The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
LOCOMOTIVE FOR KING MENELTK.
Hu &c Toy Dragged From the Coast to
Amuse Him.

Amuse Hin.
The announcement that all obstacles,
principally political, to the completion
Of the railroad line from Jibouti on the Red
Sea to Adds Abeba In the heart OF Abys-
sinia has led Hughes lie Roux, a French
traveller and writer. to tell the story Of an
extraordinary feat that was performed
for the entertainment OF King Menelik
in 1904. This was the transportation Of a
locomotive engine from the coast to Meme
Xix 3 capital by human force. NJ. LIE Roux
says he was the only European,present when
the barbarian despot first beheld the great
machine.
After the first plans for. the railroad
were accepted by the King, somewhere
about 1895, there was a long hiatus. Years
passed by and the construction of the road
and the arrival Of the great steam horse"
seemed as far away as ever. 1t got on Meme
lk's nerves like a chIld's desire for a toy
and he could think OF nothing else.
Then one Of his oourtiers, one Serkis,
proposed that he should go to Europe, buy
a locomotive and transport 1t 10 the capital.
The Negus pointed out the forests, the
mountains, the rivers that the machine
would AVE to traverse. Serkis insisted
that the chiefs OF the tribes inhabiting the
country could and would furnish all the men
necessary. He staked his head on carrying
out the project.
BE it So said Menelik.
Serkis went to Europe and there fell In
with a Russian engineer officer named
Babitcheff, whom he sent ahead to open a
temporary route for the locomotive to fol-
low. Babitchef set all the energies Of the
native tribes to work, and for 25O miles a
temporary roadway was constructed in
which ravines were spanned, mountains
crossed, jungles cleared and forest trees cut
down.
1T was on May Is, 1904, says VI. lie Roux,
@that / received a gracious invitation from
the Emperor to join the cortege which was
starting to meet Serkis. nell took the
road with all the adornments Of a pleasure
party. / have never seen so many horses
caparisoned with silver, mules covered with
splendid saddle cloths, so many silken
hoods and cloaks bordered with purple.
All the functionaries, eager to stand well
with the Emperor, were in the cortege.'
As they were to be four to five days afteld
they took full camp equipage along. The
Emperor alone had 700 to 800 woman cooks,
each one riding a mule and having a soldier
to guard her.
On the morning Of the second day out, on
the borders Of Lake Kilole, the Emperor re-
ceived news that the locomotive was near by.
He took his station on a hilltop facing a
ravine the slope OF which seemed to reach to
a level with the sky.
He wore the big hat OF gray felt ined
with green, In which he is generally pictured.
Every one else had a smaller gray hat, un-
lined. Menelik kept his telescope TO his
eve, watching the crest OF the gorge over
which the great toy was to appear. The
moment he saw lie Roux he exclaimed:
Il nope YOU have brought your camera.
I desire a memento OF this meeting"
lie Roux had a small camera slung on a
strap, and he took up a favorable position
for q snapshot. He goes on: =,
AT last there came to US the confused
chanting OF thousands OF men. Then they
came ~trooping down the dusty. track that
had been cleared over the hill. They
dragged the engine behind them by cables:
Others behind prevented its too rapid
descent. First or all came a crowd OF
slaves carving two maRnifcent ELEPHANT
saddles, a present which England sent
from India 70 the 'Fing OF KinRs.'
Next came extra wheels and other parts
carried by porters. The men seemed
intoxicated With a sort Of religious fervor
as, singing. they approached and marched
past the Negus. There were thousands
Of them. Every province had Furnished
It's contingent, and when the forced labor
Of each lot was completed many fell in
behind the procession and kept on to the
end OF the tourney.
An Ethiopian banner nnttered above
the CTOWus IL was ttStohosA w viz DN
OF the locomotive. When the big machine
appeared at last at the summit OF the gorge,
a terrific shout rent the air. h EN-;
peror stood up. took a step forward n
made a gesture OF salutation.
Il thought II would he bigger" wa his
comment when he saw IL at closer anRe.
Behind the locomotive came Serkis, who
fell 10 his knees at his masters feet, IL
had taken him twenty-ei0ht days TO drag
the engine thither from the coast at Dire
Daona, reaching an elevation OF nearly
5000 feet above sea level.
Locomotives, unfortunately, have their
caprlces as well as despots. Some weeks
later, when tracks were laid at Adds
Aheba, the locomotive refused to operate.
Oil and charcoal we're consumed In vain.
IL wouldn't bulge.
IL took weeks OF o~verhaulinS before
they got the engine going ut last. BY
that time, Menelik had lost interest in u.
4 realize" said he, that We will sec
nothing serious until the real railway
49,. 49,. H..an IfhnaN