Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-02-01
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The OFFICE OF THE TURK S1I
MINISTRY.

The Offices are not all in the Sublime
Porte. which is large building erected
after the great fire of 1885, The war Of
fee is in the ESki tSarrai, the Office of
commerce in the IEdjare Ktans, and the
Treasury Office nearo the square of the
ALisetaan.
The clerks are not so numerous as in
the ministerial offices of Europe. Besides
this, they have great many holidays
Tue bureaus are closed a. Eoun, on Thur .
day, because the holy day of Friday COM
mences at sunsebon Thursday evening,
and not at sun rise on Friday. They do
but little on Saturday On Sunday the
Offices are closed, because the Franks and
the rayaS subjects of the Sultan observe
that day which was, in past ages, market
day, as is indicated by its Turkish name,
p02ar gun.
In Short the Turkish bureaus are in a
state of activity the three first days of the
o week. When you enter, if it is the first
time, you think youhave made mistake,
and entered hospitel.
The hail is covered with mattresses, on
which are seated the writer's. These mat
rrcsses are distributed to the light and
left, leaving a space in the middle, which
leads to the mattresses Of the chief Of di-
vision, place on Il raised platform, at The
eend Of the hall.
G. g The Turks do not write on desk ; sc&-
ted on their mattresses, they hold the pa,
per on the left hand ; they do not write
with q pen, but with Il small reed, called
calm. Their paper is much stronger than
"ours. They cut it in strips narrow enough
to hold in the left hand. In this manner
the hand and paper offer certain sup
port on which the Turkish crbe may trace
his characters from right 10 left.
For the important affairs of the writer
he has small box before him. On the
top of this he finds platform, continuing
everything requisite for him : pair OF
long scissors to cut from the large sheets
D the strips which are necessary for his wri
o. ting some long-handled razors, TO trim
his reddish brown reeds, and six or eight
pots. containing blue, red, and black ink
O oCal!igrophy is in great honor among the
Turks. 1t is sufficient that the characters
arc neat and the lines are equal, and I'm
important whether they go, too high OF
too low, observing to preserve symme.
try.
When about to write. The writer
strikes with his hands. His servant
the simplest clerk has a doues ic-take,
in u cupboard, and brings him lars,
sheet of paper. The Turk at, last take,
from his mouth his long pipe, which il
placed on q copper plate at the side Of hi.
mattress, he takes his scissors, squares ant
trims Ills paper and begins to write.
90 The Signature demands no less prepa
ration he draws from his bosom a small
bag woven Of copper, silver or even gold
He opens this. and takes GU: his seal
with a calm lie takes some ink, places i
on the end OF his fore finger, and moisten
the seal with it. After this long operation
he passes his tongue over that part of til
paper where he must place his name, an,
u last puts his name to it, which is hi
signature.
AS we See, all proceeds with a solemn
slOwness, The Turkish scribe clips hi
strips Of paper for a quarter of an hour
in order 70 give it regularity. He fire
quent4 y stops, in order to smoke, thel
comes the operation Of the seal, and q
last the drying of the stamp. so that
single letter occupies halfa day.