The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-05

Wise, and its resultant effect upon that
vast territory known to the ancients as
Ethiopia. The barest outlines Of the story
serve to show its possibilities.
Three thousand years ago King Solo
mon whom the catechism still set sforth
as the wisest man of all time, despite his
j Thousand wives, reigned in splendor over
Judea. Sibke tells us of the magnificance
of his court and the glories of his temple
Contemporary with Solomon was a beau
tiful queen who ruled country known as
| Sheba, the present-day Abyssinia In her
capital at Shoa there came to her won
derful accounts of the magnifcence of
Solomon's court. The Queen of Sheba
resolved to go and see for herself these
kingly splendors. 1t was a journey of
1900 miles, but the queen set with great
caravan of camels and courtiers 20 pay
visit to Solomon. In the Bible we read:
For when the Queen of Sheba heard
of the fame Of Solomon, she came to
prove Solomon with hard questions al
Jerusalem, with a very great company
| and camels that bare spices and gold in
abundance, and precious stones; and when
she was come to Solomon, she communed
with him of all that there was in her
/ heart
Solomon, apparently deeply impressed
| by the beauty of the Ethiopian queen,
bade her tarry at his court. She tarried,
for what length of time we are not in
formed, and then "she turned and went
back to her own land, she and her ser
wants" Here the Bible story ends, but
the romance Of the affair is carried to its
cliroaY nv tho opoiapx scrihae of a byScin-
ia and Arabia, who aver that the queen
bore SO nto Solomon and the child was
named Menelik. When young Menelik
was a STRIPPING he was sent to Jerusalem,
where he was educated at his fathers
court. Having imbibed the lore and the
wisdom of Solomon he was sent back to
Shoa where upon the death Of his mother
he became king Of Ethicpia-Menelik l.,
from whom the present Menelik, second
of the name, claims direct descent.
With Menelik 1. there went to Ethiopia
a large retinue OF Israelites Of royal blood
and princely fortune. These people estab-
lished the ruling aristocracy OF the land,
which still sways Abyssinia- The Abys-
sinians of Judean blood said to num-
Der 100000 and they are the masters of
the 100000 Philippians. The Abyssinians
still call their country Ethiopia the other
name having Been conferred upon them as
a ter moi contempt. 1t means "a mix
ture' and apparently refers to the infu-
sion Of Israelitish blood
Such is the story of Menelik's descent.
Those uniformed persons who are won't
TO look upon the Emperor OF Abyssinia
as an ordinary African negro may well
fIoir h. yt>I,x III
ton and payy respect to this potentate Of
such remarkable pretensfons of pedigree;
for whether Menelik is of the house of
Solomon or not, his claim to that distinc-
ton entities him to certain sort of
obeisance.
The ruler of Abyssinia certainly holds
himself dignified monarch. Witness how
he styles himself; Lion, Conaueror of J
the tribe Of Judah, Menelik, Chosen of
God, King of the Kings of Ethiopia
There has been a romance in the life of
Menelik, whose wife, Taoti, is said to be
the power behing the throne. In early
youth Menelik made a journey to Con
dar; there he met the beautiful Princess
Taoti He loved her and she consented
to become his wife. The Princess was in
vited to visit the court of Theodoros. en-
peror of Abyssinia at the time. Theo-
doroS was smitten by ythe charms of the /
princess and married her himself, though |
he considerably gave his own daughter |
TO Menelik as a bride. Menelik never |
ceased to love Taoti. He became a great |
warrior, and was much in favor at the |
court. In course of time Theodoros died, |
by suicide, it was reported. He was sue
naa dnd NV To1ar of III
the widow, married four other men in
succession, but these matings proved I'M
happy. Finally she married Menelik, /
who divorced his first wife to make room
for the woman he loved since his youth.
1t is said that Menelik became the sue
cessor of Emperor John through the in
fuence of Taoti, who possesses great tact |
and diplomacy. The empress is still ac-
counted a handsome woman. though far
past middle life Menelik is now about
50 years of age
In recent years Menelik has adopted
some of the European ideas in dress. He
now wears a hat and shoes. Nearly all
his subjects go bare-headed and barefoot
ed. Taoti it is said is quite vain as to
her apparel While her clothing in gen
eral is of the Ethiopian style, she is fond
of silk stockings. kid gloves and slippers
from Paris. 1t is also mentioned by those
who have had opportunity to acquaint
themselves with the tastes of the empress
that she is fand of French champagne.
The state garb of Emperor Menelik is
made of black leopard's skin and the
skin of blacA-maned lion.
Meneik is distinctly African in physiog-
10 Sc oF !
Modern mechanical services excite his
and he has been known to
spend listening to speech and music from
the photograph. He has admitted the
telephone and the telegraph to his do
but is slow in recommending new
inventions. Recently a great consignment
of machinery for minting coin has been
shipped TO Abyssinia, and Menelik will
make his own money. which heretofore
has been coined in Europe
The mother of Menelik was a beggar
cir lof great beauty whom his father
married when she appeared in his palace
as medicant Being thus of plebien
blood on one side. Menelik does not hold
himself alof from his people. 1t is his
custom at times TO work alongside the
common people at manual labor. teaching
them the use OF modern implements and
machinery. BY his democratic bearing he
has made himself remarkably popular
with his subjects. His army of $4,000
men. equipped with the best guns and
other fighting devices, is splendidly disci-
plined and has wen the wholesome re-
spect of Europe.
ORIGIN OF TROPICAL ULCER.