The record-union., 1897-04-30
SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE.
Americans Who EXerted influence III
Foreign Courts.
Colonel Mason in the Egyptian Army
and His Friendship for "Chi-
nese" Gordon.

In almost every capital and al nearly
every court of the civilized and unclV-
ilized world there are to De louiio
American men and women playing
role of sufficient importance 10 hiahe
necessary a reckoning with lhell III
dividuality and their influence. oohie-
times the latter is exercised for goou'
while in a few instances It's eHects nav (
been of a contrary character; put III
either case, it has been sulnclenlI9
powerful to require it to be taken INTO
account. 1t would occupy toe much
space and time to describe the means
by which this influence is achieved ana
maintained A good deal, If not most
of it, may be briefly ascribed 10 the
fact that to the reputation for honesty
and frank dealing which the English
speaking races throughout the universe
enioy among other nationalities the
Americans unite a keenness and quick
ness of intellect, a species of mental
smartness. if the expression may be
used, which pertains far more to the
countrymen of Machiavelli and to the
Orientals than to the Anglo-SaXon
This talent which Americans possess
for raising themselves above the com
uality felt in foreign countries has been
brought home recently by the
death at Washington of that gal
liant soldier Colonel Alexander Macomb
Mason, a trusted and loyal adviser and
friend of three Egyptian Khedives in
succession. A grandson of that Gen
eral Macomb who died as General-in-
Chief of the United States Army, Ma
sen took part as naval officer in the
civil war, and after its termination saw
active service in Chile and in Cuba be-
fore making his way to Cairo, where,
along with number of other American
officers, he was employed by khedive
Ismail to reorganize the Egyptian
army and navy. It was while thus en-
gagged that he was brought into con-
tact with General Chinese" Gordon,
and that he should have succeeded in
winning the friendship, the confidence
and the regard Of such a man as this
most eccentric but brilliant and heroic
English officer speaks volumes in favor
of Mason.
A FRIEND OF CHINESE" GORDON
What specially endeared him to Cor
don was his singular modesty, his dis
erection and, above all, his ability to
hold his tongue. Mason was most
quiet and unassuming person; men
have known him several months and
been in almost daily intercourse with
him, and then have learned only
through others of his splendid record in
the Soudan, where he made the first
survey of Albert Nyanza, and where
he co-operated with Gordon in the or
-, e 10
equatorial empire of the Khedive Cor
don was one of the most difficult men
to get along with, and there were days
when he was so excitable and irritable
as to be absolutely unfit for human in
tercourse. No one realized this better
than he did himself, and, being very
fond of Mason. and unwilling to quar-
rel with him, he made an arrangement
which was as characteristic of one
as it was of the other 1t was agreed
that whenever Gordon felt his fits OF
irritability and evaporation coming
on he should hang out of his window OF
above his door a huge battle-ax which
he had picked up in the Soudan, and
that whenever this danger signal
should be put out Mason should give
him a wide berth
The agreement worked splendidly
Mason never betook himself to Cor
don's residence without looking up fol
the battle-aX, and of the latter was ir
sight nothing in the world, not ever
the most pressing official business
could induce him to intrude upon the
privacy of his chief Mason had the
singular faculty of inspiring IN every
body with whom he was brought into
contact the same degree of confidence
that he enjoyed on the part of Gordon
There was no place in the world where
there is such an amount of intrigue as
at Cairo. But although Mason hat
been loyal to Ismail, he stood equally
high in favor with his son and sue