The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-08-15
Turkey and It's Customs.

try in this country, delivered an inter.
esting and highly instructive lecture
at the M. E. Church last Friday eve.
ming to fair sized, but very apprecia.
tive audience. He also delivered his
lecture in Oil City Monday evening,
of which the Blizzard gives a very good
outline as follows:
His talk abouuded with many witty
sayings which kept the audience in
splendid humor. Mr.. Bedekian labors
under the same difficulty usually OBJ
served in foreigners who attempt to
master the English tongue, that of
expressing himself clearly and to his
own satisfaction, although he does
better than many others who have
attempted to teach America how the
other side of the globe is run.
AT about quarter to eight o'clock
the gentleman in question appeared on
the platform arrayed in a picturesque
costume which he informed his hearers
was the habit Of Turkish dude, and
not that Of an Armenian, although he
was an Armenian himself. The Ar.
menians are a part Of the Turkish
empire, but differ from the orthodox
Turks in their wearing apparel. In
the Turkish empire there are sixteen
different tribes or sects who differ
from each other even as the Turks and
Armenians differ, but are all under
the same rule. In speaking OF the
fruits, which grow the same in Turkey
as here, with the exception of bananas,
he said !: "The fruits here are all coun.
terfeits, they don't compare with those
of my native land the grapes espec-
tally are far below ours. When l
landed in New York, l noticed some
nice looking grapes, ofwhich l bought,
but when tasted them l couldn't eat,
as they did not taste at all like home
grapes, although they looked the
same" Chestnuts and other like pro.
ductiOns of this country we're put in
same class by him. The silk manu-
facture is one of the principal indus
tries of Turkey. When the silk worms
live the growers reap a good harvest,
but when they die lots of money is
lost. 1t is almost as uncertain as the
oil business. In Turkey barley is
used to make bread and other eadibles
but in this country it is used to make
whisky. Mr.. b. thought this state of
affairs must exist on account of the
higher education of the Americans.
! The seasons of the year are about the
same in the east as they are here but
not SO changeable and the changeable
ness here he thought was what affected
, our politics, in that man is democrat
in the morning, republican in the
afternoon and prohibitionist at night.
The fact is that in Turkey, the weather
never changes nor anything else, every
, thing goes along just as it has for GEN.
turies. The power of government is
in the hands of the sultan, whose po.
t sition is hereditary, descending from
the oldest son to the next oldest and
not to the sons son. The Christians
are allowed perfect freedom for wor.
ship, but they must not preach to the
Turks. The people are taxed one.
tenth of all their earnings by the
! sultan, and the Christians are even
taxed more. 1t keeps the people in a
; low state financially to meet the heavy
expenses of the sultan and his family,
, which amount to over $18,000,000 a
year. The greater part of the travel
ing is done on horseback, there being
: but /, 100 miles Of railroad in the en-.
tire country. The principal reason
for this state Of things is the unpro.
gressiveness of the Turkish religion,
and the fact that they don't intermarry
with other Europeans. Instead Of
: coal, wood and charcoal are used
There is no ice but snow is preserved
and serves the same purpose. The
table etiquette is hardly what it is in
o this country. The meals are served
b in courses, and each course is put on
the table in a large dish, out of which
the entire company eat, using their
hands or fingers, it being considered q
sin to use forks, as their ancestors got
. along without them. The marriages
' are not matters of love but the bride
is chosen by the groom's mother, some.
9 times when the principals are not more
than twelve years old. The length OF
o engagement varies from one year to
almost any number, dependent on the
ages of those engaged.
The engagement is made binding by
J the Interchange of some gifts, such as
| handk ernhiafa nonk athnoks or Rihlas