Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-05-24
A CUP OF COFFEE.
How Obnoxious Personages Are
Disposed Of in Turkey.

Coffee in Turkey Is not, as with US, q
mere commonplace article of ordinary
consumption; it is one of the institu-
tons 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 avowedly inhdels, ever
dream of breaking through the prohibi-
ton.
When the days work is done, little
handicapped table on the edge Of the
sidewalk, tiny cup of coffee, and a
~4~ohie or "hubble-bubble" (the East
ern pipe) are all that the richest Turk
ish nerchant or the poorest hama
(street-porter) needs to pass the time,
and to elevate him into the seventh
heaven of indolent and serene enjoy
ment
A wonderfully striking spectacle can
be viewed on 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
finitesimally 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 a 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~ainVillias and other daz.
IL. la -
nous parterres of the most brilliant
howers-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,
mandolius or zithers, or their Turkish
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-it may so designate
semi-fluid of somewhat denser con
sistency than the richest cream-alsc
plays an il 1ispensable part in the cere'
monies, private, diplomatic or publici
and nowhere in the world is every de-
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 it to mer
chant or to pasha, is incomplete with
out the coffee. Sweets, often jam
made in SciO, of orange or lemon
blossoms. or of rose-ieaves, are general
ly handed round, and no little dexterity
is required to gracefully lodge spoon
full under a heavy mustache 1.-THE at
tempt always left me in a lamentable
state of sticky miseryD but whatever
else is given or withheld, the coffee is
always derigusur And it can not be
refused without mortal offense.
Advantage is taken Of this social
eanon-for a Turkish gentleman would
rather lose his rlife than be guilty OF
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 ln-
nuence 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 rats
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 inn
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 ii he
should over sign a 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
0rlgands 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'
undesirable prisoners. An escort con-
Voying dangerous brigands to distant
fortress, wodld occasionally arrive
empty-handed, having in some way
oontrived en- route to disembarrass them
selves Of the culprits. The story usual
~ was that they had attempted an es-
cape, and had been shot or pitched over
board in self-defense We all know that
zone story is good till another is told,