Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-04-18
&C. C. Young.)
.

A paftlal review OF what l nave seen
and the present status of this very an
Gent land viii be sufficient and OF
more popular interest. Under the
Ptolemies, Egypt is said TO have had
twenty-five million people. but in 179s
Napoleon found only a fraction over
two million. Though the last census
shows a population of nearly ten
million, which is a decided increase
In one hundred years and is more
dense population to the square mile
than any country, even in Europe. The
fertility of the soil Is the explanation
Of the density of population. and the
prediction of the people here now is
that in twenty-five years Egypt will
again have her twenty-five million. We
first landed on this historic soil at Al
exandria, situated near the mouth OF
the Nile on the sea. The city was laid
out by Alexandria the Great, 1872 B. c..
by pouring meal on board and with
his fingers drew the plan Of what he
intended to be the capitol of the world
and thus perpetuate his name. Alex
andria has been large city for nearly
two thousand years and now has pop
ulation of 100000, and the approach to
| it by the sea shows a magnificent har-
Dor. Where the ancient light house,
Pharos, stood, one of the seven Won
ders of the old world, now stands a
modern beacon light to ships which
is perhaps the largest on the Mediter-
ranean coast.
Many people famous in life, anG
some as much so as its founder, have
lived in Alexandria. In the early days
of its history and in Roman times
it was the real capitol of Egypt and
the great lives and the trade Of the
Orient passed this way. Ptolemy who
was the founder of that system of as
tronomy which bears his name lived
here; Hypatia, whom Charles Kins
sley has immortalized was once lee
turer in the schools of Alexandria; APP
pollos and Barnabas who were the
companions of Paul in his missionary
Journeys once lived here and no doubt
had heard the celebrated Pnilo in the
schools; and greatest OF all this was
the home of Mark, the writer Of one
of the four gospels, and the church
which he founded Is still called the
Egyptian Koptie church. And of
course all careful students of history
will know that Alexandria was tn
home of some of that famous line OF
women called the Cleopatras, the
Greek beauties and women of daring
- kol,a
Mark Anthony and Caesar, Alexan-
dria has always been a free city, as
this was the policy of the founder, and
people come from every nation in the
Orient here. 1t is even true today, and
here we meet Greeks, Turks, Arabs,
Black Nubians, Italians, French Ger
man, English, and all the others. Such
a mixture and yet there is a fairly
good government.
From this place we 90 by train up
the Nile one hundred and fifty miles to
Cairo. the largest city in Egypt, hav-
ing a population of over five hundred
Thousand people. Here we see the
same mixture as before. but more of
the official class because Cairo is
now the capitol of Egypt The Khedive
Of Egypt is of the royal line of kings
who have ruled Egypt for thousands
of years, and, strange to say the place
where he now lives Cairo is only about
twenty miles from the old Memphis
where lived Menes the first morUa,
king of Egypt. AS to the present king
or Khedive, it can be said he is an &C
tive young man and is in favor with
his people. He drives in open carriage
to and from his office every day, and
many drives of the city, but of course
the usual military escort is with him.
It is a matter of history that Moham-
ct came into Egypt from Persia and in
troduced that system OF religion and
there are now about four million Mo
hammedans in the land; but l am
glad to state that the ruling king or
khediye has never taken but one wife,
though Mohammedan law permits him
to have four Cairo is well governed,
and the police system is more like
army work than regular police. in fact
of the soldier is law in all difficulty
and / never feel afraid on the streets
day or night because can usually find
a soldier; and though an Egyptian ne
can nearly always speak a little Eng
fish or French. One experience I near
had in the guard house, will suffice
r illustration Mrs. Young and had
zen to the pyramids and phinx and
the edge OF the city were returning
J a carriage when our coachmen was
-ccosted by soldier and told not to
drive so fast aroun the corner; but
the coachman gave him some saucy
reply. Then the fat was in the fire,
and the soldier took the horses by the
bride and led US and coachman into
police headquarters. On the inside
there were about fifty men with guns,
and Of all the talking, and 1 suppose
"cussing," / ever heard it came off in
great shape. Neither OF us got ex-
cited, as 1 told Mrs. Young to sit still
In the carriage. / could find none of
them, strange to, say, who could talk
any thing but their own tongue and
sent for superior officer who coulu
speak English. He came at once, l
saluted him, said that we were Ameri-
can citizens, that we could not prevent
our coachman from insulting sol
der, and that it would be good pdan
to take his number and let him drive
us to our hotel. It suddenly dawned
on him that he could do this and the
whole affair was finished Sd far as
we were concerned. But ne whole
affair illustrates very plainly hat the
soldier has a large bump Of dignity