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Jan.3rd,1907.

The Hamburg and
Anglo-American
Nile Company.

S.S. Nubia.

My dear Colonel Hecker,

Your good letter of Decem.10th with enclosures as named reached me at Assouan on arrival there New Year's 'eve. As we continued our journey up the river the following noon, I could not reply from Assouan as I would liked to have done.
*****
The slow ascent of this grand old river, on the "Nubia", which is now making her fist trip, the stopping at the grand old temples enroute, meeting the natives and dreaming of the gods long since dead, places Detroit a long way off, but to it and my good friends there, my thoughts often fly and when I think of the embarrassment that grew out of F.P. affairs I do not entirely regret them, but I am glad that they are ended. Observation and study in this ripe old field of ancient activity help to confirm my conviction of the uselessness of perpetual business strife and activity during too much of one's life.

Rameses II destroyed after their death, the work, in part, of his predecessors by most dastardly vandalism, and then devoted lots of fine artistic effort to the erection of great temples to commemorate his victories in many fields. But who now cares for his victories? His vandalism today is of greater importance. And how about his laves? The pyramids are gradually disintegrating and some have already been torn town --- these monuments which their builders believed to be everlasting. But why should a silly monument which in reality is only evidence of murderous labor by slaves continue to exist? Overwork is actually over-vanity or something else near to it --- or least, that's what I read in these mountains of labor and in the unending flow of the undying Nile. We study these things by sunlight and by moonlight, much is true, much is moonshine, but how much of it all is really worth while I shall never know nor never care to know. I am happy in seeing what has been and is: some on board, particularly - - - - - -of Detroit, lawyer, I believe, is figuring out what is to come --- money and fame, I suppose!! Mr. and Mrs. Ramsdell of Newburg, formerly of steamboat fame are also on board and like Freddie and I, they prefer moonshine to that which is to come in this