The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1900-07-27
LAND OF THE SPHINX
ECYPT.AcoUNTRY or STRANGE
CONTRASTS.
where tho implements OF rharaohs
Time Ma, Hc Seen from Modern
Train's window The Cradle OF ~ 4
nisation. "a

Probably the average American
looks upon Africa as dark continent
In everything even In railways says
"a returned westernor. Yet the fact u
that the Egyptian railways are better
run than many American ones. The
railway that runs from Alexandria 20
upper Egypt Is one after which many
American railways might pattern II
ls O doublc-track road. u has heavy
steel railg. The trnck Is wcll BALLAST
cd 10 has an elaborate system OF sis
nal towers and pneumatic switches
Much OF its roadway is lined WITH
heavy cut stone masonry pIr1pets. lu
station platforms are also built OF cut
stone masonry. It, station buildings
are Of stone. its bridges and other
yiaducts are of steel lts trains run
smoothly and swiftly. averaging %
miles an hour There are many cross
ings In which the railway Is carried
over the roadway on steel yinducts;
the few grade crossings are guarded
boy gates. with gltokcopcrs. Signal men
with flags stand at an switches. sta
tons and crossings Altogether the
equipment and operation OF tho road
are admirable. For hundreds OF miles
this modern railway Zoos through the
fertile FIELDS Of Egypt most incongru-
Gus amid the primitive methods OF
hushandry to be- noted there
For MS the express trains whirl and
shrl.I t,v.t al. t,IIlr,s F.IfuhanV Ia tho
hclda you see that they are using the
same primitive implements that their
furofathcrs used when Pharaoh reign.
ed. They sim pillow with a simple wood.
en- implement hauled by patient buf'
filo oxen. They still labuhously liil
water with sweep to the
head level Of irrignting bitches
They still use the sicilc rs
they did In tho days when
Ruth followed tho rclpnrs Of Boar
And they sull carry their bundles OF
fodder upon the backs Of patient asao1
or. In default OF asses backs. upon
their own
or course. all agriculture In Egypt Is
not on such rudimcntary lines. Rich
men and corporations own land n.
well as fellahoon peasants. and many
tall chlmneys testify TO the existence
OF pumping works. Then. too, tho
Egyptian government has damned th'
Nile at an enormous cost and Ia en-
/ gagged In other water storage scheme
that will enlarge the narrow strip %
irrigated land on either bank OF N,
| great river and thereby enlarge the re-
sources OF this wonderful country.
To talk OF It's temples lis pyramids
It's ruins and It's dead cities would b
| telling iwice-told tales But no mar
can gaze on this fiat ana fertile rive
valley without being amazed az ID
/ productivoness. ! have been shown Ii
Virginia worthless lands which TN
wastcfil Anglo-Saxon had exhauste,
| by two centuries Of tobacco-raising
hut here In Egypt ! sce fields still a
fertile ms when the fret dynasty be
gan. although they have been titled 10
1000 years.
Some historians believe that Egyp
was the cradle OF our Aryan clvliiza
ton Here. they say. nomadic ma'
paused at the great river when wan
derlng from Arabia-Folix into Africa
Gradually those Tired OF wandering set
tied upon the fat and Juicy banks o
| the Nile river and began a ftful hus
bandry of the soil. Gradually village
grew up and thrift brought peace an,
prosperity. The rich lands were dl
yided among the villagers This wa
the beginning OF real property. Tn
property boundaries were annually OBJ
liberated by the rise OF the Nile: rogu
lations were made TO settle dispute
concerning them; this was the begin
ming OF law. Wise men among the VII
layers observed that the sun. moo
and stars had much to do with the vol
ume OF the Nile mood: this was the be
ffsnlng OF astronomy. Tho simple
villagers looked with av' upon thes
wise men who spent t.ei' time com
munlng with the stars. his was IN
beginning OF the priesthood.
The priests soon claimed super