Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-29

Valide Sultana for number of months
Six months before. Ramazan each year the
Georgian slave merchants and others who
have girls whom they wish to sell to the
Sultan bring their young ladies to the
Sultan's mother. She looks over them and
picks out 10 or more. These are taken into
the palace and are carefully fed like so
many prize horses. Shortly before Bairam
she looks over the lot again and picks out
the one who is to be the bride of the Sultan.
The Sultan has, believe, the right to take
such of the other girls as strike his iancv,
but his Bairam bride he does not see until
the night after this feast. If she happens
to please the Sultan she is given separate
apartment, and if she has children they are
legitimate and rank with other Princes and
Princesses. Ii the Sultan does not like her
she ranks with the other slaves of the pal
ace, and it may be never sees His Majesty
again.
A GOOD, LAZY TIME.
The favorite ladies' of the Sultan's harem
have by no means bad time. They are
certainly better off than they would be in
their native lands. and many of them esteem
it great honor to be brought to CONSTANT.
nople and sold. Their II in the palace is
do-nothlng, lazy one. They spend the day
in chatting, eating and sleeping. Most of
them smoke cigarettes, and they 90 out
dining under the charge of their eunuchs
when they can get permission. The Sultan
has very nice little theater in his palace,
and music for this is often furnished by the
ladies of the harem. The price OF slave is
largely increased if she is good musician,
and some of these girls are good dancers and
singers.
The price for an ordinary slave girl of the
desirable age, ranging from II to 16, is 5000.
If she is beautiful she may be worth 50, GOO
and more, and if in addition to this she is
good musician the mother of the Sultan will
give from 5000 to 5000 for her. Rich
blonde beauties with blue eyes and trans
parent skins always bring high prices if
plump and we'll rounded, but am told that
black girls are brought from Africa and sold
for song in Constantinople. The slave
market of the city has long since been done
away with, but the buying and selling still
goes on underhand and the terms of slavery
outside the palace are such that after slave
has served seven years she must, if she de-
sires, be released. More than half the mar
riages in Turkey are, it. is said, made with
slaves, but the slave having child is
usually elevated to the position oil wife.
AN oBLIGING AUToCRAT.
The foreign artists vino come to Constan-
tinople are often asked bv the Sultan to
give per ormances to himself and his
friends in his royal theater within the pal
ace. At such times the favorite ladies OF
the seraglio get a glimpse of outside life
through latticed windows of their boxes and
the event is the subject of gossip in the
harem for weeks to come.
In connection with this theater was told
an incident which gives some insight into
the kindliness of the Sultan's nature. On
the 22d Of last February when an Italian
opera troupe was playing in Constantinople
the American Minister, Mr.. Oscar Straus.
gave an entertainment to the Americans at
his house in celebration of Washington's
birthday. At this entertainment he had en-
gagged this Italian opera troupe consisting of
$50 musicians, to perform. Late in the af-
ternoon of the 22d Mr.. Straus received a
note from the Italian manager, saving that
the Sultan had requested the troupe to come
that night TO the palace, and inasmuch as
the request Of His Majesty is equivalent to'a
command, he could not keep his engage
ment with him.
1t was too late at this time to countermand
the invitation for the entertainment and
Mr.. Straus sent messenger to the Sultan,
explaining the situation and asking him to
allow the troop to come to his house either
before or after the entertainment at the
palace. His Majesty at once sent back
messenger, saying that he would under no
conditions disturb the entertainment of Mr..
Straus, and that it would suit him lust as
we'll to have the troop come to the palace
after their entertainment was over, which
was done. At another time he disarranged
one of his dinners at the palace in order to
accommodate the American minister, and 1
am told here that a friendship has existed
between Mr.. Straus and His Majesty during
the whole OF the formers ministry
FRANK G. CARPENTER.