Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-06-03


Flowing with same old crooked stick
that was used III the time of the
Pharoahs. Hitched to it to propel is
a water buffalo and a camel or an
ass; seldom two of the same species.
This crude outfit scratches the rich
earth first one way and then anoth-
er; following the plow are an army
of men with tools that look like a
carpenters ADJ, breaking the Jumps.
Hundreds of laborers are sitting on
the ground with sickle in hand cut
ting the alfalfa and tieing it into
bundles while others are loading 1t
on the back of camels to be carried
to Cairo or other markets where it
is fed without caring.
We are following near the canal
where large sail boats are loading
with these products Of the soil to
be carried to Alexandria and farth-
err
The dry air makes one desire
drink Shall we indulge in their fl
thy water. Not if we know it; we
buy water that is bottled at Poland
Springs, Maine. One cannot drink
the native water; it is loaded with
fever germs, and to taste of 1t means
inviting fever You ask what do
the natives do They have become
immune to these germ diseases and
should you give them pint of ty-
phoid germs they would only thrive
on it.
We land at Cairo, the largest city
in Africa. This city of over 700,-
900 people is the commercial center
of Egypt. Here one sees all the ma
tionalities of the world. In this re-
spect it is unique, but as a great
city, that is, comparing it with our
cities it is crude and not attractive
except in it's odd people and man.
ners.
A large portion of the city is built
of stone from the pyramids, they hav-
ing torn down entirely a number OF
these great piles of stone. Will you
drive with us to these places Of cur
iosity? Let us visit the great mosque
of Sutton Hasson, an immense pile
with its many mineretts, its moor
ish finnish; we will not describe as
you will tire if we describe all these
temples. Outside we see the Ma
homedan worshipper preparing to-
enter for worship. A fountain is al
ways connected with these places
and basins in which one can wash
here we see the dirty Mahomedan
washing at the fountain before he
can enter to worship. Surely their
religion does one good work it re-
moves all dirt before they can wor-
ship at the throne Of their lord Ma
homet. We throw aside our slippers
and are driven TO the tombs of the
Marmalukes. These extensive tombs
cover a great territory, and did not
one see so much would be of more
than passing interest. We visit the
Coptic church where we are shown
the place where Christ with Joserh
and Mary were secreted when they
fed to Egypt. Then we are taken
over to Rodah Island where they
point out the place where Moses was
found by Pharoah's daughter floating
in the rushes; the hole in the water
where the arc was found floating
looked as though it was filed, though
some of our party still saw signs
| of where it rested. We accepted it
as the place, asked no questions, and
went on inquiringly.
Friday March 5th, we drive to the
Pyramids of Gizeh. We are stop
ping at Shepherds old hosiery and
these pyramids are out about eight
miles at the edge of the desert. There
/ is a fine wagon road and a street car
line carrying one within half mile
of these great mysteries. AS we ride
out we pass many beautiful homes
owned by people from all over the
world and in which they spend a
few months of the healthiest season.
Here we see trains of camels with
two baskets, that hold about eight
bushels, filled with sand. They are
covering this rich soil with this
sand to warm it so it will hasten the
crop. Each year this is done. We
reach the end of the drive, above
and little beyond looms up great
cheops, the largest of the great pyr-
amids, that pyramid that is SO much
used in advertising stability and per-
manancy. We must confess we are
disappointed in this great mass, not
at its size but at its crude workman
ship. 1t is built of stone from
quarries but short distance from it's
Ilocation the stone, a very good
quality of lime rock in that atmos-
phere does not slack as with us and
are enduring. The stone of like
thickness are lain in layers, but not