Evening star., 1907-11-09

now train d. luxe connecting Nharroum
with Wady HE'.a. aud tu,S las both
, sleeping and dining cars
Sudan Sleepers and Diners.
The sleepers are divided MP tat, go.n-
partmants about seven feat a,rare " tn
two her 5 30 each compartment. There IS
an g.s!e firm witch tie -lp1r.u ms re
entered. running along the Re ef ,ha 81.
and the compartments ar l.rse enough
lighted by electricity.
20 enabla one to have a wicker saa.~ In
them. in a !dttiou - f'.- herrEs E.r.
lit room has an el'"fr.. ia4 tal I-
The dining car service is good ana cont
paTat.vely cheap. The m-a' consist of
cup OF tea and Some crackers. brougI-
in 10y a Nubian porter at dayhr ak. q
breakfast in the dining ear at : u'clo. h.
table hote luncheon at l and a dinner
along in .e evening.
l have sept hIe notes Of one luncheon
and dinner. The lunch consisted of mara-
roni with cheese, broilnd squars. Y g
! tahie oysters, lamb chops and fried pota-
toes, salad. preserved peaches. oranges
and apples and cup Of Turkish coffee.
The dinner D. Ean with SOUP and fish.
These Were followed by salmi OF p geon.
some spinach. roast chicken and fried po-
tatoes, a salad assort-d preserves. fruit
and coffee. The breakfast cost 30 cents.
the lunch Sl20. the dinner $l.5O and the
afternoon tea 30 cents. My b!ll not
presented until the end of the trip. BY
averaging it | find that my eating cost
me So piastres, or $40 per day The
rates on that road also are dear. During
ordinary seasons the first-class passage
costs SO for the five hundred and odd
miles or between and I cents mile.
When the tourist season begins the
charges are raised to $50 one way 10
S10h for the round trip. This is over
cents per mile.
In riding over the Sudan military road
we stopped for time at Athara. whore
the Black Nile from Ahyssinia flows into
the main stream and where Is tn" famous
bridge built by Americans upon orders
given by Gen. Kitchener The contract
was first offered to the English. but they
were not able to build the br!dgH in the
time required. and the Amcric ms took
the job and finished It. Atbara is now
one of the railroad division points and
it is where the road across the desert to
the Red sea branches off. AS we stopped
at the station our engine struck me as
being familiar | walked to the front Of
the train and examined it. Sure enough,
1t was a Baldwin. and with the name
philadelphia standing out in the fun
blaze OF the Nubian sun, a few moments
later. as | was crossing the Black Nile
over the steel bridge which our builders
put up | felt that l was not so far from
home after all. l was being hauled by
an American engine over an American
bridge. and that in the heart of the Nu-
up the Nile The thought makes one proud
Of our American mechanics and of Amer
lean enterprise.
Where the Queen Of Sheba Lived.
About 100 miles south Of Atbara we
stopped at Shendi, where the Queen OF
Sheba is said to have lived. This is a
station on the east bank of the Niie'
about five hours more from khartun'
It is a considerable town with railroad
shops. about which are great plies OF steel
ties such as are used In the construction
Of desert railways. They are merely
shells Of steel so made that they can De
half buried In tha sand and still hoid the
rails The telegraph poles are also OF
steel, the white ants of this region max,
ing it impossible to use wood for such
purposes. -,
The Shendi of today consists of an old
and new town. The latter has been iaiu
out by the English and 1t has PARK III
the center watared by the Nile. In an
cent Tines there was great city here
It was the capital Of the country ana tne
residence of the Queen OF Shfpa- II Is
said that the queen went from here uoMt
tbe Nile and crossed to Palestine Where
she had her filtration with hlhe Soio,lioll. ni,
The Abvssinians say that she went pach
hy tn. Red sea and stopped In their couh-
try on tn way. While sne was tnere sIe
bore a son. whose father was Soip!lIol c,
and who is the head Of n" line o. kings
which rlIl, Abvssinia today. The MoRam-
,,ei1ans on the other hand, say that the
r,ua.n Of Shcba did not iivt here at an.
9,hay claim that her residence was III
yemen. Arabia and that solomon "enl ~
ths re to visit her. The queen name & &Mds
T,f,I,is She WAS as witty as Sle was
heamtiful, and she gave tine wise solomon
many a ~iadl, which he was puZz tu u
anenar FRANK q CARPEN TEX.