The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-10
, THE SULTAN'S HOUSEHOLD.
All Responsibility Rests on the Shoulders
OF Two Officials.

Al hoBpOn9lD1uCy RESTS on the SnOuluers
OF Two Oficfals.
It Is estimated that over six thousand
persons are fed daily at his Dolma
Bagtche Palace when the Sultan is
there. One who is well informed gives
. graphic picture of the Sultan's house
keeping. He admits that it is clear that
there is good executive ability in the
management of this enormous house,
hold, for there is scarcely ever jar or
hitch, even under the impulse of the
most untimely demands. Every differ
emit department is under the control of a
person who is directly responsible for
that, and he has corps of servants and
slaves under his orders, who obey him
only, and he is subject to the Treasurer
of the Household. Women have no voice
whatever in the management of any
thing in any department. Their
sole occupation is to wait upon
their respective mistresses, or to serve
the Sultan in some specified capacity;
and the labor about the palace is SO sub
divided that no one works very hard ex-
cept the Lord High Chamberlain and
Treasurer of the Household. The
Chamberlain is mostly occupied in ad-
ministering to the wants and caprices
of the Sultan, and is in almost constant
attendance upon him; so the Treasurer
of the Household has the burden of the
housekeeping on his burly shoulders.
He has an organized force of buyers, who
are each charged with the purchase of
certain supplies for their individual de-
partments, each having his helpers,
servants and slaves. One man is
charged with the duty of supplying all
the fish, and as to furnishing fish
for at least six thousand per-
sons is no light undertaking in
place where there are no
great markets such as there are in all
other large cities, he has to have about
twenty men to scour the various small
markets and buy of the fishermen, and
each of these men has two others to
carry the fish they buy. About ten
tons of fish week are required. There
are nearly eighteen thou sand pounds of
bread eaten daily, for the Turks are
large bread eaters, and this is all baked
in the enormous ovens situated at
some distance from the Palace. The
food for the Sultan is cooked by one
man and his aids, and no others touch
it. 1t is cooked in silver vessels, and
when done each kettle is sealed by a
slip of paper and stamp, and this is
broken in the presence of the Sultan by
the High Chamberlain, who takes one
spoonful of each separate kettle be.
fore the Sultan tastes it. This
is to guard against poison. The food
is almost always served up to the Sui
tan in the same vessels in which it was
cooked, and these are often of gold, but
when of baser metal the kettle is sci
into rich golden bell-shaped holder
the handle of which is held by slave
while the Sultan eats. Each kettle
represents course, and is served with
bread and kind of pancake, which il
held on golden tray by another slave.
The Sultan never uses plate. He take:
all his food direct from the little ket
ties. and ntver uses table and rarely
knife or fork-a spoon, his bread, 6
pancake, or fingers are found far handi
er. 1t requires just twice as many
slaves as there are courses to serve
| diunor to him IT oicuro Horn