The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-15
PAPERS OF TURKEY.
Variety of Languages Needed
by Editor and Reporter.
coNsTANTlNoPLE JOURNALISM.
Censorship Of the Press-The Editorial
Page Unknown - Newsboys All
Memo Real Dailies.

NeIAnTiNOPLE, May oL-tcpeclai Cor
respondence. THE eagerness with which
anation seeks to learn what is happening
In the different quarters of the globe
serves as a criterion of the state of its civ
iiization. Judged by this standard, the
ancient Byzantium still holds its rank
among the great cities Of the world.
Constantinople, city said to contain
I,W0,0Oo inhabitants, is amply provided
with the means of disseminating news
and information. Even in this polyglot
place, the home of the dragoman, whom
the tower of Babel would have left undis-
| mayed, no one man can read all the news
papers. Ten languages are required to
give expression to the industry of the re-
| porter and the reflection of the editor. If
turkish, French, Greek, Hebrew and En-
glish do not suffice, the ardent inquirer
may quench his thirst in Armenian. Bull
| gafian, Italian, German or Persian. There
are published in these languages twenty
| dailies, ten weeklies, one bi-weekly, two
tri-weeklies, one bi-monthly and three
| monthlies.
The alphabet is not sure guide to the
language employed. One Turkish paper
Is printed in Armenian characters and an
other in Greek, while the two papers which
use Hebrew types are in the Spanish lam
guage. Judged by the press, one would
suppose that the most important foreign
languages in Constantinople are French
and English. There is no newspaper pub
lished exclusively in English, but the two
most important dailies are combined Eng
lish and French.
THE "LEvANr HERALD"
| AT the head of Constantinople journal
| ism stands the Lcpdnt Herald, or to give
its full title, The Levant Herald and Eastern
Express. 1t is in size the largest, in gather
ing news the most energetic, and in
! editorial comment the ablest among
Constantinople journals. 1t is an eight
| page sheet, five columns to the page,
in large type, on fair paper, with
] poor ink and poorer presswork. About
| hve-eighths of the reading matter is in
French and the remainder in English,
though every news item of Importance in
variably appears in both languages. The
foreign Geographic news is fragmentary;
the Danubian provinces and Greece re-
| ceive, as might be expected, considerable
attention, and the political news from
these sections is accorded the most fire.
quent comment. In addition to the for
eign Geographic news, which occupies, as
rule, abont half column Qiberally
spaced and headed), five columns are de-
voted to foreign news acquired by the use
of shears and paste-pot, for it may be re-
marked in passing that gum arabic is cheap
in Turkey.
Local news is largely official and per-
sonal. The term official, however, en-
braces considerable variety of subjects.
Everything done in Turkey requires some
official authorization. Railways, water
works, business and financial enterprises
Of such moment as would entitle them to
newspaper mention, have their origin in O
government concession. Progress or re-
form in educational institutions, and
movements in scientific matters have, as q
rule, the same source. A new school is
opened in the provinces, fifteen students
of agriculture are sent to Berlin and Paris,
and twenty musicians to Munich to pur-
sue their studies-all by virtue of an i'm.
perial trade. 1t is the issuance of the edict
that enables the public to become ac-
quainted with the fact. The personal
news Is confined chiefly to an account of
the doings of the diplomatic corps, and the
arrival and departure of notable persons.
The remainder of the contents consists
of padding and advertisements. OF the
former one cannot but speak in terms of
| praise. 1t is true a reader of the London
Times sees many familiar articles, but it is
| equally true that they are carefully Sc
lected and timely. Following the an
| nouncement of the death of Sitting Bull
there appeared a biographical sketch of
considerable length, and close on its
heels or following its trail, so to speak, a
| sober account of the Indians, very much
! unlike most European information con-
corning things American in general, and
| the Indians in particular. Instead OF
| drawing on his imagination the editor
/ made use of a lecture delivered by one OF
| the most prominent of American ethnolo-
| gists, Mr.. Henshaw, of the Smithsonian
| Institution. There is a teuitleton in ac-
/ cordance with the continental custom.
| This consists of a continued story printed
| in octave size and PACED, so that 1t may be
| cut out and bound in book form. When
| there Is an especial press OF matter an ex-
| ira sheet appears, which Is octave size and
| contains the feuitleton.
| Newspaper advertisement is not highly
| developed art; the native merchant does
! not advertise; he knows that every pur-
! chaser must come to the bazaar, and he
| simply lies in wait for his victim. The
larger stores, owned by foreigners OF
| natives with foreign connections, have,
| however, learned the value of the phrase,
| Don't be a clam" The advertising space
| is chiefly taken up with railroad and
/ steamship schedules, insurance companies
| and patent medicines, for distance has not
| diminished the vigor of Ayers cure-alls
| There is published besides daily list Of
| the guests at the prominent hotels, the
| tariff of prices for passport as well as fol-
| carriage hire, and q meteorological and
Theological report.
OTTER JOURNALS.
What has been said of the Lepant Herald
| holds good in the main OF the other Eng
| ish-French and French papers, although
| pages.
The Oriental advertiser, the other French
English daily, has longer page with sever
/ columns and much superior Typography
French has a decided preference. At the
head of the French papers stands the
| Stdmboul, which deserves especial mentor
for the arrangement of Its news, the de
scriptive character of its headings, and I
judicious use of bold face type. La Inrqute
another French paper, has the privilege Q
being an official organ, and Is favored witt
government advertising Eleven Jour
| mails are published in the turkish
language, of which six are dallles
The best known and most popular Is tn,
Tarik, or Tunes, with four pages OF SIX col
umns each very good illustrations for ad
vertisements, and Turkish .fenilteton.
is from this journal and the Murotpet tina
the English and French papers draw muct
of their Turkish news. Another Turkish
sheet which deserves mention Is the IeTdt
man Hakkikaf, the Interpreter OF Truth
Among those published in Greek, Con
staRtinopolis and Neotogos are the most I'm
| portant As would be expected, the!
have daily letters from Athens; for
eign news from England and the con
| tinent is however. not neglected. In