Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-05-17
SlATlN PASHA.
The Austrian Baron Who Is Remaking
the Sudan.

| The tennis party, ] must explain, is
| the fourth of the five stages into
which. Khartum's day is divided.
First stage starts between 5 and 6
o'clock a. m, and consists Of q ride
out into the desert. The next stage.
beginning after bath and breakfast,
| is, for the men, work in their offices
or barracks, and, for the women,
household duties. There is no shop
ping for them to do. That must be
left to the servants Gall native eX-
cept the personal "maids'D. But
everything that native servants do
must be overlooked. They are us
well paid as servants at home. A
good cook will get f5 a month, for
example. But they cannot be trusted
to kerr a house in order as English
servants can.
Third stage is the middle of-the-
day rest. Not many officials do much
after 2 o'clock. From that hour un-
til 4 o'clock English houses are
wrapped in slumberous silence. Those
who are not asleep are reading or
writing. Then, at about 4 o'clock,
the place suddenly springs to life
again. Up to now the hot, wide, dusty
streets and the shady riverfront have
been left to the natives. From 4
o'clock onward there are plenty of
white faces and smart frocks and
hats to be seen. plenty of men in
flannels, with tennis racquets, driv-
ing in neat little carts or riding dom
keys, or even walking after the sun
has gone and the cool breeze from
across the river brings back ones en-
ergy with a refreshing rush.
Final and fifth stage is dinner
dinner under the brilliant stars which
cover the deep blue southern sky, at
table lit by discreetly shaded
lamps There is a frank geniality
around Khartum dinner tables which
leaves a wonderfully pleasant i'm
preston on the mind. Nowhere could
strangers experience greater kindness,
more charming readiness to make
friends. 1t may be because we are in
a Mohammedan country, where hos
pitality is sacred duty enjoined by
the Koran. 1t may be because Khar-
tum is favored with particularly at
tractive people as residents. What
ever the reason, they are, as l can
gratefully bear witness, in a delight
full conspiracy to give their visitors
good time. 1t is an odd experience
to go out to dinner on donkey, but
it is even more unusual to receive
such warm welcomes from people one
has known only a few days and to
find in a far country such interesting,
excellent talk.
After this long digression l turn
to the tennis party where first met
Sir Rudolph Baron Won Slatin Pasha,
inspector general of the Sudan.
had looked forward immensely to
making the acquaintance Of this man
with the tragic life-history, who was
so long the prisoner Of the Mahdi and
the Khalifa in that unspeakable hive
of furious fanaticism, Omdurman.
had pictured a man prematurely old
with white hair and deep sunken
eyes, haunted by dreadful memories,
bowed down with the weight Of suf-
fering and pain. Never did any one
| fall into a greater mistake. There
came into the garden an embodiment
of .light-hearted gayety and kindly
fun. At once he began chatting
everybody with Viennese playfulness
and wit. Immediately one felt the
charm Of his persOnality-the charm
which made Gordon give him, a
young Austrian subaltern, the govern
orship of province; the charm which
won even the distrustful Khalifa's s
heart and greatly mitigated his con-
dition of captivity; the charm which
makes the faces of all who have
known him in Khartum light up
whenever his name is mentioned, into
smile of pleasant and grateful
recollection.
Slight in figure, with a youthful
step CATER all, he is only 52), he Is
the life and soul Of Khartum's So
cial life. Yet by his reflective eye
and firmly moulded chin you can tell
at once that this is only one side OF
| his character. / sat one morning In
his room at the war office and watch
ed him deal with a long succession
of natives, drawn from all classes
who came, some singly, some in
Ideputation. to lay their grievances
before the inspector general. you
| seem to be the fOster-father of the
whole Sudan" I said to him. "Or
the maid of -all-work," he said with
a shrug and a humorous twinkle. He
knows the country so well, he speaks
Arabic so perfectly, his name has
been so long familiar, from Berber
to the Barh-el-GhaZal, that naturally
they like to put their cases to him.
Patiently he listens as in khaki uni
form he sits at his big table covered
with official papers. Now and then ne
asks a pertinent question. often caus-
| ing his visitors to look at one another
amazed at his acuteness. Then, after
hearing all they have to say (whlch
sends them away pleased and cheer
full. whatever the result of their vis-
ito. he tersely gives his decision. U.s.
ually urbane and courteous, he can be
stern upon occasions. In one case
he suspected treachery. He raped
the table. He poured out crisp tor
rent of severe warning.
The wretched Arab he addressed
went out quivering. 1t was pretty on
the other hand. to see how the ap-
plicants personally known to hin
seized and kissed his hand, how theii
eyes affectionately rested on his face
as he talked quietly and cordially, Of
Itering them good advice. One was
son of the Mahdi who was being
given back his fathers lands to cul-
tivate. I'VE must help these poor
fellows" said Slatin, as he is univer'
L i l..