Evening journal., 1889-11-12
\ TURKEYS SAD SULTAN.
FRIGHTENED ALMOST TO DEATH
! LEST HE BE ASSASSINATED

with an Income Of Ten millions a Year
He Is Unhappy, and Rarely Goes out
A Pen Picture Of the Sultan on His Way
TO Prayers on Friday.
Sultan Abdul-Hanid has an empire nearly
half the size of the United States, over which
he is absolute ruler, and his word means life
and death TO more than 33, 100000 people He
is the spiritual head Of the great Mohamme-
dan religion, and 200,000,000 lips speak his
name in worship every day Multitudes in
India, North Africa, Chinn and South Europe
look upon him as the "Shadow Of God, p and
like the Turks Of Asia Minor, regard him as
the representative Of Mohammed He has an
income Of $i0,0000OO year. His treasury
is filed with diamonds His palaces are num-
bered by scores and he counts his Arab horses
by the thousands. He has countless servants
to satisfy his every wish.
II physical comfort, sensual enjoyments
and worldly power are the chief ends of life,
this man, now in his prime, ought to be the
happiest man in the world He is, on the
contrary, one Of the most miserable Every
one Of the roses Of his life conceals thorn,
and In each Of his palaces the skeletons OF fear
hide in Che closets, stand behind tho marble
columns Of the salons and poke their heads
out at him through the perfumed steam Of
his luxurious Turkish bath Having absolute
control over millions Of lives, he exists In
daily fear Of the loss Of his own and trembles
as he spends his nights and days inside his
great palace surrounded by his guards
GUARD OF 1000.
He moves among his people only when he
isforccd to do so by the religious observances
which are incumbent upon him as tho head
Of the Mohammedan religion, and his only
outing is on Friday afternoon when he goes
In state TO worship at tho mosque.
The ceremony is one Of the grand sights Of
Constantinople. The people would rise in in
surrection If the sultan omitted it, and it
takes 1000 troops 10 guard him on his way
from his palace to the place Of worship. A
wide, winding road leads from the palace 20
the mosque, and at the side Of this house
has been built by the sultan for distinguished
foreign guests. This house is just opposite
the mosque and its windows command fine
view Of it and the roads leading to it.
Armed with the card of the American min
lister and accompanied by my Mohammedan
guide, wasreceived by the officer in charge
when called at this house | was given a
seat at one Of the windows, and for two hours
preceding the ceremony was interested in
the massing Of the soldiers and in the propa-
ration for the coming OF the sultan. First
came little army Of carts drawn by donlxeys
and led by bare legged men in tmbans.
These carts were filed with soft yellow sand
and spread over the road 30 the depth Of sew
eral inches. As time goes on the soldiers
march up, division after division, and rank
themselves along the highway.
finest OF Arabian steeds, each regiment hav-
ing horses Of the same color, and nearly
every regiment uniformed differently. Here
Is troop Of Circassians with black caps six
inches high, upon the crown Of which are
white crosses. They are dressed In European
uniforms, and upon their breasts are rows OF
cartridges. Below them are cavalry from
Asia Minor, and coming down the hin in the
distance are troops after troops Of bronze
faced, fine looking men in turbans and caps
on the finest Of Arabian horses The soldiers
are tall broad shouldered and straight.
Down another road march long lines of in
fantry, some in the green eolors Of Moham-
med and others Ia clothes OF blue trimmed
with red.
AS the hour for the coming OF the sultan
approaches, the roads turn into rivers Of
soldiers, are seen tho curious characters Of Il
Mohammcdan crowd. There at the right &
patch Of white, and you note that the hun
dred helloon-like bags Of whitc cotton or silk,
which seem TO stand upright on tho ground,
are alive, and taking your glass you see that
out OF each bag, near tho top, peep two black
eyes, and you know that these are the ladies
Of several Mohammedan harems, who have
come out to get view Of the sultan. Now
come the officers Of tho court. They driveup
In carriages drawn by magnificent horses
Some Of them come on horseback, and the
breasts OF ell are covered with medals, while
their Clothes Of European cut, fairly blaze
with gold lace. Each man wears a bright
red fez cap, which looks ike a gigantic red
tumbler inverted, and these caps crown the
heads OF the soldiers as well, making the
whole crowd look like great human flower
bed Of red
looks LIKE JAy QOrrfp