The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-19
o. BT TU A r Y,
Michael Naoum, the ImpressarIo.

One of the surviving attaches of Lady hester
Stanhope has died at Constantinope, NJ. Michael
Naoum, proprietor and i'm pressario of the Italian
theatre Of the same name in Peru. The London
AHtenG1tTa says:
"Naoum was of Aleppine descent, and the son
of tobacco dealer. When boy of fourteen or
fifteen he attracted the notice of Lady Hester,
and was by her taken to Syria. He remained
with her for some years, being at length dis
missed for too great assiduity III ieatherng his
nest. OF late years he claimed to rank as
d1agoman TO Lady Hester, but according to his
statement to the writer of this his duties were
miscellaneous. He had shaved Lady Hester's
head more than once. On one occasion my
Lady took it into her head she would have
sieves made in the English style for stable use,
and Naoum and his colleagues were ordered to
get up sieves on pain OF dismissal. Every day
after dinner did he set to work with, his bundle
of split reeds but they were too brittle, Az
last, one day he found by accident that on
being Wetted, the weaving could be effected, and
be accomplished his task, receiving the lauda-
tion OF his mistress. He maintained his faith in
her to the last day OF his life. Her passport, he
attested, was Acknowledged by the Greek pr-
yateers during the troubled times of the war of
independence and he having been sent down to
Rhodes in a coastipg vessel TO cash a draft was
on his return, captured; but on the production
OF my ladY's passport the money was returned,
and he was dismissed in safety. On his return
to Constantinople Naoum engaged in various
speculatiOns, aud was employed under the
patronage of the Sultan Mahmoud in the feZ.
manuiactorY. His contact with the great Sultan
in the olden time was never etlaCed from his
memory. He never appeared in the presence of
a Padisbab even in these days of reform without
a ooubt as to the safety of his head, or without
the alternative hope of largess OF a hundred
pieces Of gold.
In 1881 Naoums fine mansion in Pera was
burnt in the general cOnhagrauon of that
suburb: and while awaiting its reconstruction
he let the ground TO troupe of Italian mounte.
banks. They got on so well that they turned
their attention to farce and music for which
they set up small theatre This answered, and
NaOum determined to go into the matter on his
own account Mr.. Smith, of the Woods and
Forests, was then there rebuilding the palace of
the English Embassy, and he engaged with
Naoum III his design, furnishing the plan of. and
experimenting the construction of the theatre.
From the time of the Crlmean war the success
OF the opera increased, and Naoum had some
good years and occasionally respectable prime
dOnne
"On the occasion Of the state visit of the pre-
sent Sultan, Naoum sent for into the re-
firing room. AS kissed the hem of the Sui
tans garment said Naoun, L took care that
my kisses should be loud and sounding, that
my sovereign should know my loyalty 'ThoW
hast done well, said the Sultan; Il am content
with thee. AS / stood there, said Naoum,
began to assume a melancholy aspect, so that
the Sultan asked me what allied me. & am i'll,
sire, in promoting the amusement of my sove
reign, and wish to ask a favor What is it,
Naoum |? 1T is permission to go to Malta to
restore my health, so that / may be the better
able to devote myself TO the service of my sove-
reign BE it So Naoum; it is accorded to
thee Now said Naoum, If the present Sui
tan had been like his late brother, he would
have said, Naoum is ILL he is poor man; give
him four hundred pieces of gold for the ex-
penses of his voyage. But, sorro wfully la.
mented Naoum. the Sultan does not so spend
his money now.'"