Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-03-19
C0nstautiuOple To- DAY.

CO0St&ntl0Opl0 To-Day.
In the matter OF artistic interest Con-
stantinople has suffered greatly by the
changes Of the last fifty years. It is no
longer the picturesque Oriental city
that it was then. its natural beauties
remain, but in everything else it has
become less1 interestingoss it has be-
come more European. The steamers,
whose smoke clouds the clear air Of the
Bosporus and blackens the white
palaces, are no doubt very convenient;
but they are sad contrast to the tens
OF thousands of gay caiques which used
to give life to the transparent waters of
the strait. Ugly north.country COL
liers are no doubt profitable to their
owners, but there is very little interest
in watching their passage in compari-
son with the wonderful displays which
were formerly seen when, after long
north wind, q southerly gale would
take hundreds of vessels, under full
sail, through the Bosporus in single
day. have counted over three hun
dred in sight at once. The square walls
and narrow caves of modern Turkish
houses may be more European. but
they do not compare favorably with the
light Moorish architecture and gilded
arabesques Of the olden time. German
ready.made clothing may be very
cheap, and the European style may be
adapted to active pursuits; but it is
not likely to arouse the enthusiasm of
lover Of the picturesque who remem-
bers the gorgeous costumes of fifty
years ago, when the streets Of Constan-
tinople were crowded with gay and
fantastic dresses. as in perpetual car
nival. and each rank, profession, and
creed had its own peculiar costume.
Even the Sultan is now no longer worth
looking at, with his little red fez in
place of the magnificent turban with
plume and diamonds, and his tight
black coat in place of his flowing sable
robe, his attendants covered with taw-
dry brass in place of the gorgeous
robes of the olden time. The pachas
are pachas no longer in appearance;
you may see them running for steamers,
or sitting on crowded benches on the
deck reading their daily papers. What
contrast to the stately pasha of seven
tails. who lived fifty years ago, whose
very title was picturesque, who could
not read at all, aud if he had ever heard
Of newspaper looked upon it as de-
vice of Satan; but who never ran for
anything. and who never wore red
cap or black coat. Agraceful caique,
with many oarsmen, awaited his con-
venience; very richly caparisoned
horses stood at his door; when he ap-
peared-with slow and digniied step
with turbans, robes of silk, and Cash
mere or diamond girdle--his slaves
kissing the ground at his feet, his pipe
bearers aud guards behind him-he
Was an ornament to the city, and per-
haps as great an ornament to the State
as his successor, without anystASles to
his title, who reads newspapeE and
wears black clothes, but who mas no
fear of being bow strung anu fehrown
into the Bosporusif he betrays the in
terests Of the State for consideration,
or plumbers the people for his own
profit. Even the bazars are no longer
Oriental, although the buildings re-
main. They are little more than store
houses for the Manchester goods which
have destroyed native manufactures.
The only relics of the olden times are
the Turkish women; but even they
have become less picturesque. They
are not 81 attractive, when crowded like
sheep into the stern of Bosporus
steamer, as they we're when they rode
in lofty arabas drawn by white oxen;
and their dress is gradually changing
in spite of the frequent DEGREES OF the
Shiek. ul Islam, who declared two years
ago in one of these that the disasters OF
the war were due, among other things
specified, to the fact that the women
wore French boots in place of heelless
yellow slippers. Constantinople has
lost all the peculiar charm of an Orien-
tai city without having as yet attained
the regularity cleanliness, and elegance
of a European capital; just as the Gov
eminent has ceased to be an Oriental
despotism, careless Of human life and
individual rights, without having as yet
learned the principles of European
civilization; just as the individual
Turk has ceased to be fanatical Mus
sulman, with the peculiar virtues
which once belonged to his religion.
without having as. yet acquired any
thing but the vices Of European So
ciety. ..,..