Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-11-01
THE SULTAN'S KEEPING.
THE TURKISH RULER ALWAYS EATS
ENTIRELY ALONE.

Feeding the Army Of Servants and Off
cers-The Sultan's Big Farms-Wast.
and Extravaganza in the Kitchen-On,
Years Expenses. -i.-.
The food for the sultan is cooked by
one man and his aids, and none others
touch it. It is cooked in silver vessels,
and when done each kettle is sealed by 9
slip of paper and stamp, and this is
broken in the presence Of the sultan by
the high chamberlain. who takes one
spoonful of each separate kettle before
the sultan tastes it. This is to prevent
the sultans being poisoned. The food Is
almost always served up to the sultan in
the same vessels In which it was cooked,
and these are often Of gold; but when q
baser metal. the kettle is set into a rich,
golden bell shaped holder, the handle OF
which is held by slave while the sultan
eats. Each kettle is course, and is
served with bread and kind Of pancake,
which is held on golden tray by another
slave.
1t requires just twice as many slaves
as there are courses to serve a dinner to
him. He usually sits on divan near a
window, which looks out over the Bos-
phorus, and takes his ease and comfort in
a loose pembazar and gegelik, with his
sleeves turned up. After he has eaten
all he wants the sultan takes his coffee
and his chilbouk and lies back in an
ecstasy of enjoyment and quiet reverie,
which he calls taking his keif Woe be
to the one who comes to disturb it.
The food being cooked outside Of the
palace makes it necessary to have bell
shaped felt covers to clap down tightly
over each kettle, which has been placed
on a tray. For the sultan and royal
family there are magnificent velvet covers
broidered with gold and silver threads
and pearl, coral or turquois beads Those
for others are not so handsome.
The sultan is served first, and he always
eats entirely alone, never under any cir
cumstances deigning to eat with any one,
and as soon as he has begun to eat the
harem is served The sultan never uses
plate He takes all his food direct from
the little kettles, and never uses table
and rarely knife or fork. A spoon, his
bread or pancake or fingers are far
handler. The whole household is at lib
erty to take meals where it suits him or
her best, and thus every one is served
with a small tray, with a spoon. great
chunk of bread, and the higher ones only
get the pancakes.
After the harem the officers Of the i'm
perial body guard, the eunuchs, the cham
berlains and other high functionar IS are
fed, they usually being seated around
table, and the kettles are offered each one,
who helps himself to one or two spoon
fuls of the contents of each. 1t is not
etiquette to take more, no matter how
nice the dish nor how hungry, but as the
number of dishes is always so great no
one need go hungry.
After all the officers and others Of high
degree are fed the soldiers and servants
get their food, and at the same time all
the men employed in the imperial stables
have theirs, and during the progress of
the meals any stranger, whoever it may
be, is at liberty to come in and seat him
self and eat. AS a general rule three
hundred persons are fed every day who
have no earthly right except what the
laws of hospitality give. 1t is sort of
perpetual free lunch, and beggars as well
rs rich men avail themselves of this royal
bounty.
The sultan has number Of very large
farms, some of them covering miles in ex-
tent, both in European Turkey and Asiatic
Turkey, and these are intended to supply
Ill those things which farms can produce
70 the palace. One Of these farms is near
rchatchaldja, where the government is
now about building fortress, and another
1t Abbey Keni, both of these within easy
'ide from Constantinople. There are two
,thers at Northumberland and Bo-
7oukchoul1medje. These are all near
Constantinople. The others are in Asia
Minor. On these much of the grain and
ood OF the horses are raised. They are
II were titled by the compulsory labor of
he Bulgarians, large numbers of them
,eing obliged by conscription to serve so
many months year on these farms. They
we're tied together like cattle and brought
y force and treated like brutes. This
vas sort Of tax duty which they were
bliged to pay in labor. It may not be so
low, but probably is.
The soil of Turkey is very fertile and
productive, and from these farms annu-
lily are brought on donkeys and in boats
ons upon tons of vegetables of all kinds,
milk, butter and cheese, mutton, eggs,
'oultry and fruit. The amount in the |
ggregate is suspendous, and yet it is not |
quarter enough for the needs of that |
ousehold. Nearly all the tobacco, how
yer, comes from these farms, and is of |
he finest quality.
uality. They do not grow rice, and, in
onsequence, buy nearly one ton of rice |
er day for the inevitable pilaff, 600 |
ounds of sugar, as much coffee, to say
othing, of the other groceries. fruit, |
egetables and meat. Rice, mutton and |
read form the greater part of food for the
lajority of Turks; yet, aside from these
hey get away with one ton of beef and
alf ton of veal per day, to say moth
lg Of the other viands and fish, sweet
heats, confectionery, nuts and dried and
'esh fruits. The waste and extrava-
ance in the kitchen are enormous, and
aopgh is thrown away every day to
laintain hundred families. Much Of
lis is gathered up by beggars, and the
ogs eat the rest.
The estimate is that it costs per year to
apply the food for the sultan's house
old, horses and animals, aside from
le value of the product of the vast
rms, very nearly if not quite
J, 1,OOO,O 600; cost of furniture, bedding
I'd carpets, $3,000.000; drugs, womens
othes, jewels and cosmetics, 100000
prices of all kinds, $4,000, 600; sultans
othes and bedding, 100000; sundries.
'esents and servants wages, $4,000, 600;
ate, gold and silver dishes, S2,5G0, 900;
rriages, 474 of them, S474, coo. Total,
Il AZ, 900. That is a snug little sum,
1T it is an under rather than an over
innate, as every one who has lived hong
Turkey and had means OF judging and
eing the reckless extravaganza of the
yal household will concede.-Na~ York
arald.