The Portland daily press., 1895-06-13

Financial disaster overcame Mr.. Coyle
and he was obliged to alter his mode of
livelihood several times In 1891 he in
terested Claude P. johnson, then we'll
to-do young newspaper writer and bust
ness man at Pomona, in his cherished
scheme, and, after weeks of talk and
much study of maps and the mass of in
formation that Mr.. Coyle had gathered
on the subject of Egypt and the Soudan,
they decided to start for Cairo, and then.
with capital that johnson was to furnish.
to go up the Nile enter the Soudan, after
months had been spent in getting ready
for the hazardous expedition. The late
James W. Scott of The Chicago Herald
agreed to pay $500 for each letter that
johnson should send for publication from
the SOudan. and there were similar agree
ments for like service from other Ameri-
can newspapers
johnson and Coyle went to Cairo in
everything prepared for their expedition.
When they got to Egypt they found that
it was utterly impossible to go up the
Nile, or, indeed, to proceed for any dis
tance from Cairo, because of the cholera
that was ravaging that region. The au-
thorities threatened immediate arrest
and punishment if the laws against going
out into .the Arab districts were disc
beyed. Six months were spent in wait
ing in Cairo for a favorable time to move
up the river, but it ..all came to naught.
The travellers came back to Pomona, and
from that time to this Coyle has been as
busy as ever planning another trip to
Cairo and an expedition from there up
the Nile to Berber, and thence to the Sou
dan. He has been running hotel here.
Every dollar that he could save has been
laid aside for the purpose of the expedi
tion.
"'I don't want to tell just now," said
he, who has agreed to go with me to
Cairo and will furnish, the thousands of
dollars that will be necessary to carry out
the plans | have developed. will say
only that the man who will accompany
me to Egypt is a rich bachelor, native
of the SOudan and the son of millionaire.
He has been stirred in the last few weeks
by reading in the newspapers of the mar
yelOuS escape of Slatin Pasha from slavery
at Omduerman, in the Soudan, and now
ALL to go on an expedition to rescue Neu-
feldt, or at least to carry aid to the
unfortunate man in his dreadful condi
tion. Slatin Pasha has told the news
paper correspondents that there are seven
of the officers who were captured by the
Mahdi in 1884 who are now alive in slav-
cry He has said that he knew my friend
and saw him once in awhile in Omduer-
man, where DR.. Neufeldt wore heavy
iron collar about his neck and went
| about weighed down with chains.
"You want to know about how am
| going to get into the Soudan and how
can aid Dr. Neufeldt? Well can't tell
you all would like to. You see, there
must necessarily be some things kept
secret in attempting to execute plans such
as 1 have formed for the Soudan expedi-
tion If our plans should get to Cairo
ahead of us, it might cause obstacles to
be put in our way. I made great blum
der four years ago in telling some report
ers in New York of my plans before. we
Alexandria the British and French offic-
ers knew all about our errand and had
plenty of objections and excuses to put
in our way Briefly, however, our plans
are as follows: We will have fund of
$40, 900 at our disposal. That will be a
fair starter. I was with Stanley for a
few days over in Cairo, and have some
ideas about the equipment of an expedi-
tion in the heart of Africa. Herbert Ward,
now of the Soudan and a former lieuten-
ant under Stanley, has agreed to furnish
me all the information and advice he can
give Some time between this and July
we shall start from New York for the
Soudan There we will consult with sew
eral of my former army comrades who
have lately been in lower Egypt and learn
from them some additional facts as to the
military situation in and about the Sou
dan. We shall prepare good part of the
weapons merchandise, utensils, and a
thousand and one matters in Soudan.
Some time in September we shall sail for
Alexandria, going thence to Cairo, where
we mean to fit out our expedition up the
Nile. I have been in correspondence with
several hardy young men in Cairo who
| are desirous of joining the expedition, and
l think they will serve us well because
| they have become accustomed to life in
the terrible heat of Southern Egypt and
know the topography of Khartoum and
| that region as well as any white men.
There is vast amount of detail in con-
notion with an effort such as we are going
| to make that must be attended to in
| Cairo before we embark for our long trip
up the Nile. 1t will take us several
months to attend to that alone.
'tDo I think we will be stopped by the
British military authoritiesP No; because
found out four years ago exactly what I
must do to avoid hindrance by the British
officers, and am going to act upon that
information. While we may not get to
Omduerman, where Neufeldt is captive,
we may send him certain messages that
will answer our purpose just as we'll My
companions in the expedition will go
largely for the glory there will be in it
in case we are successful, but I am lin
spired only by a zeal to keep my VOW to
the best man I ever knew, and to do
what the British Government has shame
f11l1v left l1ndOne for a. decade ,,