
of some minister or favorite at court of
whom they may stand in awe. A case
that occurred while the Herald CORE
spondent was in the upper country was
directly to the point. A Turkish official
of high rank-he was a bey-had long
been 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 khsdive's mother that she
would like to marry of favorite child
of the harem to gallant officer in re-
ceipt of large pay. The hey was sum-
moned by the khedive and told that
his mother had found him q
wife-a wondrous creature. OF
course in the East such an intima-
tion to subordinate is simply a som.
mand; yet while the hey submitted he
secretly chafed at what he considered q
gross imposition upon friend, Turk
ish aristocrat, and an officer accus-
toned to European liberties and GUS
toms. The marriage took place and
was q grand fete, costing many thou
sand dollars. OF course the hey had
never looked upon her face until after
the nuptial knot was tied, and when he
did neither the countenance nor the