West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-08-29

good place. y good nights sleep
made me fresh and eager for the
real streets Of Cairo.
suppose had gone direct from
America to Cairo, / might have
been oyer-anxious to start out. But
by this time had the wire edge
worn off. However, did get out
pretty early, for didn't have so
very much time to spend here.
Then, too, over at Port Said knew
there must be eight months mail
waiting for me.
1t was about 1880 when | got my
breakfast at a restaurant and stepped
outside, when an old bedouin came
up, speaking very good English. In
these countries you expect every
one who comes up TO you to fleece
you il they can-every one who
comes up is fakir If you are not
ileeced, you are disappointed.
When this old fellow approached
me, dressed in his long blue flowing
gown, | knew what he was going to
say. This is about the way he be-
gan, "Master, anything today l
get you good pony. You Ameri-
can. | like Americans. | do much
business for them. | know the
place and I'll take you to all big
places and not charge you much.
These other fellows will charge you
big money" and so on ad fnitnm.
After questioning the old fellow a
little, concluded to try him. Some
how his "song and dance" rather
appealed to me as having a ring of
commences, but / was not banking
much on it. / made an engage
ment with him for specified sum
for specified time and started out.
All the time he was giving me faith
erly advice about keeping away from
the "bad people," &c. He said
there were some pretty bad people
there, all of which | could easily
believe, at the same time wondering
where he would strike me first. He
pointed out the most interesting
places, and seemed to be doing re-
markably well. By and by, the
time | hired him for was up and
paid him the amount agreed upon,
and to my astonishment he did not
ask for 'backshish" or tip. When
he left me he said he would be back
tomorrow.
lunched and thought / would go
out to the Pyramids. ! went out
through the modern portion of the
city. There are many very fine
business blocks. Some palatial resi-
dences. Hotels that would compare
most favorably with New York no.
tells. Shepherds, for example, the
Oldest and perhaps the best known,
has every convenience anyone may
want. This is the favorite for Eng
lish and Americans. When l was
in Cairo, it was the gayest part of
the season. Almost anywhere you
would look could be seen some
American on li:tle bit of a pony,
or in some store buying souvenirs.
The street car system is very good.
Altogether, | found Cairo quite an
up-to-date and hustling modern city,
very different from what I had i'm
agined. have the first person to
meet who has been there and doesn't
like the place.
The large Pyramids, or the Pyra-
mids of Gheza, are over on the
west of the Nile, back Just on the
raised land and not far from the
fertile land, about IA or Is miles
from Cairo. A fine view of the fer
tile valley and Pyramids can be
gotten from the Citadel, high
hill just back of the city. From
here the Pyramids seem but a short
distance, perhaps two or three miles
away and they don't seem very
large or very rough The fertile
strip on either bank Of the Nile is
the grecnest and most fertile ! have
ever seen. Truck gardens are very
numerous. All over the country
elevators or pumps, run by cattle,
draw up the water for irrigation pur.
poses. Little dirty Egyptian boys
with big long switches, urge the
stupid beast, not to faster steps. but
to keep him from stopping. The
Nile IS spanned by a most substan-
tial steel bridge-one section of
which, in order to allow the vessels
TO pass through up and down The
river at certain times in the day, is
thrown around.
Not far from the bridge is the
station where one takes the electric
tram cars utto the Pyramids. This
iramway has been finished quite re
Gently The price one way is 3
-lIg. ILlslIe.. or In our mnncv