Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-30
TURKEY IN AMERICA.
a Homestead on Cape Cod that Might as
Wen he in COnstantinOple.
From the Near York Star.

A Homestead on Cape Cod that Might as
Wen he in ConstantinOple.
Frop, the Nes0 York Star.
One house in America lies under the
shadow Of the horse tails; that is, it ia
more Turkish than Anglo-saxOu. This IS
the homestead OF George Washburn, the
President Of Robert college OF CONSTANT
noDle. That college certainly deserves
the praises that have been lavished on it
by the English press, and merits even
greater praise from our own, for it has
carried the fame OF our country into
regions where the name OF America was
unknown.
The college was founded by DR.. Cyrus
Hamin, the father-in-law Of George
Washburn, in 1869, after years Of effort to
gain the Sultan's permission. This,
strangely enough, was obtained through
a mistake. When Admiral Farragut Wis
tied Constantinople with his feet the Sui
tan thought he had been sent to exert a
gentle pressure to induce him to yield to
DR.. Hamlin's request, and be at once gave
him an imperial trade. or royal patent Sc
curing the college in the possession of the
land it had bought by the highest tenure.
George Washburn's homestead is stu.
ated in Plymouth county, in the town of
MARLBOROUGH, Mass, town famous for
its piety, it's behring's, and its dwarfs. AL
most every one in this house has spent no
small portion OF his time in Turkey, and
it needs little imagination for visitor to
fancy himself on the shore of the Golden
Horn. You are awakened in the morning
by the barking OF a dog, imported for
aught anybody knows, from that paradise
OF dogs. STEAMBOAT. Before breakfast you
take glass of salep if you wish-a warm
drink, fragrant with ginger or cinnamon.
Play, which is to the Turk what the hoe
cake is TO the negro, oats to the Scotch
man. or the ancestral bean to the Yankee,
forms the backbone Of your breakfast.
Nothing can be more palatable than
this compound of rice, chopped NUT
ton and spices. After breakfast your
light cigarette and listen TO your hosts
criticisms Of the absurdities published by
such lightning traveller as Sunset Cox
and his competitors in ignorance. Or you
study a rlch collection of photographs OF
that most lovely region of the earth-the
great garden on either side the BosphOrus.
You see the huge round tower on the point
where the strait was bridged by the Per-
sian boats, and the old Seragio, whose
beauty, mystery and horror for centuries
drew toward 1t the ewes of the Christian
and pagan worlds. You see the muezZia
on the minaret calling the faithful to
prayer; you see beautiful palaces nest
ling among the trees by the water side,
with caiques mOOred to the wharf, pic
lures breathing so sweet music that it
seems as though the very bowstring had
become a chord of an Eolian harp.
As you turn from photograph to paint
ing you wonder at the rich and gorgeous
coors that light up mart and port. Every
nationality and every dress, from the in
nrfa Of
the Fifth avenue belle, are gathered IN
one spot. Perhaps the three quaintest
characters are the zeibek, the bashi-
bazOOk and the Circassian. The last
looks like the combination of Methodist
or Episcopallan clergyman and the
Springfield arsenal-from under his long
black coat pr0trude handles OF pistols
and daggers, and on its pi0us-cut lappels
are sewed hOneycombs Of cartridges. The
bashi-bazoOk irregular troops) will any
OF them murder man for ten dollars,
unless the murderer raises the bid
to fifteen, in which case the impartial
basin will murder you, or rather ne is so
far governed by a sense OF honor that he
will give his employer the preference of
allowing him 10 make the last bid. The
zeibek is very bashi OF very bashi; with a
sword IN his mouth, knives and pistols
hanging from him in clusters, and gun
In his hand, he is so ferocious an object
that II he saw himself in the glass he
would certainly be frightened to death.
The Sultan, after the last war, when the
zeibeks had grown FESTIVE with stary9-
tion, resOrted TO device to tame them.
He ordered them 10 remove their thick
wristbands. Over half of them died in
consequence, showing that the stomach
is still a soldiers most important feature.
But the dinner bell interrupts you, and
for few minutes Cape Cod bests the
Crescent by token Of large Goldfish. This
dispatched, you return to your mutton.
and eat freely ofrehab-a dish that would
appear 10 the vulgar as nothing more
than hashed lamb, highly spiced, spread
thick over pieces Of toast. However, for
desert you have some mohalabee (blanc
mango cakes made Of rice -four and apple
dOlmas-apples cOred, and stuffed with
dried fruits and spices-that are really
delicious. They are eclipsed. however,
by the rahat-lO-cOOm-a mouthful OF de-
light-a CONNECTION which one eats with
the muddy, but agreeable black Turkish
coffee.
After dinner you enjoy another Of "the
four clements OF the world OF pleasure"
or "the four cushions OF the sofa of en-
joyment" Your host prepares your
nargiloh, fills It's bowl with Persian TO.
bacc0, which has just been washed: on
top OF itplaees a live coal. and says that
II should be smoked slowly. A narglleh,
% be properly enjoyed, allows no haste.
"rhe Turkish women are not such
effeminate playthinRs as one might sup
pOse." be says, when he sees you are
comfortable. "When Or. Hamlin was In
the hands Of an Armenian mob some
Turkish women cried out: The giaours
are mObbing Hamlin efIendi because he
doesn't worship images; they'll mob us
next With that each seized bean.pole,
or stick. and, charging, broke the mob
into pieces"