The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-06-14


and His Private Secretary.
wearing yoke belonging to anybody
else. Yokes were not being worn that
season anyway.
One day after he had finished look.
ing over his mornings mail Cheops
called in the assistant king and his
private secretary, intimating that he
desired to carry on conversation with
them.
Boys" says he, as he slammed shut
the door marked Private" and placed
his sandaled feet on top of a small
filing case. what we need here In
Egypt Is some first-class pyramids!
Not any little two by four pyramids,
but good ones. pyramids that'll COM
pare favorably with any that will be
put up anywhere"
He paused moment, scratching his
left tibia with the great toe OF his
right foot and looked at the others to
see how they were taking his sugses-
tlon. They shook their heads doubt.
fully.
"0h, know what you are thinking"
went on Cheops; you're thinking they
won't pay. But tell you I've thought
the whole proposition over and it
looks to me as II we can't ever hope
to draw trade and tourists to Egypt
unless we've got some pyramids to
show 'em. People sort of expect to
see pyramids when they come to
Egypt, and II we haven't got them
they will go away and knock.
ut wouldn't cost so much, either"
he continued refectIvely, as he tossed
the stub OF his Egyptian cigarette into
the waste paper basket.
Lots Of people would kick about It,
though" spoke up the assistant king
hesItatingly. "They will say that we
can get along without them for year
or two and the papers will accuse the
administration of being In with the
stone interests some way"
~ don't care what they think"
snapped Cheops. losing patience. ut
Is a needed improvement and I'm 60
ing to put 1t through. What will Egypt
be thousand years from now without
any pyramids? We've got as good an
all around sphinx as you will find
anywhere, and now If we can put up
some pyramids we'll have an outfit
thatll attract tourists from all over"
He reached into a pigeon hole in his
desk for blue print showing the front
elevation Of the pyramid he proposed
to build. "The thing for US to do" he
added, pointing to the architects
drawing, SIS to issue some 2O.year
pyramid bonds, advertise for sealed
proposals, and get $4,000 or 10000 men
on the Job at once. If we can't get
enough labor at home, wen bring in
some Italians, But above all things
let us put up pyramid that will be
the goods"
Within week Cheops had been
seen by the proprietors OF the lime
stone quarries over at Mokatan, and
the red granite quarrfes down at AS
sawan, on the old narrow.gauge rail-
road.
Mebby Cheops got his and meb5y
he didn't. But those who have had
access to the books of the secretary
to the Pyramid Building Commission
have learned some interesting things.
II is now conceded that practically
as good a pyramid could have been
built for at least $4,000 piasters less
money. 1t must indeed be dIscom-
forting to the heirs Of old man Cheops,
now comparatively wealthy, to know
that the foundation Of their resources
lay In the fact that the taxpayers Of
few thousand years prior to the
Christian era we're doing without
smoking tobacco aud wearing their
underwear two weeks at a stretch in
order to pay pyramid taxes that went
right into the pockets OF Cheops him.
self,
Cheops never attained his full popu-
larlty until after he became a mummy.
Copyright. 1909. by w. G.. Chanman1