The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1902-04-03
Emperor Menelik, Americas
Next Royal Visitor, Will
Bring Savage Mob
With Him,

Menelik, emperor of Abyssinia,
the armies of Italy, is to visit the St.
Louis exposition as an invited guest
of the United States.
Menelik will be the first reigning
sovereign who has ever visited the
United States, and the etiquette in
such matters is consequently not
very well understood. He will travel
with a large retinue and is likely to
bring with him many members of
his numerous family. Menelik has
been constantly under the influence
of white men and is semi-civilized,
but those who have visited his capi-
tai say his attendants are virtually
savages.
AS reigning sovereign Menelik
will be entitled to the most ceremo-
nious reception which this country
can offer. The welcomes and enter
tainments accorded to the Prince of
Wales, to the Duke of Veragua and
to Prince Henry of Prussia will have
to be eclipsed if the requirements of
ceremonious etiquette are fulfilled.
The fact that Menelik prefers butter
to soap as toilet adjunct and al
ways eats his meat raw makes no
difference whatever.
Then there will be the matter of Mrs.
Menelik. There is but one such, Off
cially, but actually there are several,
and Menelik is quite as likely to
bring some of the several as to fetch
along his recognized empress, Taitu.
Abyssinian women do not over
burden themselves with clothes, but
wear every bit of jewelry they can
lay their hands on. whether of silver
or brass or glass.
Though her features are comely,
travellers in Abyssinia say that the
average woman of that country is not
at all the sort of person one would
care to choose as companion. For
one thing, she never washes herself
in all her life, the butter on her hair
grows rancid and emits a peculiarly
pungent odOr, which atfronts the
nostrils when you pass her in the
street, and in her own country
wherever she goes she carries with
her large black cluster of flies con-
gregated on her back.
%#
Those who are lucky enough to see
Emperor Menelik will have the satis-
faction of knowing that they have
been face 10 face with the ruler of the
oldest country on earth, as well as
with the lineal descendent of the
queen of Sheba. In Menelik's capi-
tai they still live the life of 40 CEN
turies ago-the life of biblical times.
The religion of Abyssinia is probably
the most ancient form of Christianity
eXtant, merged with ritual which
reflects the days of King David and
the prophets. The badge of the
country is the lion of Judah, and it's
people are indentical with those read
of in the book of King.
One Of the last persons to see Men,
elk, Heobert Vivian, says of him:
"His face is not so much marked
with smallpox as / had been led to
expect. He is darker than the aver
age Abyssinian, but his features are
not those of negro. His mouth,
however, is quite negroid, and his
thick lips wear an incessant grin, dis
playing large, very white teeth set
loosely together. His small bFown
eyes wore an expression of fatigue,
and what should be the whites OF
them are yellow. His forehead is
narrow, but the upper part of his face
appears to have much character and
kindness. His beard and whiskers
are very close and curly and inclined
to be gray. His voice is soft and
rather oily, without any vestige of
the usual Abyssinian squeak. He
speaks very deliberately, showing
his teeth and tongue and wagging
his head good deal. He makes no
gesticulations with his hands, except
that he sometimes puts his finger
tips together. On the whole, !
should describe his as a rather eccle-
siastical manner"