The evening times., 1895-12-06
TURKEYS SINERIClI COLLEGE
Bow Admiral Farlagars Strategy Is
sisted Toward rs establishment
Strange Vicissitudes Due to Objac-
tions Of the islamites Swept Away
by Fear of Americ an Interference.
Chicago Record.

II should lfke.to ask your exceilency
question. should like to know why that
American college can't be built?'
This question Admiral Farragut, when
IN Constantinople on his tour around the
| world shortly after the war, asked OF every
| Turkish official whom he met. and he met
all who held important positions in the
| government.
| Robert college, or, as 1t is frequently
called, the American college, is situated
on the bluffs overlooking the Bosphorus.
and is the only foreign institution per-
mitted upon any prominent point along the
| straits.
For a number Of years every possible in
fluence had beenusei to prevent the electl"n
| of the college buildings. Before the col
lege was projected in 1859, Cyrus Hum
lin, its first president, had In his mind Sc
lected the ground ON which II now stands
as a site for collge. When the college
| was decided upon Mr.. Harnlin, through the
American secretary OF legation, Offered
the owner, Ahmed Vefyk Pasha, then Otto
| man ambassador at Paris, 81 5000 for the
tract. Ahmed Vefyk replied: Tell Mr.
Hamlin IL he has land to sell will listen
| to him; IL he is only a purchaser l have
nothing to say and no terms to Offer
Mr.. Hamlin accepted this decision az final,
and purchased land elsewhere, but when he
began to make prepara tions to build he was
forbidden to DO 30. Soon after, to his great
surprise, Ahmed Vefyk proposed to sell him
the tract on the Bosphorus at the price be
had offered. Mr.. Hamlin bought 1t, and
learned that the death of Sultan Abdul
| Medjid ad 10 seriously embarrassed Ahmed
Vefyk financially that he found himself in
deb tabout sac, 900 for the elegant dinners
| he had given in Paris for which he new
government refused to pay andhe wa sobliged
to sacrifice some of his property.
Mr.. Haniiin had barely begun preparations
for building when an officer presented him
| self and said: "Some formalitics are still
not completed. and you must wait until they
are" "How long," he asked perhaps
a couple of weeks" But he waited seven
| years.
| During these seven years, however, Mr..
| Hanlin was not idle. He endeavored to
enlist tho interest of diplomats and other
influential persons and so annoyed the
| Turkish officials that the grand yizier
once said: ..WIII this Mr.. Hanilin never die
and let me alone on this college question:"
Through Mr.. Morgan, the New York
banker. the matter was brought to the at
| tention of Mr.. Seward, Secretary Of State,
who forwarded to the United States minis
ter at Constantinoplc message, which Mr..
| Hamlin had prepared, and which. 4 his sug-
| gestion, was ordered to be read to Aali
| Pasha. The result of this action was that
| the Turkish minister at Washington wrote
| to Aali Pasha thati it would be well to settle
! that college question favorably to the
Americans, or BY and by 1t would become
| a thorny question. At one time Mr.. Ham
| lin thought he was about to secure the de-
| sired permission to build.
Sir Henry BGiwser, the English ambas-
| sador, had taken up the matter and had
| promised success. A few days later. how
ever, he was told that the English en-
bassy could do nothing for him. The
reason for this Mr.. Hamin learned when
| Sir Henry was recalled in disgrace for
| having accepted $4,000 from the khedive
| of Egypt tn settle quarrel with the sui
tan, the sultan agreeing to du So on coBdi-
| ton that Sir Henry would abandon three
| qucstions-the Bulgarian, the Scrvian and
the American Concge-to which he con-
| sented. srn-
Admiral Farragut's interest in the college
| came about in a singularly interesting way.
Soon after the admirafs arrival in Con-
stabtinopie Mr.. Hanilin's young son, Al
fred. said Father, won't you Ia Ike me down
to see our great adnlirale" mo. my son."
eplied the father; I'VE spent whole day
i'll trying TO STE the crown prince or Prus-
sia, and We did not see hin. after all. We
should probably have the same luck.
| should Ike tu see him very muc tr but can't
The boy turned away with q laok of dis
appointment, which reminded the father
or how he would have felt when a boy at
such blow to his hopes, SO lie said: Look
here, Alfred, Will go down with you early
tomorrow morning. and il We gee the old
hero, well and good; If not, we shaH come
home.
They found the admiral alone and Mr.
Hamlin had an opportunity TO explain the
situation OF the college. The admiral
seemed to be annoyed rather than inter-
ested, and said: II am sorry the Turks
should treat ynu SO unjnstly. Eut I am
not here on any diplomatic mission. can
do nothing to help you."
After this dash Of icy water to he hopes Of
Mr.. Hamlin Farragut turned to the little
boy and, placing his hand TN is shoulder,
said: What are you going 10 he in this
world, my son? What are you going % te?"
II don't know" was the toyish reply.
II wouldn't mind being admiral of the
| American fleet
| He had touched Farragut In a tender
spot. Pattiug the boy on the head, he said:
"Ah, my SOU my son! II you are going TO
be admiral Of the American fleet"
| Before the sentence was finished the adj
miral was Interrupted by the entrance of
DIR. Seropiau, mutual friend, who ex-
claimed: Good morning, Admiral Farra-
| gut. 1 am glad 10 see you here with DR..
| Hamlin." He then explained further the
! college difficulties, and ended by saying:
You have come here just in the nick of
time to help DR.. Hamlin out Of this diff
Guilty"
| "Why-doctor," said the admiral, II can
| do nothing at all In this case. have no dip
| lomatic mission here"
| "Just for that reason you can do every
| thing" the doctor replied. You have only
to ask tRegreat pashas, when you dine with
them, why this American college can't be
built; that is ALL
II will readily do that A beggar may
| ask a question of a king
Mr.. Hamlin suggested to the admiral that
| to the responses to his question he make no
| reply, as IL they were satisfactory OF at
least decisive. "FlI do it. IN do it,"
| said he.
| A few days after Farragut left Constau-
tinople Turkish official met Mr.. HamIin
\ on a steamer on the BospLorus and very
| confidentially, In whisper. said: II want
! 10 ask YOU IL your great admiral was sent
here by your government to settle that co..
lege question:" Mr. Hamlin adroi,ly an
swered to the effect that he supposed any
| government would take up such matter il
it meant to defend the rights of its citizens.
| The admirafs question had produced
| great effect. but atthe time was not decisive.
| although he was assured that the difficult.
ties were removed and the college world
| soon be built. But so soon as the admiral
left Constantinople the government decided
to postpone action. and when be passed
| Gibraltar they decided 10 do nothing at ALL
| 4 few mcnths later. after the admiral had
| rptlJrued to the limited 81 ptps Iof tore fror,