The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1897-09-04
scr THEM EREE.
Monsieur De Lesseps aud HE o""
whiting of Mshemet All.

/ Monsieur De Leasepa anu MS
whiting of Mshemet All
Monsieur De Lesseps, the builder OF
| the Suez Canal, waC nothing II not PIE
turesque. His somewhat abrupt ana
interesting qualities-for he did every
thing as II 1t were bit OF "play'ac''
ing''-made him very much liked py
the Egyptian pOtentates In the old days
In that country, when the VIII OF tue
pasha was law. Nj. Anatole France, y
new French academician, to whom tue
task has lately fallen of eulogizlns ms
predecessor in the academic ehair-tna'
predecessor having been Monsieur pe
Lesseps-has found some new ahec-
dotes OF the great canal-bullder.
One OF these relates to the time when
De Lesseps was In Egypt Us president
OF a sanitary commission, In 1854. III
this capacity 1t became his duty to III
spect great number OF eOnylcts In the
Egyptian galleys, and among these he
found upward OF four hundred SyrF
ans from Nazareth, all Christians, VINO
had been brought In chains from syria
political prisoners, as the result Oh
toray into that country by lbrahlm
Pasha, the son Of the famous Tleefoy'
Mehemet Ali.
The Nazarenes no sooner found an
Official Frenchman among them than
they began to beseech him to do sohie-
thing to get them free. DE I.eSsep'
had no diplomatic functions whatever
but his heart was touched by the APP
peal. and as he had already become
known to the viceroy, and felt sure
that he had made a favorable impress
sion upon him, he set about procuring
the release OF the prisoners
Mehemet All shook his head when he
had heard De Lesseps plea.
These are my son lbrahim's prison
ers, he said. and could no more
handle him In such a matter than
could handle the lightning
But De LessepS was not % b. put n
in such way lie persisted in his ap-
pllcatlGn, ana as Mehemet had at that
time reasons for wishing to stand well
with the French. he told DE lessr9s
that he would quietly procure The lI5.
Grafton OF 1--we prisoners week until
they We're all free.
He kept his word, ana the Nazarenrs
began 10 be set IN Ia this plecemeil
way. hut presently, when the fact be
came known among the Syrian. II.
LeSsep's doors We're by.slcSrd by The
Pt4ltt IL ~ "a .
prisoners, who b.-sOught him % Use. h..
powerful Influence 10 cuusa thr.r
friends to be Included In the next batch
liberated.
The Frenchman was 50 nearly toru
to pieces By these lmpurtuuIte people
that he resolved make the ract
means OF approaching the ylrcruy tie
had one OF his suits ot ClOthe. liter
ally torn into tattrr4, AMI GA M nrxy
occasion when hr was tp see the vice
roy he wore IT, Mrhrmct was natur.
ally astOulshed AT such Al extg1orLt
uary costume.
What has happeur.. ~ you Mon
s!er le Frauealst' the yic-rpy asked
"Oh, your hIsAness.' answered De-
Lesseps, mo one but yourself la, put
me into this plight. ror In ordering
that those Nazarrur4 should BE- ct free
al the rate OF uve n week, you have Irrt
NE the prey u the tlm.llr. % ta.,s~
who remain In the saIIryL They are
tearing me to pieces, and 80 u Will De-
As long As any are lrtt There wrry
four hundred AMI twelve; your high
Ness, BY computing, can seq how l5ag
must 20 In rags
With Ii all be looked 50 serlou, aal
pIiful that the sirrrpy. aftrr laugh
nE at 50 extraordinary a piece ot dip.
omacy, ordered that all the prisoners
from Nazareth should b. liberated A,
Jnca