The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-08-01
THE TURKISH POSTAL SYSTEM.
A Holy War Imminent UnIsss It's Ent-
cheney is Improved.

cheney Is Improved.
The crusaders of old, from Peter the
Hermit to Prince Methusalem. would
grid up their loins anew and raise again
the tattered banner OF the cross.
il they could but know of the war now
in progress between United States
Consul Selah Merrill, of Palestine. and
the Turkish Government, anent the
mail service of Syria. In one of his re-
ports to the Stste Department last fall,
Mr. Merrill took occasion to say that
Turkey is in the postal union, and in
Europe and America it is supposed she
is sufficiently civilized to deserve to be
thus admitted, but those Europeans and
Americans who reside here realize to
their sorrow often that letters in the
Turkish post are common property
when they see them scattered promis-
cuously about the single room of the
postoffice, on window lodges, and the
tops of boxes, on divans and on the
floor" This was worse than o charge
Of offensive craftsmanship" against the
postmaster at Jerusalem. and the State
Department Of this country made up its
mind to investigate him. This it d
by requesting of Consul Merrill bill of
particulars.
The Consul has made a lengthy re-
port, bringing extensive and alarming
allegations against the whole postal
service Of Turkey, but particularly that
of Palestine. 1t seems that in Jerusalem
there are two mail services, the Turkish
and the Austrian. but no complaint is
made as to the latter. The only sea-
port of Jerusalem is Jaffa (the ancient
Joppa,) forty miles distant. and the
mail is conveyed across the country by
almost anybody who will consent to
carry it. The Austrian mail arrives in
Jerusalem about eighteen or twenty
hours after its reception at Jaffa, and is
distributed by seven o'clock in the morn
ing. while the Turkish mail is seldom
open until six hours later The Consul
says that on one occasion the bag con-
tanning the mail was given by the
| Turkish officials at Jaffa to common
peasant. who agreed to carry it to Je-
rusalem for one medjidi. or about one
dollar. The man took the bag, dis
| appeared, and has never since been
heard of, the authorities claiming they
could not be expected to find man
of whose name and residence they were
ignorant.
The Consul declares the mailbag is
sometimes taken from Jaffa and left for
hours by the side of the street outside
| the gates of Jerusalem, where crowds
| of men and animals are constantly pass
ing. Near this point there is a large
khan, where mules and donkeys are
kept, and here the mailbag is often
dumped on its arrival from Jaha. re-
naming for the night or day. or until
some official from the postoflice sends
for it. In the meantime anybody and
everybody takes the liberty of opening
1.-THE bag and getting out his
mail. 1t frequently happens, says the
Consul, that during Ramadan (the
great Mohammedan feast, which
continues for a month) the mudi Tolls
down to the postoffice at noon, opens
the bag to give out Government mail to
some official messenger, and then de-
liberately sits down to smoke. leaving
the European patron to cool his heels
on the stone floor. When the mail is
finally distributed, the Christian is
quietly told there is nothing for him.
when the fact is the letters are scattered
| all over the room, and it is much easier
to say mo- than to ascertain who they
are really for
In this manner, says the Consul, valIi
able letters are lost through the dis
honesty and carelessness of the Turkish
postal officers and he advises all Amer
can mail for Syria to be sent by way o.
| Rriudiai or Triasta iuotaad of hy Con.
stantinople. Naturally enough. wher
these charges were formally la d before
the Director General of posts at Con
stantinople, supplemented by similar
charges from the French Consul at Je
rusalem, there was great gnashing o
teeth and the Turkish anger wa.
kiRdled. After several months of wait
ing, the Director General now files will
the Government of the United States {
denial Of the charges In language tina
would do justice to Kentucky duelst
He says he caused an investigation tt
be made of the mail service of Syris
and that no complaints were heart
from anybody but the American Consul
whose charges are inexplicable ant
intentionally untrue" Now the Stat,
Department is scratching Its head ant
wondering how long anybody but 9
consul could live in Syria after daring
to complain at anything the Turkish
Government did, and Consul Merrill i
roosting in the Mount Of Olives with
knife up his sleeve. There will be 1
holy war If Mr.. Merrill doesn't get hi!
next love-letter on time. = Washsngto.
Cor. 81. Louis Globe Democrat.