Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-04-27
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> CAIRO THE WONDERFUL
. EGYPTIAN METROPOLIS
BY ]. e. Hessin, Manhattan

&%sa s%s%
Cairo has population Of one mil
lion or more, though 1t is difficult,
am told, to enumerate the inhabitants
because of their peculiar rowing dis
position. 1t is quite evident that the
population is large and represents
nearly every nation. The Arabs pre-.
dominate, though having been born
here they are called Egyptians. The
Copts are quite numerous and the
4 Soudanese are to be seen everywhere,
The land is extremely fertile, and Is
worth, near this city, for farming pur-
poses, one thousand dollars per acre
and rents for hundred and TWEEN
ty-five dollars per acre. Crops Of
every kind are raised. Vegetables
of the best quality are abundant.
The wheat is now beginning to turn
green, and will soon be ready for
harvest. Alfalfa is seen everywhere
in great abundance. IT As larger ana
coarser than ours, but the same in
appearance.
Cotton of the finest quality is
grown and the farmers have plenty
of money from their last years crop,
which was very large. The whole
of the Nile valley is under irrigation;
is under government control, and
the system is marvellous, as my Eng
lish friends say. The fellaheen are
splendid workers and the farms
show 1t. Water is drawn from wells
or from bitches by a wheel turned
by an OK or a camel, in precisely
the same manner as in Abraham's
time. No progress has been made
even in the wheel used, though bet
ter buckets have been added. Water
is also drawn by pole to which is
attached a bucket, the pole being
suspended over a crosspiece between
two uprights. A weight is attached
to one end and the bucket lowered
into the water and raised by Land
and emptied.
These poor people work from early
morning until evening for the NUM- |
ficent sum of from 80 cents to 40
cents per day. The condition OF
the common people is frightful.
Dirty, ragged, half blind, sore eyed
and apparently hopeless, they sit
about in their mud houses, surround
ed by filth to such an extent that
it Is remarkable that cholera does
not carry them all off.
There are plenty of cattle, such
as they are, sheep, goats, donkeys,
camels, and a very few dogs. Chick
ems are everywhere and the standard
article Of meat diet. The Moham.
medIans do not eat the flesh Of the
hog, hence few are raised. / do
not remember now, having seen a
hog in the 900 miles l have travelled
up the Nile.
/ saw the report Of commission
er sent out to examine the number
Of blind and PARTIALLY blind people
and report the causes and possible
against fits further increase.
He reports four out Of a hundred
as totally blind, and SIX out Of every
hundred as blind in one eye. Most
people have some disease Of the eye
and 80 far little progress has been
made toward checking It.
So far a. these Mohammeians are
concerned relisiousIy, It seems to me
hat they observe the teachings Of
he Koran better than We do the b.
DE, and inasmuch as the Koran
teaches that there is . living God; ,
hat the soul Is immortal; that Christ
saa a sood nan. but Mohammsd
,ettsr; that pons are elected 10 Be
arod. and many other doctrines aim-
Iar % ourt. Il nay Be- ~ ven to lsi
hsn si,se a lksl l1,pe-t ard ssach
Ben nihsi 'lisEs utirh nv - is1l