River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-04-28

We are permitted to give the
readers of the JOURNAL thesfollow-
ing letter written by Rev. A. T.
Erickson to his church:
STEAMSHIP DAKAHLIEH,
March 81, 1904.
Enroute to Beyrouth.
Dear Brethren and Friends:-
Egypt is behind and Palestine
ahead. Were it not for the fact that
we must pass medical inspection at
Beyrouth we would land at Jaffa in
the morning and be in Jerusalem in
the evening. But the Turk does
things his own way and so we must
pass our port and come back to it
at an expense (extra) of $1,000 and
two or three days as the case may
be. This medical examination is
required because of some half dozen
cases of bubonic plague at different
ports and places in Egypt. Just
now Port Said is under quarantine.
! may add that travelling under
these conditions requires much
patience-much more than one is
willing to use but must exercise
(because no other way expedites
matters in the least The people
of the East do things one way, their
way, and take their time to do it.
Only one thing can persuade them
to hasten and that is when it means
money in their pocket. Yesterday
l got man to run an errand for
me for Piastres (25c). l did not
pay him until he came back which
made quite certain thing for me.
Egypt is a land of peculiar in
terest. ! feel now as though l
should like to go back to it and
visit again the places have seen
the past ten days. Outside of the
large cities, where there are Euro
peans, the people live as they did
during the reign of the Pharaohs.
They live in small villages, usually
walled in, in low houses made of
sun-dried bricks. Some of the
houses have upper stories but not
many of them.
The people make a picturesque
appearance in their turbans and
fezes and, vari-colored garments.
On closer inspection one is not so
certain of their cleanliness; this
does not apply to all natives, the
better classes in the cities have
good homes, dress we'll and appear
neat and clean. Alexandria and
Cairo in the European quarters do
not differ materially from the cities
of Europe. Both these cities have
excellent street car (electric) SER
vice and you car ride anywhere in
the city for 2H cents; their streets
are we'll lighted with electric and
gas lights, have good stone pave
ments which are kept clean. In
the native quarters the streets are
very narrow, often not any wider
than the alleys of our cities, these
are thronged with people; buses
and carts are mingled together in
true oriental fashion.
Cairo has fine park in the centre
of the city which is not free how
ever, fee of one-half piastre or
IN cents in our money, is collected
at the entrance. Cairo has also
very fine geological garden, entrance
fee piastres or 10 cents, except on
Sundays when S piaslres or Is cents
is the admission. A band plays
this day hence the extra charge.
Cairo has no Sunday, all shops and
places of business are open except
possibly some of the European
places. The Mohammedans keep
Friday and they are the majority.
The Copts or Egyptians, adherents
of the orthodox Catholic church,
have their worship on Sunday as
do also the other sects of course
But these are minority and tn,
fact that they keep Sunday would
make no difference with the life o
the city.
The soil is productive. l have
seer very good barley, wheat, fax
aid some oats.
l have not time now to speak of
Egypt's historic landmarks further
than to say that the pyramids l
have visited at Gizeh and Sakkarah
are very interesting indeed and i'm
Dress one with the power exer-
cised on the ancient mind in the be-
lief of immortal life. The pyra-
mids, temples and tombs are won
derful and must be seen to be ap-
preciated. The other day l looked
into the mummy face of the Pharoah
that knew not Joseph" the man