The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-02-25
Mo1zRN NZE 504E5 lslz..zissc.al - 80! =!

For those whose desires lie outside
the beaten track Of globe trotter and
tourist, the upper reaches Of the Nils
offer great inducements. Leaving
Cairo by train. one starts from
what viii one dag be the northern ter
minus OF the great Cape to Cairo"
railway. and travels steadily south
wards over the desert for two days.
Then change is made 10 q Nile
steamer. which southwark. ever
southwark, slowly forges its way
against the current Of that mighty
river whose history goes back to such
remote impenetrabIe ages OF antiquity.
In another two days Wady Halfa Is
isSched. and thence a light military
railway bears the weary and dishev-
sled traveller at length TO Khartoum.
Over 20 years have passed since Cor
don't magnificent defense Of the city
against the Mahdl's hordes and his
tragic fate at the hands of the Der.
wishes. thrilled all England to its
depths. For the following IA years
the town was practically an abandon
cd ruin, the khalifa holding his court
at Omdurman. on the other side OF the
river. Then, with the reconquest Of
the soudan By Lord Kitchener. In
1898. everything was changed. and
Khartoum arose proudly from It's ruins
70 be once more the capital OF that
vast desert empire whose resources
are as yet hardly realized and are alb
solutely nadeyeloped. The old palace.
where the great general met his death,
Was merely ruined she'll. haunted.
- the superstitious natives averred.
By his uneasy spirit. so II Was decided
20 erect q new palace wherein the sir
Gar and bis retgnue might be fittingly
housed. On the site OF the former
building arose the Gordon college. a
really fine educational institution.
Since then have risen in rapid success
sion & military hospital, an English
church and hotel. with lines Of bar
racks and officers quarters dominat-
ing the quaint huts and low narrow
baznars which constitute the native
city.
in the summer months It Is said OF
Khartoum BY those who have the mis-
fortune to remain there that had
Dante visited It he would have added
another canto to his Inferno" only
the opinion is generally expressed ia
language more terse than polite. The
thermometer stands at l22 degrees
IN the shade, and the pitiless sun
blazes down on the hot glaring desert.
varied By periodical sandstorms. when
the wind whirls down on the unhappy
place with terrific violence, burying
everybody and everything under 3
layer Of choking sand. In addition, all
she myriad descendants OF that swarm
Of flies who constituted the fourth
plague Of Egypt lead one to fervently
aympathlze with the unfortunate sub
iects OF King Pharaoh.
But with the month Of October a
change comes Ger the scene. The
mercury gradually falls until ii
reaches IS degrees or 80, freshness
creeps into the dry bFacing atmoa-
phere, the nights become cooler and
more restiui, aud the season ls as
hand. Those lady members Of the
English colony who have betaken
themselves to Cairo. Alexandria, Of
even England, return, like birds to
their nests, for the feminine element
during the hot weather consists solely
OF the missionaries and couple Of
enforcedly stoical army medical sis
ters. The quaint curiosity shops in
the bazaar furbIsh up their goods, the
English church holds on Sunday 9
fair-sized and smarklx-dressed congre
cation. the hotel shoss signs Of life
and finally. with grand flourish o.
trumpets the Sirdar and Lady Win
gate arrive, take up their abode IL
the psiEra and another season hal
begun.
Both the Sirdar and his wife are i'm
mensely popular. and contribute no
q little to the gaiety Of the city b
entertaining frequently and giving !
succession Of dinners. danceg and gar
den parties throughout the season
Their entertainments, too. have any
thing but the stin. formal air which
usually characserizes Official gather
inxs, ana their dinner parties are es
peclally popular. The guests arriv.
IA the little donksy-carriages knowE
- arabeahs. which constitute thl
eAisf mode Of lecomotIoa ia Khar