Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
Some Relics From.
tie Nile.
They Were Not Worth SO
Much as One Man Thought. (
nxc. 8. LEwis.
iss.ssss:

4
Any one OF the reading public of Lon
don could have told yon that sle Hon
Charles Bingham was man seventy
years old; that he had wealth; that lie
was democratic and rode around OH tor
OF omnibuses; that he had fads: that
the greatest Of his fads was picking up
relics and presenting them to museums
OF natural history throughout the king.
dom. There was seldom week that
his name was not in the papers, and ell.
ter any museum you might you would
be sure to run across cases labeled with
bis name and filed with his gifts.
At his own expense the Hon. Bling.
ham had sent expeditions to the four
quarters of the globe. and the only rea.
son he had not purchased some Of the
largest pyramids of Egypt was because
Of the difficulties of transportation. If
the chief Of an African tribe had war.
clubs for sale the Hon. Bingham
bought them; If child in the east end
Of London found petrified bone II
could be turned into cash in twenty.
four hours.
Hundreds of persons had taken the
Hon. Charles Bingham for an easy
mark and sought to work him. Man.
woman or child could find access to his
house at any hour Of the day. but az
for taking the old man in with imita-
lions. that was different. He had made
a few mistakes early in his career, az
might have been expected, but after he
had passed ffty his decisions settled
the question with all museums in Eu-
rope. There was weak spot in the
armor, however, and it was curious
that no one found it out for. many
years.
One day there came to London an
American who had been exploring the
Nile for years. He had letters from
American and British censuls abroad.
He even had one from the secretary Of
the khedive himself. He had gathered
many wonderful things during his stay
on the banks of the historic stream.
He must have known of the Hon.
Charles Bingham, but he did not call
upon the man or open correspondence.
He dropped in at club or two, said
rery little, charmed everybody. with
his modesty and refused all Interviews
with reporters. It was not until the
Hon. Charles had sent one messenger
and then written a letter over his own
signature that Explorer Blake grudg-
ingly consented to meeting. At that
meeting he named a few Of his souve-
Mrs, but only few Nothing what
ever was for sale. The whole bag was
to 60 to the New York Museum of
Natural History.
The attitude of Explorer Blake was
churlish, and vet after few days he
softened enough to invite the Hon.
Charles to private inspection Of his
treasures. This invitation would not
have been extended to any other man
in the world. He appointed the hour
when he would call with a carriage,
and he was there to the minute. It
was the general idea that his stock Of
finds was in d warehouse, and he was
supposed to be stopping at hotel, but
no one was certain Of these things.
The Hon, Charles didn't care where
he was taken, SO long as the relics of
the Nile were at the other end of the
journey. He paid no attention to the
streets they passed through and very
little to the house at which they finally
arrived. He was ushered to the top
story, talking as he went, landed in
room about twelve feet square lighted
by skyight, and when he looked
about for the stock in trade he failed
to find it. The only furniture in the
room was two old chairs. Explorer
Blake took one and lighted a cigar.
and the Hon. Charles took the other
and wondered what was coming next
He soon ascertained.
my dear sir. shall be very sorry to
put you to any trouble" began the ex.
plorer, ''but the fact is am hard up
and must raise $25,OOO That is $4,000
In your money. don't want to turn
burglar or murderer. l want to be
gentle and nice about it."
"How long have you been planning
this thing?" asked the Hon. Charles as
he looked around the empty room and
'tumbled" to the fact that he had
been taken In.
IAN Of six months, and 1t has cost
me considerable hard cash."
"And your figure is $4,000. is it?~