Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1886-06-26
TEvFlCK PASHA'S JOKE.
The Turkish Minister Tells About
Plural wives and Their Influence

on Prayer.
Tevfik Pasha, Turkish minister at
Washington, is not a turbaned Turk,
but all the same Mohammedan from
way back, says The Nes0 YORK. Mail and
E1press. He is short in stature, some-
what stopped from age, has retreat
ing forehead, blue eyes, and gray
whiskers. A reporter had a pleasant
chat with him yesterday and managed
to tract little Oriental joke, the third
one he has related since he became a
diplomatic.
''The war between Turkey and
Greecep' he queried, in response to a
question. Il don't know anything
about it, only what / see in the papers.
have no idea what Greece wants. and
as l haven't even any private advices
on the subject, must ask to be excused
from discussing the outlook.
II suppose you know all about the
harem. For it seems the duty of every
European who travels in Turkey to
write about the harem, and ignore the
real progress of the country. Half of
these writer's, though, don't know what
a harem means. 1t may mean madame
so and so or mesdames so and so, and
that is ALL"
''Is it not a place where husband
keeps his wives?"
"a husband keeps his wife or wives
in his house, as a rule, or in separate
establishments. The Mohammedan re-
ligion permits only four wives, and
these under certain conditions, regulat-
ed by the Khoranic laws. If the first
70 h,.;,~
a second wife under the same roof; in
deed, he can not marry another at all
unless he is simply able to keep a sepa-
rate establishment. The law gives the
wife the right to have her husband
dragged before the courts if he violates
that rule, and he is dealt with accord
ingly. Plural wives are not universal
among the Turks. l haven't a single
friend in Constantinople, and | have
good many, who has more than one
wife. | am told that in Asiatic Turkey
the custom of plural wives among the
peasantry is very common. The first
wife, who works in the field with her
husband, urges him to marry second,
third, and frequently fourth wife,
in order to have more assistance in till
ing the farm. These women, too, are
great company for each other, and
help to Tighten the common daily bur-
dens.
''It is the belief among the Moham-
medans that if early prayers are said
forty mornings in succession at the
mosque, before any one else arrives,
the one so doing shall have good luck
and prosperity. There was a poor man
in Constantinople who was the picture
of bad luck and improvidence. He
concluded to attempt the mascot feat.
Every morning early he repaired to the
great mosque of st. Sophia and invari-
ably found some one ahead of him,
thus breaking the charm. One morn
ing, as usual he discovered the,earlier
devotee, and, as he proved to be the
same one all the time, he thus spoke:
My friend, 1 am poor, and need good
luck. For many mornings l have come
hither to pray, each time earlier than
before. Give me chance, tell me how
you get here earlier than | every day.
To which the early devotee replied: Il
have two wives. When awake in the
morning one brings me my slippers,
the other my ablution bowl, and by
these wives attending my wants togeth-
er am enabled to be off earlier for
prayers than if / had only one wife.
The poor man resolved to profit by the
advice. He got him another wife, and
in a few days discovered the real
secret of the early devotee-viz: the
war between the two women m ade very
early morning prayers at the mosque
blessing"