The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-29

we drink and we marry and we give In
marriage as it was in the days OF Noah
Some of the American papers have an
nounced lately that Turkey has adopted the
rules OF the Berne Postal Convention, so that
letters may now be sent to any part OF
Turkey for five cents. This is not so; and
although the convention has been signed,
to take effect the 1st of January, 1876, there
is but slight reason to believe that its pro-
visions can be carried out for a long time to
force TO the contrary Notwithstanding.
There Is, in fact, no basis for good postal
system here. There are no roads. The
mails are carried by mounted couriers, who
traverse the country from Constantinople
to Bagdad every fifteen days. leaving here
alternate Wednesdays. the average inte-
rior postoffice has no clerk, no boxes, no
distribution of letters. The pipe-besrer of
the postmaster simply empties the newly
arrived mail bag into wide, fiat bss-
ket, places the basket in the middle OF the
hall and, having admitted the pu olic, cal mly
retires into the inner room, closing the door,
that the noise of the scramble for letters may
not disturb the reveries of his master. The
true idea of the postOffice hardly exists.
Often my correspondents in one town are
offered letters which happen to be passing
through to friends in another city, with the
remark. "Here are some letters for your
friends in Ksrs; open them If you like
there is plenty of time before the nail goes
on"
THE RATES OF LETTER POSTAGE
are based upon distances trsversed-s. g.,
Scents for the first 100 hours, 16 cents for
200, and 32 cents for 800 hours and over, per
quarter ounce. Even If the working force
could be organized, an impecunious and des-
perste government can hardly be expected
to give up the existing 32 cents for the 5 cent
rate which the Berne convention requires
them to adopt upon letters from abroad, in
the hope of q remunerative business there
from. At present all foreign mails are re-
ceived and sent by foreigners who have
private postoffces under protection OF their
respective embassies. Persons having cor
respondents in the interior of Turkey will
do we'll to trust to no promises OF care for
their letters on the part OF the Turkish gov
ernment as yet. The NOV ement of troops is
nearly completed. The northern frontier of
the empire Is guarded by heavy force.
There are probably 175,000 to 200,0 900 men
available for defensive in European Turkey
at present, and now the reserves are
being directed upon the Russian frontier
in the military division of Ertzroom. A
large force Is being massed az Ksrs
and Bayazid, in view of the possibility OF
Russian interference. But at the same time
the stories are multiplied of utterly bad W ar
materials in store, of charcoal dust instead
of gunpowder, of rags instead of clothing.
Whether these stories are true or not their
existence Is no wonder, for the present
Grand Eejir was arrested and disgraced
three years ago for embezzlemeut of 81 ,O00,-
600 still unaccounted for, and the pres
ent minister OF marine was disgraced for the
same crime ten yesrs ago, although he has
lived ever since upon the prOceeds-the pal
try sum of S25 0O0, 900.