The Springdale news., 1889-09-20
THE SULTaN'S HAREM.
It Is Mostly Recruited from Circassia and
 Georgia.

Georgia
 How many wives does he maintainp Well there are between two hundred and three hundred ladies in the harem. but only those who are mothers really hold the rank of wives. In the Sul. tan's harem, though, as in every other Turkish harem, for that matter there is always one who Is the favorite. She is virtually the Sultana, ana she gen. erally manages to keep the head Of the household pretty well to herself. Turkish women are not much difer- ent from any other women in their leanings toward monopoly as regards the possession of a man. There are many women in the imperial harem who have never exchanged ten words with the Sultan.
 The harems are mostly recruited from Georgia and Circassia. Dealers 20 into these districts and purchase the girls from their parents at prices rang ing from few hundred to thousands Of dollars. Tine price entirely depends upon the appearance of the article The poorer-looking girls are kept at home to supply the home demand. The Georgian or Circassian young man who wants wife gets his mother, or some other female relative in whose judgment he has confidence, to select wife for him from the local harems, and he pays for her in sheep, in goats or in asses, as his means will allow Recently, have been told, the install ment plan of paying fora wife has been introduced with great success in Cir. cassia. It enables a young man to se. cure an article of better quality than. if he paid value down.
 The best-lOoking girls, however, all go to the brokers or dealers. Money talks in Georgia and Chrassia just as loudly as in London or New York. The girls thus purchased are handled with great care. and are disposed of ai profits ranging from two hundred to three hundred per cent. in the mar, kets of Constantinople, Smyrna and other large cities.
 In the higher realms of Turkish so- ciety it is considered quite the hand some thing to give a friend as d birth day present a plump young Georgian or a pretty, fair-skinned Circassian.
 Upon receiving a notification from the chief eunuch the dealer in wares from Georgia or Circassia is bound to give the imperial harem the first pick. This picking is usually done by the chief enuch.
 This official is very important per- sonage in the Turkish empire. He ranks with Field Marshal and receives a salary equal to that of the Prime Minister. On his finger he wears dia- monds worth Kings ransom, and his sable feet are kissed by postulants for his favor who seek to secure the indi- rect influence which he can exert up- on his royal master
 The eunuchs are usually recruited in Upper Egypt, and are selected in early childhood for the career they are to fiji. The blacker and uglier the eunueh is the bigger price he brings. A tall, welldeyeloped. mposing-Iooking eu- much, with the requisite amount of swarthiness and ugliness is worth from 1000 to 5000.
 The eunuchs are required to keep strict watch over the harem. and to hold the inmates in order. They are pretty careful in their bearing toward those inmates who are mothers, and consequently have certain rank, but they frequently cuff and spank the other ladies, and upon occasion even resort to the bastinado, which consists of a whipping administered to the soles of the feet.
 In the harem the ladies spend their time in slipping chocolate, eating sweet meats, playing cards and talking to- gether. One would imagine that there was very little good for discussion among them, but it is strange how much news from the outer world leaks into these harems Scandals and di- yorce cases which have taken place in European capitals are the favorite subjects of discussion. Chicago Her. ald.