The Portland daily press., 1893-11-10
NABoBs FROM THE MIDWAY.
The Money these People VIII take away
Will Make them Rich at Home.

Milksand honey will flow, and there
will be feasting and rejoicing in many
lands of the Orient this winter. The
people of the Midway are going home,
and they are taking with them an
amount which, added to what they have
already sent, is estimated to approximate
S1,000,000 If any man doubts it let
him go into the banks and tourist agen-
cies which deal in foreign exchange and
money They have been besieged the
last two days by Egyptians, Copts
Franks, Arabs, Turks, Hindoos, Sinalese
Nubians, Japs and Syrians with wads,
bundles and bags of money to be changed
into coin that passes current in their far
away homes
Ii any man wishes to see an exhibition
OF Oriental grief and rage let him be
there when out of the money offered the
receiving clerk throws back lead guar
ter or counterfeit bill. The bland peo-
pie on the Midway, who managed to sell
visitors piasters worth four cents for So
were game for people who wanted to
shove bad money. They got leaden sill
yer pieces, bad limitations of United
States currency notes, and bills issued by
the Confederate government or State
banks which died thirty years ago. How
much they got cannot be estimated.
Capt. Porter of the United States Secret
Service, VINO heard of it yesterday after
noon, began an instant investigation. He
does not believe the amount is great. At
the banks where the money was changed
it is thought the sum total is q mere
drop compared with the good money the
Midway people are taking away.
Itswas a curious sight to see them come
in. The first arrival Tuesday was a
donkey boy from Cairo street. From
some remote corner of his flowing robes
he produced battered cloth, and un-
rolling it, dumped $40 in silver OH the
counter.
Let me have French francs for it, he
said, through the interpreter. A camel
driver followed who wanted ST, 900
changed. Along in quick succession
came all Arab who bought draft for
81, 500 on Beyrout, a Turk, who had
10, 600 to transfer, Persian dancer with
a fortune OF 81, 500 in American silver,
and Nubian soldier, who unrolled 5000
in bills. All day Tuesday and yesterday
they came with money in every imagina-
BILE receptacle.
The elderly Egyptian who sold piasters
worth four cents for coins of 300 B. G. for
81 each, planked down several hundred
dollars in bills and asked for French
Napoleons Devout Turks, who had
spared the timessfrom theirsdevotions to
sell something, had Jumps of bills to
turn into gold.
1t was spectacle that inspired Major
Hutchinson to remark that thesglory of
the Orient had returned. What he meant
was this: In Egypt an income of twenty
francs a month is deemed sufficient to
keep family and allow margin for
saving. The unmarried man with an
annual income of SIS is considered
great catch.
street arrives home with his $500 what
vii! he do? Buy palace?" was asked
Major Hutchinson.
He will be marked man among his
people: He may not buy palace, be-
cause he is as like as not to have half
dozen wives. The money he takes home
will keep them a long, long time. The
praises Of Chicago will be sung in many
lands this win ter, because hundreds of
families in the Orient will be in plenty
with what their fathers have earned in
trade and received in back sheesh. We
have been sending people home for a
month. Forty destined for Turkey,
Egypt and Arabia leave in LIE Bretagne
next Saturday. Those who remained
uutll uHc ldSU Jake nome Gno most
money. 1t has been accumulated by
them all summer. We see it now for
the first timen
The Oientals who are going home are
leaving little of their money behind.
Some of the Syrians have bought first
class guns and pistols. When they gall
lop over the desert on their fiery chargers
they will shoot Remingtons and Colts
in the air, instead OF the rusty flint lock
muskets with which their friends who
stayed away from the Fair are armed.
Half dozen of those Egyptian donkey
boys, who are taking. home Independent
fortunes, are going in style befitting
their changed conditions. They have
purchased American clothes literally of
South Clark street second hand dealers.
The Nubians have invested in scented
hair oil and mirrors. The Turks have
bought jewelrJ
They will be bowling swells among
their people," said Major Hutchinson.
"They have been treated here with re-
spect they were totally unused to- I ex-
pect to hear of trouble on the Nile when
the donkey boys get back and find that
with Europeans familiar with Egypt they
are simply donkey boys. Why, some Of
them were taken riding in carriages this
summer -tJhicaO Trihune