Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-11

with a well-selected harem, an ele-
CANT YAH on the Bosphorus, and a
spacious Konak in town. Their
ontlays in the way of presents to
the dignitaries of State, to the ser
yitors of their patrons, and in po-
itical intrigues, and in dowries on
their sons and daughters to marry
them well, soon run them in debt.
Recourse must then be had to some
Armenian Saraf, or money-broker.
Notes of hand, endorsed or not,
don't serve. The only sufficient
security is collateral in the shape
of jewels, precious stones, plate,
gold snuff-boxes, encrusted with
diamonds, that have been received
in gift from the sultan, or some
other objects of tangible value.
Before the negotiation is concluded
the quality of every object must be
tested, the intrinsic and average
selling value ascertained, and then
the money is lent on such terms
that there is a large chance of profit
and none of loss. The discount
may be 80 per cent, or so even,
and when the loan is for term OF
years the interest is rarely less than
rs per cent. Deeper and deeper
the borrower gets in debt; loan
follows on loan, with new colIate-
rails pledged, until finally there il
nothing left to give as security
Then the creditor realizes. He
puts the precious articles on sale in
the jewelry department of the
great bazaar at Stamboul, or he
sells them to a merchant there,
and perhaps he gets one Of the
ambulatory auetioneers that FIRE,
quent the Bezestan to cry them of
to the highest bidder, as he urges
his way through the crowded ave
nues Of that mart OF trade. II
any event he is sure to come ou
with a handsome gain, such one
as would have delighted Shylocl
himself. Never was the bazat
richer than it is now in rare, curl
GUS and valuable jewelry, gold orna
ments, swords Of honor, diamond
necklaces, and the spoils of bank
rupt harems and palaces. l hay,
dabbled a little in unset diamond
and they are sold quite cheaply
and in carpets, but my pocket il
too shallow for a speculation il
the magnificent ornaments tha
once adorned Circassian beauties 0
the imperial harems. Abdul Aziz'
widows and favorites have throw
large amount of their treasure Of
the market, and the late Mustaph
Fail Pasha contributed not a lit
tie to the euriching Of the jewe
bazar. | plead guilty to one weak
mess, and that is to the 0rienta
carpet. The Turkey carpet, as
is made in the hand-loems of Ou
chak, is a fabric that in durability
wearing qualities and softness 9
texture cannot be surpassed. 1t
made in square pieces of variou
dimensions,H but generally of a siz
to cover an ordinary room. Th
colors are so stable that it is said
barrel of vinegar upset on it wi
not change a color. For wea
time seems to make no impressio
on it. Beneath my feet is Tul
key carpet which is at least thirt
J years old, and is at this writing a
fresh as the day the last thread wa
: wove into it at 0uchak. Their
! seems to be no fixed patterns, for
have never seen any two alike. Th
! weayer's fancy determines the fig
ures and arrangement of color
and that is as fantastic as an Or
, entail imagination always is. Thes
carpets are so heavy that they res
t on the floor with their own weigh
and need no tacks to fasten ther
down. As they are not secured t
r the floor, they are frequently take
F; up and busted, and are always KEEP
/ clean. When the stair. cases, a
, well as the rooms, are laid in thes
| solid heecy carpets, a house is a
still as if it were uninhabited, so ia
as the movements of its occupant
are concerned 1t is a curiaus fact
J that while everything else has de
J clined in price, Turkey carpet
, hold their own in the East, one
, quarter of century old selling nca
on to its original cost.