The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-07


WAYS prepared for a march. the pockets
Of his clothing being filled with fresh
bread every day. while guns and
swords always stood by the head OF
HE bed, loaded revolvers were in the
holsters and gold coins for expenses
were seNed into his saddles He could
be extremely cruei on occasions, 100.
as the many stories OF his actions show.
Approached al one time by a beggar
VINO admitted that ne had no occupa-
tloh ana had never worked i'm his life,
Aodur kahman said; "On with him "a
7he gallOWs' There Is no room in my
Kingdom Tor such as he," An Intense
worker himself, he despised a drone in
the hiNe. The journal he published a
Few years ago gives an amusing as well
as accurate account OF his daily life,
and IN II he declared that ne never had
moment he could call his own. lie
was inspired by an ambition TO make
MS country great. and yet none knew
better than he the baseness or the ma
terial with which he had TO work.
one OF the most interesting person
ages that ever had free access 10 him
was his English doctor. Miss Lilias
Hamilton. who for years was a member
I OF his court and attended him for all
his ills, which were many and some
times serious. This lady testifies 10 his
general elevation OF character. to his
patriotism and TO his indefatigable la
| bors. How can ] take my ease?" he
often said to her II must work, | must
slave for my country. because no one
else will do IL for her" Miss Hamilton
continues at court as the physician OF
the present ameer Abdur Rahman
was abstemious, sober and industrious,
but he dealt summarily with his enc
mics. Learning that one OF his court
servants had replied when asked what
had become OF one of the ameer's ene-
mics, They are all dead" no at once
sent him 10 join them by the hand OF
the royal executioner. A man who had
alarmed the populace by shouting, The
Russians arc coming" was sentenced
To he imprisoned in cage at one OF the
city gates and shout incessantly, THE
Russians are comingl" being prodded
with hsyonet whenever he ceased
He overcame terrible band OF rob
bers. more than thousand in number
and placed their chiefs in iron cages
| elevated above the city wall. where
they starved to death. their skeletons
remaining as warning against break.
ing the laws enacted for the public
| safety.
Notwithstanding his cruelties. AbduI
Rahman was a wise and i'm some re-
spects lenient ruler and one of the mos,
polished conversationists In Afghan
istan He was always bent upon i'm
proving his mind and always looklne
out for means OF beneflting his king
dom. II Is TO his earnest efforts in
this direction that Afshanistsn has
made such wonderful progress i'm the
past few years. and this advance I:
mainly owing 10 one man besides him
selt--an English engineer, Sir T. s
Pyne-who was allowed by his govern
ment TO place his services at tn
ameer's disposal. One might well ques
tion the wisdom of teaching the AZ
ghans how To manufacture their owl
arms and ammunition, as the British
government did through Mr. Pync bu
the fact that an English engineer intro.
duced and made permanent many in.
dustries To which the country had unit
then been stranger gave Englishmer
and their government prestige thai
! viii be difficult TO destroy. Engineer
Pyne introduced electric lights and
/ power. set mp works for the manufac.
ture of soap and candles. distilleries. q
mint. foundries for great guns and
factories capable of turning out 1906
rounds of ammunition daily. The
amecr was delighted with this wonder
| ful work and gave AIr. Pyne carte