The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-01-05
coNsrAnTlNoPLE.s ODDITIES.
Great City With Some Features Found
Nowhere Else.

Great City with Some Features Found
Nowhere Else.
With the Mohammedans religion
seems paramount; pleasures and the art
of money-making are matters of second
airy consideration. Near each mosque
are numerous fountains, where the
faithful are forever bathing their faces
and breasts, their hands and feet, pre-
paratory to saying their prayers. Those
who feel that they can afford the time
attend prayers at te mosque four and
five times each day. The poorer classes,
whose time is necessarily preoccupied,
are equally attentive to their religious
duties, and can often be seen in their
shops and by the roadside on their
knees chanting their prayers
In Constantinople we staid at the
new hotel. the London. opposite to
which is a densely foliaged park, where
band plays afternoon and evening. 1t
is the fashionable resort for all Euro
peans; no Turkish women or children
are ever seen there, as they never visit
any public place of amusement
Some strange couples are united in
these eastern countries. A full blooded
negro, whose beloved wife was a FreHch
woman, was staying at the London. He
appeared to have the intelligence, how
ever, of half dozen ordinary white
men. He spoke many languages, and
received more attention than any other
individual at the hotel. His name was
ID. Delorme, ministre plcnipotentiare de
la republique d'Haiti to Berlin. An
other couple outside of the ordinaire
was a young Mohammedan, as dark as
Delorme, whose wife was a fair English
lady, whom he had met while she was
paying a visit to Calcutta. She seemed
quite satisfied with her husband, but
fear that many embarrassing nts await
her in England if sac expects to re-
enter society. Constantinople looks in
the distance like voluptuous beauty
that could be likened to fiirt or a CO.
quette Seen from a distance she is
lovely, she is fascinating g, she is perfect
whether it be from the heights OF the
old towers, the Marmora sea, or sailing
up the Bosporus; but when you APP
proach her face to face then comes the
usual disappointment; you perceive the
rouge, the makeup; you have been de-
ceived. While you follow her at dis
lance she is enchanting, but when you
have embraced her then comes the dis
appointment, and you prefer forever
after to view her and admire her from
a distance.
think Constantinople is the only city
in the world which makes practice of
charging a percentage for all moneys
changed-if you make purchase you
must pay for the articles with the exact
change. Money changers are stationed
at short distance all over the city, and
you are expected to patronize them,
allowing them percentage for supply
ing you with the coins you need.
There seem to be no wagons, trucks
or draws in the city. Strings of horses
are constantly seen carrying heavy
loads-winding their way through the
narrow streets-apparently perfectly
understanding every word that the
driver yells to them. These horses
carry all the building materials, such
as brick, dirt, lumber, stones, etc. A
wooden rack is tied on the back of the
horse, on which can be strapped loads
which loom up like small mountains.
The manner of doing business in the
Asiatic countries is very unsatisfactory,
and is especially so at the bazars in
Constantinoplc. There are no positive
prices; you are at first charged double
or treble what the article is worth;
then you are supposed to make an offer
and wrangle and barter until an under
standing is reached. l intended to
have purchased some embroideries and
rugs, but became thoroughly Disguised
with their upbusinesslike methods and
renounced my intention. If one is a
thorough judge of every article he de-
sires, there is no doubt that he can pro-
cure great advantages both in assort-
men, and price by purchasing at these
bazars, but stranger who is not an
expert in their kind of merchandise had
much better defer his purchases until
he visits London, Paris, or even New
York. Church Union.