New-York tribune., 1890-06-05
UORLD,S E4LR TTRACTLONS

We trust thl. Chicago Will take il kindly II
We again congratulate her on proposed detail
Of her Worlds Fnir-this time on the excellent
prospect Of her securing Clcopa,ra'S sorcopfaguS.
As we understand it, few good sarcophaHl are
very desirable 10 have about an international eA-
position. They are cheerful, and lend variety 10
the scene a Cardiff giant would attract large
crowds. but an Egyptian sarcophagus will alone
hold the attcLtion Of the grave and stndlous.
With Clcopotras slrcophagus exhibited in the
main building without extra charge, the success
OF the fair ought 10 20 assured
But Chicago has not yet got this particular
sarcophagus. II is still in Fsypt and the mer-
ccnary owner. one Alexander Tocliafcrro. wants
the cxorbitant price Of $50 900 tor it on hoard the
cars M Alexandria Taglafcrro does lot poy the
freight. He can never BE- Licutcnant-Goycrnor Of
Fqypt. How this man Taalialcrr0 happens TO
have Clcopatra's sarcophogus we are not told.
lie mentions having discovered II IN Caesars camp
near town. but what ~ lht that gives him 70 II
is not clear unless the Egyptian laws allow
man 10 dig for sarcophag wherever the lndlca-
tions are good. and 10 own and dispose OF all he
finds Indeed, this is probably the case, as ne
speaks Of paying certain public dues. which would
.ccrn ., indicate that the thrifty Egyptian Gov
,ruucut imposes tax on sarcophasI mines.
We NAV well believe tnIs when we remember
that. according to the account Of a well-knowh
American traveller whose word has never been
doubted except on ono or two unimportant pointe
we refer 10 Mr Mark Twain mummies OF the
early settlers are regularly used for tuel on me
Tcypfi,u railway locomotlvcs-whcn the IRE gets
low from too protiactcd uSe OF pcbeians, the
engineer calls out 80 " pass along another KING
Doubtless Mr. 1neliotcrIo came honestly D" MS
sarcophagi but the ncAt question whlch afI''s
,, Is It genuine: Is he Sure ne sunk ms smart
- ,be rirbt locality? j. it the Original Package
MIR Tacllafcrro sends word that the skeleton Is
s,u intact and contained IN the sarcophaGus
We need not call Mr.. Taghafcrros attention 70
the serious trouble encountered 10y Brown, OF
Calaveras. after digging mp the wrong SCI OF
bones We should hate 10 hear of the Chicago
rgvntoloqical Society ever being broken mp over
, discussion Of Clcopatra's alleged bones, as was
the Society on the Stanisiaus over Browns dis
coyerv. MI Tagliafcrro sends photograph oi
his sorcopbngus and from IT Chicago EGyptolo-
yists may he able 10 establish its authenticity,
,bouoh what guarantee have they that the enter
nrisiug Tagliafcrro may not ship them common
sarcophagus of some unknown person who only
lived in the neighborhood and perhaps dd not
have a spea king acquaintance with the famous
oueen? We do not understand that ChlcaSo
ever bought a sarcophasus OF Taglaferro before,
and we believe that he IS not rated at the iner-
camille agencies But that Chicago will have
some sarcophagus seems almost certain, as she
was corresponding about that Of hmcses | when
| Mr. Taglaferro heard of it and offered Cleopatra S
| Az between the two. We should unhcsita,ingly
| advise Chicago 10 take that Of Cleopatra. Ram
| escs / WAS a GOOD mamie had his tailngs as we
| have frequently pointed out, but on the whole
| We have Httle fault TO find with him-but he IS
| not so well known as Cleopatra. II they get
| Ramcscss sarcophagus hundreds Of people will
pausc before it every day and ask if hc a
! creek or a Carthaaenian, but everybody knows
Of Clcopatra Sixty thousand dollars is a good
deal of moncy-thc sarcophaguS comes high, but
| Chicago should have it,