The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-08-26
THE SULTAN OF TURKEYS TREAS
URES.

THE SULTAN OF TURKEYS TREAS
| The political skies of Europe were
never darker or more indicative of a
coming storm than at the present time.
The Egyptian trouble has assumed
proportions that could not have been
anticipated, and the course Of the re-
presentatives Of some Of the Powers at
the Constantinople Conference, es-
pecially Russia, indicates that a terrific
storm may soou break. This, of course,
means the involving of Turkey in a
war.
Turkey is believed to be so absolute
ly bankrupt, that another war would
probably bring about her immediate
destruction. That she is bankrupt so
far as being able or perhaps intending
ever to pay the principal of her nation
al debt is probably true but the Sui
| tan has in his treasury resources that
would enable him to carry on 4 war
for some time
The imperial treasury is in. one of
the heavy stone buildings of the Sc
raglio at Constanstinople. Among its
contents are etfigies of the Sultans, each
in the robes and armor he wore when
alive, and many of them are weighed
down with jewels. There are antique
arms and armor, hesvy with gold and
jewels; there are innumerable horse
trappings and saddles, covered with
aids, rubbies, topazes, diamonds and
pearls; there are saddle cloths, en-
broidered with precious stones; several
sofa-covers hang in the cabinets as back
grounds to the smaller articles, which
are of heavy cloth OF gold embroidered
with seed pearls, and worth $15O,OOO
apiece. There are bird cages of gold;
sacks Of velvet embroidered with gold,
pearls and diamonds; samples of red
velvet, on which texts from the Koran
are embroidered In diamonds; amber
mouthpieces for pipes, studded with
diamonds and rubies; vases of crystal,
agate and onyx, many enriched with
Jewels; inkstands and snuff boxes,
coffee sets, tea sets, knives, forks and
spoons of solid gold, with jewels on
their handles; and immense numbers of
clocks, fans innumerable, umbrellas of
white silk eXquisitely embroidered,
and having handles Of matchless sprays
of coral Il yard long: and tea.sets of
tortoise shell as thin as paper.
Dwight, in his ssTurkish Life in War
Time," describes a toy, which is a fig
ure of q Sultan seated on his throne,
under a golden canopy ribbed with al
ternate rubies and emeralds, the whole
structure being about six inches high.
The body of the figure is single huge
pearl the lower extremities are carved
from a blue turquoise, and the turban
is solid mass of diamonds
During the late war between Turkey
and Russia the Turkish Government
pledged some of these jewels to tho
banks for loan Of S30, 200, 900, but COM
paratively so small was the quantity
of jewels removed by the bankers to
secure the loan, that the loss of the
three boxes full made no appreciable
gap in the accumulation. There are
still many millions Of dollars in the
Sultan'S treasure house.
The Sultan has still another large
fund at his disposal in the event of a
holy war being officially proclaimed;
this is the "Treasure OF Islam''-thc
offerings of gold and silver deposited
by many successive generations Of pill
grims to the three holy places-thc
Caaba at Mecca, the vaults of the
Mosque Of Soliman at Jerusalem, and
the crypt Of the tomb of Ali at the
gates of Bagdad. This total accumla-
tion is estimated to be 100000, 900,
which is probably an exaggeration !;
but that it amounts to very many mill
lion dollars there is no doubt.
1t would be an easy matter for the
Sultan, in the event of Turkey becom-
ing involved in another war, to con-
vert his jewels into cash; and as the
followers of the Prophet are becoming
incensed over tho frequent reverses of
the Suitan's armies, it would probably
not require very great urging to induce
him, as the head of the Mohammedan
Church, to proclaim holy war, and
thus secure not only the assistance Of
all Mobammelan soldiers, but the
vast "treasurc of Islam" also-that
very necessary support of all govern
ments, especially in time Of war
money.
ABOUT PINS.