River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-11-08
A ROMANTIC oAREER.
How Chicago Man Acquired Wealth
and Position in Egrpt.

low . Chicago Man Acquired Wealth
and Position in Egypt.
Ono night just after the big fire
ihree young men sat down in tn. ruins
and talked about what would probably
% their fate. These three men were
IL. q. Trout, a Mr.. Boardman and
newspaper man. Prout was a quiet,
determined sort of fellow whose home
was in Riverside. His occupation was
that of civil engineer. His PROPOSE
ion was that they should leave the
city and the country and east their
fortunes with the Khedive in Egypt.
tie made a glowing picture OF the land
Of the Nile aid predicted fortune and
tame. There was no outlook here.
They decided to go. In the midst of
heir arrangements Boardman received
a flattering Offer to go to New York.
which he accepted. and the newspaper
man received one to go elsewhere.
which he accepted. Prout accepted
MS fate and started alone for world
he had never seen and of which he
knew comparatively little OF his
journey there and his first experience
there is not much TO say.
In time he reported to General
(Chinese) Gordon and became
one of his most faithful and
trusted aids After a short service he
was promoted and had the title of Gov
ernor-General of the Provinces of the
Interior. His capital was Lado, a
point one thousand miles south of any
white settlement. Here the young
ChicagOan ruled and reigned in a sort
Of Oriental magnificence--for that
country-which makes his life one of
romance. He had his courtiers and
eouriers, who did him the homage
due a potentate. Many of the manners
and customs of the people of that land
were retained by him. He had his
troops, and with them made invasions
and conquests, and now and then dis
covered a race of beings of which his
tory and explorations had made 10
mention. In the Businesses of ore of
the mountains he found a tribe of
blacks who were giants in physique and
more than the average uncivilized
tribes in intellect. He gave dress pa
rades before them and made such Osten-
tatious display that they enlisted under
his banner. He found their percep-
tons quick. They learned the evolu-
tons of his tactics in remarkably short
time, and every thing he taught they
grasped with eagerness, and made
good soldiers.
He was restless and in consequence
he pushed his invasions and came back
loaded with the richness of some
remote tribe. lie had enough Of the
romantic in his makeup to adapt him
self to the religious forms of the coun-
try, and his capital at times presented
a strange appearance.
Having spent much of his time in the
service of the Khedive in the manner
stated, the government at length con-
cluded to negotiate with England for
the purchase of gun-boats for its
service. General Gordon sent Prout
to London for that purpose. He had
leave of absence in order to do this
work. Having made his purchases in
London, he asked for an extension of
his leave of absence, which was grant
ed. He turned his face toward his
native country. He reached New York,
tarried there one day and came West.
He reached St Louis and saw his
friend. whom he had left in Chicago,
and tried to get him to 90 with him
to Texas, where he had a rail
road scheme He left st. Louis, on the
afternoon of the day of his arrival
and went to Fort Leavenworth. where
he married "a young lady whose ac-
quaintance he had formed before he
left the United States.
They went to Paris on their bridal
trip. The life in Egypt had made in
roads on the constitution of Prout. He
placed himself under the care OF
noted physician, who told him that a
return to Egypt meant certain death.
He resigned his position in the service
of the Khedive and, Having made an
extended tour of the continent, he re-
turned to the United States. To-day
he is at the head of big printing con-
Germ in New York City, and has close
associations with his old friend Board
man. The other friend is in Chicago
in the newspaper business.
Prout's Egyptian romance and ex-
perience netted him a small fortune in
cash, and gave him an insight of life
that has made him a contented MA
Chicago Mail.