Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-14
TIE PRESENT KING OF EGYPT
A Pharoah Whose Heart Has Not
Been Hardened.
HE CUT DOWN HIS OWN SALARY
Reforms lnaugurated by the Noble
Khcdive and the Worry They
Have Cost Him--tIongs for
Rest and Peace.
A Model Monarch.

audience with the khodivo of Egypt Khedive
is Persian. Arabic word meaning king, and
Mohamcd Tcwnk occupies much the same
position now as the Phnroahs did in the days
of Moses aud Joseph. 1t 10 true that he is in
q measure the vassal Of the sultan, to whom
ne pays n tribute Of about three and three
quarters OF million dollars a year, and that
he has also several European advisers who
keep sharp watch over tho revenues of his
kingdom, TO see that q great part of them go
TO pay the interest on the debts which his
predecessor and his government hRvo con-
tracted and which arc held by tho bankers
of Europe But he Is, nevertheless the
king of Egypt, and as kings go to-day, he
has moro power thar most OF the monurchs
OF Europe. His residence in Cairo Is 4
grand palace with hundreds Of rooms
filled with magnificent furniture. He
drives about the city with soldiers carrying
swords riding prancng horses In front OF
his carriage and with score of cavalry fol
lowing behind. His personal expenses are
limited to
S500,0 YEAR,
and he has several palaces outside OF the one
which he occupies in Cairo. One OF these Is
the Raseltin palace, which Me Hamet Ali
built on the sea shore near Alexandria, an
other is at Helouan, IN upper Egypt, ana
third is at Koubeh, the khedive's country
seat just outside of Cairo, near the site of
the old city of the sun, where Plato taught
philosophy and Herodotus studied history.
The khedive's present residence is the Alb.
den palace IN the heart of Cairo And it
was here that met his highness this morn
ing. The interview had been arranged by
the American consul general, Colonel Card.
well, and the consul general and myself left
the consulate at a little after 10 in tho con-
sular carriage. The dragoman of
the legation, bright-eyed Syrian,
in the most gorgeous Of Turkish
clothes Of brown covered with gold en-
broidery and with great sword shaped like
cymetcr clanking at his sde opened the
carriage door for US and took his seat by the
coachman The Arabian Jehu cribs acked
whip and away nc went through the narrow
streets of Cairo. We drove by the modern
European mansions OF the rich Greeks, past
the palaces of Egyptian princes from which
the sweet smell of the orange flowers came
and over which whispered broad spreading
palms, We then went through a business
street of Cairo, amid droves of donkeys,
through caravan of camels by veled
women clad in black and looking like balloons
upon donkeys, in front Of the palace in which
Ismaii Pasha had his harem when he was
khedivc and in which doubt not the present
khedive played as q boy when his father was
on the throne and on into a great square Of
many acres, on the right of which were vast
barracks filed with Arab troops in blue
uniforms ana fez caps and in the
midst OF which regiment Of Egyptian
troops were going through gymnastic drill
A..
as they did at the time when our American
General Stone was their commander, and
when General Grant reviewed them and
said that they seemed to be good soldiers for
everything except fighting.
At the end of this great square, in the
form of horse shoe, is the Alden palace. 1t
is vast building of two stories, Of brown
stucco, with many windows ana grand en-
trance way IN the center. At the left there
is u door which leads to the harcm, and rs
our carriage drove up we were passed by n
closed coach drawn by two magnificent
Arabian horses, on the box OF which, beside
the llvered coachman, sat sober-faced
eunuch, whose black skin and dark clothes
were all the more somber under the bright
red skull cap which he wore. In the front
of the carriage ran two fleet scyces with
wands or staffs held up in the air in front of
them, warning plebeans to get out of the
way, and was told the carriage was that of
aprincess who was about to make u call
upon the kediveh or queen. These scyces
are a part OF every nobleman's turnout when
he drives throughout Egypt, and the runners
are among the most picturesque sights OF
this land Of the Pharoahs.
AT the door of the palace stood two POM
pous soldiers with great swords in their
hands. They were clad In Turkish cos
tune with embroidered Jackets of blue and
gold, with full zouave trousers OF blue
broadcloth. Upon their heads were tur-
bans, and the faces that shone out under
these were such that they made me think of
.s.,I 4
in the days Of the prophet Mohammed.
Passing up tho massive steps, the door was
opened by an Arab clad in European clothes
and wearing the red fez cap, which ting
We entered grand entrance hall, noored
with marble mosaic, the walls Of which
were
FINISHED IN CREAM AND GOLD
In front of us staircase so wide that two
wagon loads of hay could be drawn up 1t
without touching, lead by easy flights to the
second floor, ana at the right and the left
were the reception rooms for visitors and
halls leading to the apartments reserved for
the chamberlains, masters of ceremonies
and other officials of the kings household.
We chatted moment with one or two of
the khedive's cabinet ministers, who were
just passing out after council with his
highness, and then moved on up the stairs.
In ono of the drawing.rooms on the second
floor we were met by another Egyptian
official in black clothes and red fez cap and
by HIM were conducted to q reception room.
the door of which stood open, and were mo-
toned to enter.
u In the center of this room. which was not
larger than a goodsized American parlor, all
alone stood man Of about thirty-slx years
of age. He was dressed in a black broad
cloth coat which buttoned close up at the
neck like that of u preacher. Lavender pan
falcons showed out below this, fitting we'll
down over pair of gaiter. like pumps, and an
the top OF this rather handsome head was a
fez cap Of dark red with black silk tass 2
extending from the center Of the crown and
falling down behind. The costume of this
man, barring the fez, might have been that
OF an American, and his Circassian cream
colored complexion was such that he would
Lave passed unnoticed In crowd In New
York. This man was the khedive of Egypt
He Is. Judge. about five feet six inches in
height, and he does not weigh more than one
hundred and fifty spounds He is rather
tieshy than thin, his frame being wei
rounded, his head large, and his fea
lures clean cut. He has a nose slightly
inclined to the Roman. His forehead is high
and the dark brown eyes which shine out
from under II change from the grave TO tn,
smiling during his conversation. He is plair
and simple in both his habits and dress. Hs
shook Colonel Cardwells hand cordially as b,
entered and upon the consul general present
Ing me as an American citizen, he EXTENDED
his hand to me- and told me he was glad I,
see me, and was
GLAD TO HAVE AMERICANS
come to Cairo. He then walked across tn,