OCR Text |
Show A New Winter Resort IT DOES not seem very long since the news came that the British column, under Stewart, Stew-art, going to the relief of Gordon, was well-nigh well-nigh exterminated by the wild riders of the desert in the great bend of the Nile, and that it had been recalled, because the news had come that Gordon had been assassinated in Khartoum. How far away Khartoum seemed then. Up close by the sources of the Nile that through the centuries cen-turies remained undiscovered. Not long ago, but since then, Kitchener pushed a railroad ahead of his column and the locomotive abashed those wild Dervishers. The African sun beat upon it In vain; the desert sands could$not weary it; it was vain to shiver their spears against its flanks of steel; in the 'darkevt night, it's awful single eye wa3 always open watching far out over the desert: in its wake it hauled an army perfectly caparisoned ca-parisoned and ready at all times for war. It pushed its way to where tho boats could navigate the great river and when all was finished, that army again, fresh as when itleft Cairo, deployed upon the field, and with one blnw .broke the enemy's en-emy's arm forever. An? now ve are told that Lord Kitchener Is much pleased at his appointment appoint-ment as British agent in Egyjrt, where instead of entering" on a repressive political ' campaign he has in view vast schemes of improvement on which he intends to center his hopes and the energies of the Egyptians. He is planning to improve im-prove tho railroad and Nile service in order to encourage tourists, and he believes that in a few years Khartoum will be the most fashionable winter win-ter resort in the world. And why should not Khartoum make a good winter resort? It abo'ut corresponds in latitude with Barbados or Martinique in the ganrlbean ea or Bombay, in Asia. It is close by where the luo Nile joins tho White Nile; it is on the direct line from Cairo to the Cape, which will soon have M continuous rail connection; there the cotton grows 11 on trees; and the ripened fruit is picked while ' the young fruit Is just taking form on tho same :M tree, flowers bloom continuously every day In 1 the year, and the great dark continent has not M lost the shadow that broods there over the mys- H teries that' have been drawn around that land like 'M a winding sheet since before man learned how M to reckon time. VM The place should be of exceeding interest to ! scholars and scientists; there Is romance enough jJ around it for poets and lovers. The place has a iE fascination for Lord Kitchener, for he was, so to l speak, the Columbus who in a practical form j discovered it. The world is growing smaller M every day. VM |