Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-15

stone into Asia, and by turning around you
could, with a revolver, shoot a bullet deep
into the body of Europe 1t is upon this
peninsula that the greatest part of Con-
stantinople is built. This part is known as
Stamboul, and it belongs almost exclusively
to the Turks. Upon it stand tire great
hazaars, above its thousands of Turkish
houses rise the tall minarets of hundreds of
mosques, and the cries of its turbaned ped
dlers are mixed with the shrill tenor of the
Muezzins who five times each day stand
upon the balconies of these towers and sing
out the hours OF prayers
BRIDGE OF BOATS
about mile long and as wide as Pennsyl-
vania avenue in Washington connects this
Turkish quarter of the city with the Euro
pean shore, and over this bridge there is
constantly passing throng of Turks and
Christians, of Hebrews and Greeks. of
brown-gowned men from Persia and broad
cloth traders from Europe. An italian
writer in ConstantinOple saws that 100. 600
men go over this bridge every day, and one
new idea crosses it about every fen wears
This bridge leads to Pera, which is the
European quarter of Constantinople. The
hills on the north side of the Golden Horn
are as steep as those of San Francisco. or of
the bluff on which Kansas CITY is built
Pera has covered these hills and the
palaces of the foreign legation, the Kosks
of the Sultan and the homes of the swell
Turkish officials stand high above Stamboul
and command extensive land and water
views of Asia and Europe Pera itself is
more of European town than a Turkish
one. 1t has business buildings like those
of Paris, its stores are filled with European
goods taStelully shown behind plate glass
windows, and good street car line carries
you from one part of it to the other. 1t
has an underground cable railroad. From
the shores of the Golden Horn to the ton of
the bluff upon which the city is built, and
the incline of this is as steep as that of the
bluff of Kansas City. The road is well
patronized, and it ought to be paying in
vestment.
Pera has European hotels with Swiss
servants, French cooks and electric bells
in which you can be as comfortable as in
any hotel in New York. And the social
dinners Of its people would compare fayora-
bly, with those of the other capitals of En-
rope. As diplomatic post the city of the
Sultan is one of the most important capitals
OF Europe. The complications which are
at any time liable to arise with Russia leads
the English, the French and the German to
keep immense establishments here, and the
expenses of the foreign ministers for enter
tanning runs into the tens of thousands of
dollars year.
A COSTLY POSITION.
One of the legations uses at its state din
ners gold and silver plate which is worth
100000, and the Sultan feasts the dipIo-
mats on gold plates and furnishes them
Turkish coffee in gold cups. During the
past four years the American Minister has
entertained very largely, and Mr.. Straus
has, doubt not, spent several times the
amount of his salary in keeping up Uncle
Sans end of diplomatic entertainment
He is one of the most popular Ministers
America has ever sent to Turkey. and his
diplomatic career has been a great success.
The Turks themselves are yery hosuitable
and many of the Turkish officials have
part of their houses furnished in Euronean
style. The better class of them are we'll
educated, and there are hundreds of Turks
in the employ of the Sultan who can sneak
French, English and German, and who are
as thoroughly posted on the leading subjects
OF the day as the most cultured men of the
courts of Europe. dined last night with
Balsamides Bey, who is well-knowp to
everyone who has read Marion Crawford's
novel, paul PatOf" This man is init
mately connected with the Sultan, and he
is, Judge, not much over 80 years of age.
He was educated in one of the great Mo-
hammedan schools, and his life has been
spent. almost altogether in Con.
stantiuople. Nevertheless be speaks Eng.
lish perfectly, can talk French like Pari-
sian. and is one of the best posted men /
have ever met on the history of the world.
He seems to have every event in our ma
tional life at his tongues end. He knows
all of the American authors and can talk by
the hour on English literature. He is as
well up on public men as he is on public
matters, and is one Of the most agreeable
conYersationalists 1 have met. He is the