The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-01-21
manitomof pilot.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 81, 1886.
How the Sultan Pleased a Favorite.

The Both of October the population of
the left bank of the Golden Horn were
almost dying of thirst The city aque-
duct was dry. The water-selers were
reaping a harvest; they received three
piasters for pitcher OF water which at
other times sold for only ten paras But
luckily for the poor, who were unable to
purchase the cooling GraugAt, a brisk
south breeze set in during ;!.o evening
and brought with it plentiful down
pour of rain. The cisterns were filled
and believers and unbelievers could
drink as before. But the squeduct still
continued dry. 1t is an open secret that
his Majesty the Sultan was responsible
for the consumption of this immense
body of water. For weeks before it was
whispered throughout the cafes and ba-
zaars of the city that something unusual
was going ON in the park of the Yildiz
Kiosk. Hundreds of soldiers were work
ing day and night behind tic great
stone walls, but nobody knew at what
All that could be cleaned from those
who knew most was that they were dig
ging an enormous shapeless pit. When,
after the lapse of several weeks, this was
finished, endless trains of mules were
seen every night carrying large, white
stones up the mountain, for the pit had
to be walled and stone-lined. Finally,
one evening an English steamer cast
anchor right in front of the Tschiragan
Palace, where no pilot dare enter with
out running the risk of being shot by
the guards before he could explain his
coming. Great cases and packages were
taken from tho Ctpar onH flar-raH To
the Pildiz, and Immediately the water
disappeared from the aaueduct. The
following is the explanation of the mys-
terry: Several weeks ago the thong ht
came to the mind of his Sublime Males
ty to construct a great pond, or lake, in
the park of the palace grounds, in order
to be able to take his favorite Sultanas
out for an airing, and pleasant sail at
the same time, in a little steam skiff of
fairy-like beauty that he had had made
in England expressly for that purpose.
And to add to the capriciousness of the
idea, his Majesty had this artificial lake
entirely rooted. with blue glass, while
the banks are covered with blooming
plants and the rarest exotic flowers. Ar
tificial grottos and flowerey boudoirs are
scattered round about in all of which
musical clocks and instruments have
been placed, which are moved by COM
mon leverage, and play buzz, and whirr
in the most bizarre confusion. This
freak of his Majesty of course cost enor-
nous sums, hut he deems it cheap if it
can add to the pleasure of his favorite
odalisques. His Majesty is in constant
dread of assassination and palace revo-
lutions. The artists who carried out his
Sublime Majesty's idea were summoned
to the palace and rewarded in aprincely
manner. The French chausonnet sing
ers, the Greek buffoons, the English
jugglers, the Hungarian giantesses
wearing the 500-weight stones about
their necks-all are invited to the Yildiz
and received presents of from 5000 to
$500 each. OF course the artists on
leaving the palace had to give the usual
quantity of this honororium in back
sheeshn to the officials of the palace
The Sultan is great lover of music and
he manifests his tastes in that direction
by purchasing immense quantities musi-
cal clocks, haGpsichords, hurdygurdies,
and machine orchestras, These auto
matte "artists," his Majesty declares,
have double value-they need not be
paid and they can't steal.