The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-30
A CUP OF COFFEE.
How Obnoxious Personages Are
Disposed Of in Turkey.

ordinary
consumption; it is one of the institu-
lions of the country; and very much
more important institution than persons
who have not travelled in the Turkish
Empire can possibly imagine.
Apart from its household use, coffee
affords, alike to the Moslems and to the
marvellous mixture Of races that inhabit
the headquarters of Islam-the worlds
natural center, geographically and
ethnologically-the principal means of
mild dissipation for all classes.
The Moslem is the most temperate of
races; all Intoxicating liquors are for
hidden by the Koran; and none but
few of the higher class Turks, in large
cities like Constantinople, Smyrna and
SalOnica, whose contact with Eur peans
has destroyed their inner faith in the
prophet, and made them practically
though not ayowedly infidels, ever
dream of breaking through the prohibi.
ton.
When the days work is done, little
handicapped table on the edge of the
sidewalk, a tiny cup of coffee. and a
swghie or "hubble-bubble" 1.-THE East
ern pipe) are all that the richest Turk
iSh Merchant or the poorest hGnad
(Street-porter) needs to pass the time,
and to elevate him into the seventh
heaven of INDECENT and serene enjoy
ment.
A wonderfully striking spectacle can
be viewed Oh any fine summer Sunday
afternoon, from the deck of one of the
passenger steamers that ply up and
down the Bosphorus, between Galata or
Scutari and Thesopia, Buyukdere and
KAYAK. Almost every terrace and
coigne of vantage on these lovely shores
are literally covered and carpeted with
the teeming population of Constantine
pie; all quietly enjoying themselves,
each at his or her little table, over in
fnitesimally small cups of coffee
and pipes-or cigarettes, in the
case of the Greek and Armeni.
an ladies, who are the most
numerous representatives of their
sex. The beauty of the scene is en-.
HANGED by the fact that the ladies dress,
for the most part, in silks of the bright
est hues, the Turkish ladies, when out
of doors, mostly in silken wrapper OF
but one color-cerise, mauve or crimson
the broad masses of color thus produc-
ing most artistic effect. On holiday,
a short-sighted observer would imagine
that the banks of the BOsphorus, in
themselves bright enough at intervals
with great thickets of roses, trailing
masses of Bou rainvillias and other daz.
zling creepers, were laid out in contin-
uous parterres of the most brilliant
fowers-the flowers being, as a matter
Of fact, very human indeed. There is nc
horse-play going on; no noise but an oc-
casional unobtrusive trio of violins,
equivalents; and hardly any movement
until the hour for retirement arrives
Turks, Greeks. Albanians, Armenians
and Jews are all content to while away
the afternoon, seated in passive enjoy.
ment, without any excitement or occu
patton beyond slipping their coffee.
The beverage-if 1 may so designate
a semi-fiuid of somewhat denser con-
sistency than the richest cream-alsc
plays an il 1ispensable part in the cere.
monies, private, diplomatic or public:
tail of ceremonial more strictly OBJ
served than among the Turks, every
man of whom is one of natures gentle
men. whatever his shortcomings may
be.
A visit of ceremony, be 1t to a mer
chant or to a pasta, is incomplete with.
out the coffee. Sweets. often a jam
made in Scio, Of orange or lemon
blossoms, or of rose-leaves, are general
ly handed round, and no little dexterity
is required to gracefully lodge spoon
full under heavy mustache (the at.
tempt always left me in a lamentable
state of sticky miseryD but whatever
else is given or withheld, the coffee is
always derigueur. And it can not be
refused without mortal offense.
Advantage is taken of this social
canon-for Turkish gentleman would
rather lose his life than be guilty OF
a breach of etiquette-to utilize coffee
for its most important function in the
internal economy of Turkey. 1t is not
too much to say that it has many time
changed and will many times again In.
Auence the destinies of the entire EN-
pire and of the East.
A cup of coffee is almost invariably
selected as the means of administering
poison; and poison is the ultima ratio
of Turkish statecraft. More so now
than in former times. since the practical
abolition of the death penalty by the
present Sultan.
The death penalty has not. it is true,
been formally discarded, but it is i'm
possible to get the reigning Sultan to
authorize an execution. The story goes
that in his childhood his nurse predict
ed to him the loss of his own life if he
should over sign death-warrant.
Brigandage and lawlessness have, OF
late years, increased to such an alarm
ing extent that hear the Sultan has
recently sanctioned the trial by court
martial and summary execution Of
brigands taken in arms: but when l was
in Turkey the scruples of his Imperial
Majesty drove officials charged with the
custody of particularly formidable
desperadoes to the surreptitious adop-
ton of ingenious but unrecog-
nized methods for the disposal OF
undesirable prisoners. An escort, con-
voying dangerous brigands to distant
fortress, woald occasionally arrive
empty-handed, having in some way
contrived en- route to disembarrass them
selves of the culprits The story usual
ly was that they had attempted an es-
cape, and had been shot or pitched over
board in self-defense. We all know that
"one story is good till another is told;"
there was never any one to tell that
other story. Needless to say, no indis-
Greet or inconvenient questions were
asked, so the system, facility adopted,
worked fairly we'll to the satisfaction