Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-10-18

Bearers of Important News to Important People,
The Shrewd Exploit of Telegraph Superin-
tendent Thomas and the Shrewder One of
Tinney Bey-
From the New York Times.l
In Turkey and Egypt it is customary
for the grandees to make presents to
those who bring them the first informa
ton of good news. These men are
called ''musdegis," or newsgatherers,
and, although it may appear singular, a
number of these are professionally at
tached to the various ministries. They
receive no salary, of course, but, on the
contrary, have to pay pretty round
sum to the minister or other high official
for the position. The instant frman
is signed conferring a decoration upon
anybody, promoting a civil or military
officer, appointing an ambassador or
consul, etc., the musdegi runs off at full
speed to convey the "havadis or good
news to the party concerned. Long be-
fore he reaches the house, but when
within hearing distance, he shouts out
as loud as he can, 50 Good news for the
most noble, respected, or honOred las
the case may be- so-and-so pasha, hey,
or effendi, which he goes on repeating
until he enters the lucky mans resi-
dence. Upon being admitted he i'm
mediately becomes silent, and under no
consideration will he impart the news to
anybody else but the person whom 1T
concerns, as if the latter was to first
hear it from anybody else he would have
to remunerate him, and not the mus
degi," the custom being to recompense
the person who is the first to bring the
news. Being conducted to the grandee's
apartment, ne bows low, kisses the tips
of his fingers, touches his forehead with
them, then the ground, which he goes
on repeating several times, according to
the gentleman's rank, this being the
only method of Turkish " salaaming +"
or salutatiOn. He then asks him If ne
is In humor to receive good news, and
upon being told to proceed tells him the
pleasant tidings, for which he receives a
present, which Is III accordance with the
magnitude of the promotion or decora-
ton. In many cases the sum paid is
actually fixed by old habit, such cases
being the promotion to the grand viz
ierate, to the Greek patriarchate, minis
try of war, etc.
This custom of rewardiag bearers of
good news exists officially in England
also, but only in exceptional cases, one
of these being that the treasury pays
the fixed sum OF $500 to the officer who
comes from foreign campaign to inform
the sovereign of the successful termina-
ton of the war, and great deal of fuss
was made la England when Sir Garnet
Wolseley sent Lord Clifford on this Hnia-
sion to inform the queen of the capture
of Cetewayo, instead OF sending the Off
Ger who had effected that worthy's cap
ture, and who, it was thought, deserved
the $500 more than anybody else,
The "musdegi" In the east, besides
being the bearer OF good news, is often
the bearer of bad news, for which he
gets equally well, If not better, paid, as
Turkish officials being liable to be dis
missed, arrested, or eXiled at any mo-
ment, without cause or warning, gen
orally arrange with one Of the ''musde-
gis to inform them IN time so that they
can make good their escape. It was
through this source that Midhat Pasha
got news of an order having been issued
for his arrest, upon which he took refuge
in the French consulate at Smyrna, but
was afterward handed over to The Otto.
man authorities by order of the French
minister of foreign affairs.
The successor to the Egyptian throne
always rewards the person informing
him of the death OF his predecessor by
promoting him 10 the rank of hey, and
paving him 10000 piastres ($5, 000).
When Sad Pasha, to whom Islnai
Pasha, the late khedive succeeded, was
dangerously Ill at Alexandria, Ismail
Pasha himself was at Cairo. 1t is SAID
to have been proved beyond a doubt
that Said Pasha died of slow poison
which Ismail Pasha had personally adj
ministereG, and when Ismail subae-
quently did the same t4ing successfully
to many others Egyptians said that the
victims had been ''Saided" Be this as
it may, Said Pasha was seriously unwell
at Alexandria, and the ambitious Ismail
was anxiously awaiting at Cairo the news
of his demise. At that time the East
ern Telegraph Company had not yet es-
tablished their lines all over Egypt, and
Cairo was joined to Alexandria by sin
gle line belonging to the Egyptian gov
eminent, and which was managed by a
certain Mr.. Thomas, an Epgi1shman,
who Is still III the service or the country
and who only month ago sent false
telegram to Arab Pasha, purportlng to
come from Arabl's friend Nlnet, telling
him that there was no fear of the British
occupying the Suez Canal, and that he
need not take steps IN that direction to
oppose them, when the British feet was
actually on lis way to seize the canal. 6
Mr.. Thomas knew how anxious Ismail
Pasha was to receive the news of Said
Pasha's death, and he further knew that
the reward to the person first informing
Ismail Pasha would be the title of hey
and 100, 600 piastres-both of which
would be very acceptable to Nh. Thomas
himself, and which he resolved to get.
His Office was in Alexandris, but know
ing that the news must come over the