Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-03-03
A Chicago Turk.

Mr.. Benajah Edwards and the Misses
Edwards, who move in the first circle:
of Hogles Creek. Mo-. registered ten
days ago at the Palmer House. They
came to do the town. They went to
the WaterWorks, and the Crib, and the
parks; they visited the City Hall, the
Common Council chambers. and the
other stOck-yards of the city. They
ate candy at Gunther's, and wept over
"All the Rage" at McVicker's. They
saw everything that everybody sees.
But their fertile curiosity took them one
step beyond ordinary sight-seers and
gave a never-to-be-forgotten sensation
to one of Chicago's best-known citi
zens.
This gentleman, who is prosperous
private banker on Washington street
discharges for the Turkish Government
the not exacting duties of Turkish Con
sui at Chicago.
Saturday morning, as he passed
through the cherry and plate-glas:
door of his office, his boy. with slight
ly bewildered look, said to q gentle
| man who, with two ladies, was waiting
at the back of the office:
"Here comes the Turkish Consul"
Ihe boy-who was sixty years old
was bewildered because never before
in the experience of that office had any
one been known to inquire for the
Turkish Consul, whose sole duties had
consisted in writing narcotic letters il
faultless French to the Turkish Minis.
ter at Washington about the growth of
the commerce of Chicago with Con-
stantinople.
At sight of the Turkish Consul the
stranger, too, seemed bewildered, bu,
he recovered, and introduced himself
as MIR. Benajah Edwards and daugh-
tiers of HOgles Creek, Mizzourah. "
'YOu see, SIR" he said, "we've been a
doing Chicago. and have seen about all
you have to show. But before we went
back to Hogles Creek my gals wanted
to see real live Turk. We have nc
Turks in Hogles Creek. and so brough,
them to see you. Of COURSE" said
Mr.. Edwards, with knowing look, 81
have seen great many Turks, but my
daughters have not, and you must ex.
cuse me for trying to crafty their curl
osity."
"But." said the Consul, who is a
full-blooded native of Chicago, II am
very busy, and besides am not"
"By the way" broke in Benajah,
evidently fearing that their live Turk
was going to fee, ''how do you pro-
nounce your name?"
"ln the original" said the Consul,
who inherits u French name. yielding
for the moment to the fun of the thing,
lit is pronounced On-gro-tang." This
the young ladies who had been devour.
ing the wicked Mahommedan polyg-
amist with wide-open eyes evidently
thought just the thing for Turk.
"Oh, MIR. Ourang Outang. how many
wiz"
"But my name is not Ourang outang
it is Ong-ro-tang, and, besides, am
not"
"Yes, yes; we understand. Mr.. Ong.
ro-tang. Of course, as.you are Turk,
you have more than one wife. You
wouldn't mind telling us how many,
would you?"
II have only one wife," burst out
the Consul, forgetting the fun of the
thing, land neither she nor /"
Don't you think. Mr.. Ourang-Mr.
Ong-ro-tang-that the mighty Moham-
medan faith that has so long ruled the
Turks, that Islam; that. in fact, you're
losing your grip?'
Yes" said the Consul, wearily,
'there are evidences of the decay Of
that religion, but / cannot give you
much information about it, IS am
not"
Zone thing noticed with some sur
prise" interrupted Mr.. Benajah Ed
wards. "is your complexion. All the
Turks l ever saw or heard Of were dark
but you, sir, are light"
"Oh, decidedly of n rosy complex.
ion," twittered the girls to the Consul
whose hair and skin have caught theil
cOloring from the rising sun.
'How well you talk our language,
Mr.. Ong-ro tang, and how much you
dress like papa and the other gentle
men of Chicago and Hogles Creek. Dc
you wear your Turkish clothes at home:
DO you have a fez? And do you smoke
= nargileh? And sit crosslegged after
dinner; and drink rose-water and
Arabian coffeep And do you have
Bayaderes dance for you? And is youl
wife's name Guinare? And do you
hate the Giaours? And did you evel
sew up lady in q. sack and have hei
thrown into the Bosphorous? And dc
YOU"
The Consul was growing desperate.
He heard the boy snickering behind
him. A very rich and religious Board
of Trade customer had just come in and
was listening with rising hair.
"Mr. Edwards, you have made a
mistake. l am the Turkish Consul,
but. as l have tried to tell you half a
dozen times, l am not Turk. but an
American, and a lative of Chicago"
The Misses Edwards drew their
Gainsborough hats as far over theil
Disconnected faces rs they would go,
and Mr.. Bcnajah Edwards, who had
"seen good many Turks, you know, "
led them away without word
Chicago Tribune.