The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-02-05
FOR CAIRO.
American Makes Generous Offer
to Khedive of Egypt.
OFFERS TO PAY EXPENSES.

Ex-Consui Frederick c. PenfeId Will
ing to Bring Shaft Of Rameses From
Upper Egypt to caPitaI-Savants
May Oppose, Though Acceptance L.
Deemed Probable.
Frederick CORTLAND Penfield. for
merly United States consul general at
| Cairo, who recently married Mrs. An
ME Weightman Walker. daughter ana
| heiress of the late NJ. Weightman,
the great manufacturing chemist OF
Philadelphia. has been spending the
winter ia Egypt with his bride and
within the last few weeks has made a
generous offer to his highness the
hedive and the counc of ministers OF
the Egyptian government. Mr.. Pen
field proposes Ito give proof of my In
| terest in the capital of his %highness-
wherein l dwelt severa years and
where l have many valued friends
| by Offering to defray the expense Of
transporting from upper Egypt and
re-erecting at Cairo an example of the
glory of ancient Egypt In the form Of
an obelisk."
The British capital, on its Thames
embankment. has a splendid specimen
Of this expression of Egyptian art, the
French capital has an obelisk standing
In its most important square, Rome
has foul or five, while the capital OF
the Ottoman empire is enriched by an
ever greater number aiken from the
land of the Nile. The last OF these
monuments to leave the land of their
creation was presented to the city of
New York by a former khedive.
'"For years 1t has seemed to me an
anomalous fact" continues Mr.. Pen
field in his letter to the khedive, that
the capital Of the and of obelisks, the
metropolis of the continent and the
unrivaled winter resort of cultured
Europeans II Americans should he
less favored han the capitals and
great cities herein named. To play
even a small part in placing In Cairo
It's logical home-an obelisk of impor
tance would afford me great happiness
and therefore | beg to make the offer
in brief terms to defray the total cost
Of transporting and r~e-ercctinS In a
conspicuous place In the capital the
obelisk of RameSes the Great. now
standing. with pedestal and part of its
shaft covered with soil, near the py-
lons of the temple of Luxor
81 am fully aware hat the project
may arouse the opposition of savants
and archaeologists in Europe and else
where and that their cry of 'desecra-
ton would find vociferous expression.
But i fail to comprehend how con
scientious objection car be made to
the obelisk's removal from upper
Egypt. where Ii can be viewed only
by a few hundred persons each winter.
to the nations capital, where the
Masses, not only visitors from all
countries. but h enormous native
population as well. may see 1t daily IN
their goings and comings. If his pro
/ posal be favorably entertained | shall
beg that the task of removal may be
executed under the supervision of such
engineer officers and representatives
of the Service des Antiquities as the
Egyptian government may assign to
the work 1t would be my wish to
have the obelisk placed either in Alb
din square or upon the space in front
Of the Khedivial Opera House. But
the choice of site / should be willing
to leave wholly to the government Of
his highness.
II feel that I am well enough known
in Egypt. through having for years
sentative of the American government
to have my bona fides at this time
well understood. and be- to assure