Wichita eagle., 1889-01-11
IN A TURKISH SCHOOL.
SLOW ADVANCE OF GENERAL LEARN
ING AMONG THE OSMANLI.

SLOW ADVANCE OF GENERAL LEARN
ING AMONG THE OSMANLi.
How Education Is Conducted In STEAMBOAT
An American Traveller Inspects an In
stitution Of Learning Strict School Disci
pIine-Only Glimpse.
After the destruction of the ianissaries
which some one reviewing the terrors of thei
reign called ''only the execution of 1000
murderers," that remarkable monarch Nah
mould II, began the task of molding Turke,
somewhat after European model, and
though the country WAS distracted by in
ternal feuds and weakened by wars witt
Russia, he set on foot many needed reform
and cid not overlook the cause of education
Academies were established in CONSTANT
| nople, Adrianople, Treidzond. Salouica
Smyrna Brousa and Ragdad, where literatur
and the sciences were to be taught. Militar,
and naval schools were also instituted, SOM
! OF which still exist. One, the college O
Artillery and Engineering at CONSTANT
| nople, Is divided into four sections of twenty
i've students each; the course Of study ex
/ tends over four years and is said to be re
| markabiy good, as is also that Of the military
| college at Pancaidi. The supply of students
for these colleges is drawn from the prepare
! tory schools above mentioned. There art
also several elementary schools in CONSTANT
nopie where the languages, writing, draw
ing mathematics, geography and little his
tory are taught. Inquiry has shown me thai
the means OF educatioa-for those especially
who are
but the masses OF pupils are confined still tc
the mosque schools, where instruction i:
limited TO oral lessons from the Koran, which
the presiding hodia (teachef) delivers to them
in the original Arabic, perfect gibberish, oil
course to the children until explained, and
he, L am told, is sure to translate only the
most dognatio and intolerant portions.
AN INSTITUTION OF LEARNING.
1t was our fortune TO stumble into large
Turkish institution-part orphans home,
part schooi-one day when exploring old
STEAMBOAT, where We found SO much to inter-
est us that am tempted to draw the picture
for you. We were told that the imposing
building before whose massive iron gateway
we drew up was a school for girls. An air of
mystery surrounded the exterior The gate
at which our driver was knocking looked as
Ii 1t lad never been used, and our effort to
gain admittance there proved vain At
length another gate was found, and after O
free use of the knocker we succeeded in
erousing sleepy looking porter, who scanned
US ielsurely and then announced that "School
is in session, but viii go and see if you can
be admitted" During his absence we looked
about and decided that though surrounded by
high walls of solid masonry this was no girls
school, for the windows had neither curtains
nor blinds, and were devoid of those close
.attlces which always screen the Turkish
woman from the gaze of man.
Soon the porter returned and conducted
our entire party up the well paved walk and
a flight Of marble steps and, without waiting
for cards or the slightest introduction, we
were shown into the private Office CT the di-
rector, who received us very courteously,
even before he learned we were q party of
Americans. 1t was most gratifying to our
national pride to see his face brighten and
note the pleasure with which he extended to
US the usual Inequalities when he learned
our nationality. he escorted us through the
establishment and informed US in pretty
good French that they then had 400 orphan
boys, besides a large number of day scholars,
I'LL VI WYNN! Wc1C 70 OOu Il uIlilOrIn
and submit to rigid discipline He showed
US through room where hundreds Of uni
forms were hanging, ali numbered, and when
walking through an immense dining hall
where covers were laid for more than 400, be
pointed to a table at one side where 1.-THE
naughty boys were fed on bread and salt
alonen
STUDENTS SIN DURANGO VILE
He then took US to prison on the ground
floor where they had at that time five ire
presSible students Sin durance vile,n confined
in box like cells just large enough for one
person, with a small ventilator near the top
through which a few rays of light could
enter. While we passed through the high
empty halls and from room to room, we saw
no one but the two servants, who with heavy
bundles Of keys in hand followed the director
and watched our every look and motion with
lynx eyed vigilance. We were shown through
SO many empty class rooms that we began to
wonder if the porter had not been mistaken
when he told Us the school was in session,
when suddenly door was thrown open and
before us We're about twenty lads with books
and drawing material on their desks, and a
teacher demonstrating on a blackboard q
a simple problem IN geometry All stared ct
us with immoyable features, and we as ST.
lently retredted. We were then taken across
an open court to modern looking building
most beautifully and conveniently fitted up
for q chemical laboratory. This, it was
quite evident, was the pei and pride of tho
director. Here we were pressed 10 be seated,
and coffee and cigarettes again offered the
entire party.
When leaving the laboratory to retr1rn TO
our carriage our attention was arrested by
murnur of voices. and looking
up to the windows we saw hundreds of faces
pressed against the panes. We stepped into
our carriage and drove away, leaving all
those motionless heads covered with the red
fee always worn by the Turkish subjects and
curious young eyes watching US, and yet per-
feet silence reigned! Such privacy, such
stiffness and order about a great institution
ike this is a marvel TO western eyes When
ve recall the fact th:s. we spent more than
two hours in the building and heard no sound
put our own footsteps and voices and that Of
the director, and, eIcep5 the one class of
twenty youths and five we found i'll in the
hospital ward, saw no sign Of life or activity,
we might well have been incredulous regard
ing the 400 or 500 students the director had
told Us Of, if we had not seen those faces in
the windows. We could learn but little Ie-
yarding the course OF instruction in this in
stitation, but were greatly impressed With
the rigid discipline -CsDstaatinnpls Cor
San Francisco Caronicla
The Poor Poet
On his income as a poet
lie can't live. he well must know II: