Encyclopedia Titanica

J. P. MORGAN DUG INTO EGYPT'S PAST

New York Times

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Financier Superintended the Search for Early Christian Cemetery at
Khargeh.
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BUILT A HOUSE IN DESERT
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Had Force of Man at Work Under Egyptian Engineers, and Enjoyed Himself
in Flannels
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J. P. Morgan spent his Winter vacation at the ancient oasis of Khargeh,
which is four days' ride west of Thebes, on the old caravan route from
the Nile to Berber and the Soudan. The principal object of Mr. Morgan's
stay there before starting home by way of Italy was to watch the native
laborers he has employed under Egyptian engineers to excavate at his
expense in the desert around Khargeh in search of a Christian cemetery
which dates back to the early days of the Christian era.

There are about 4,000 natives in and around Khargeh, who live by
agricultural labor, but there are no hotels, so the financier had a
small house erected close to the ruins of the Temple of Ammon, which
contains some fine cartouches of Rameses II. There are also some fine
Roman ruins in the district which are being excavated at Mr. Morgan's
expense.

These facts became known here through the return to this city yesterday
on the Cunarder Lusitania of J. C. Cadwalader, the lawyer, who visited
Mr. Morgan at Khargeh, and was entertained in Mr. Morgan's new house
there.

The financier has named his new steel sidewheel dahabeah the Khargeh.
She is a roomy vessel, built on Egyptian lines, with every modern
convenience, and accommodates about twelve persons. Mr. Morgan traveled
in this dahabeah from Cairo up the Nile to a small town to the north of
Assiout, and from there he went with his party, which Includes his
sister, Mrs. Burns, and an expert on Egyptology for the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, by a narrow-gauge railway to Khargeh, a distance of
about 100 miles over the desert.

Mr. Cadwalader went up the Nile on the dahabeah Memmon as the guest of
Mr. and Mrs. W. S. King, and the whole party were entertained by Mr.
Morgan at his new Winter home near the ancient Temple of Ammon, where
no sounds disturb the peace at night ecept [sic] the jackals howling in
the desert.

According to his friends, Mr. Morgan enjoyed the life at Khargeh much
better than the gayties [sic] of Cairo, Luxor or Assouan, which are
filled all Winter with pleasure-loving American tourists. He wore a big
sun helmet, flannel suit, and tan shoes, and was in the best of health
when Mr. Cadwalder [sic] left Khargeh at the beginning of February.

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Encyclopedia Titanica (2008) J. P. MORGAN DUG INTO EGYPT'S PAST (New York Times, Saturday 16th March 1912, ref: #6116, published 2 May 2008, generated 3rd July 2024 06:13:18 AM); URL : https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/j-p-morgan-dug-into-egypt-past.html