The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-10
SULTAN OF TURKEY.
THERE Is NOTHING LIKE HIN ANY
WHERE ELSE On EARTH.
Fears SON and Brother-And He
Keeps Both of Them Locked Up.
Fncts Abont The Turkish Cnnrt.


whom he keeps locked up, and his son
and successor. whom ne also keeps locked
up
The sultan is shrewd. He wanted Mr..
Vanderbilt to invest some Of his money
in Turkey, but the latter thought it would
be permanent Investment, and declined.
1t IS believed in Constantinople that
! thousands Of people have been killed by
| order Of Abdul Hamld out Of fear. and
that he has killed none for revenge or
profit
Every cish coming up from the imperial
kitchen is sealed with the official imprint
OF the grand yizier, who stands next the
cook and tastes every article of food.
The grand eunueh has the rank Of a
| marshal IN the palace, and is, with the.
/ grand Vizier, the only representative Of
| The sultan having the title Of highness.
! Inc physician who recently Vaccinated
1 me women Of the harem was not allowed
70 look at them and they stuck their arms
| through a hole in the wall.
The sultan, as head of the Mohammedan
relsion, never drinks spirits, but his
| brother, whom he succeeded, is a drunk
! ard, and alleged TO be insane
me sultan guards his palace with two
| regiments, one white, the other black.
| relying upon their mutual jealousy TO
Keep him Informed of plots.
IN the imperial palace are crystal posts
more than six feet tai, on top OF which
| are immense candelabra.
The favorite of the sultan maintains
| court and lives amid a splendor SUI
| perlor even to that of his mother, but
| she is guarded by eunuchs.
me sultan is the only mans alive who
| Keeps a company OF actors to give rep
! presentations OF his own plays, for he
| lancles himself a playwright
| No inmate Of the harem is permitted
! under any circumstances TO address the
! sultan without being hrst spoken 10. To
| 90 50 would mean death.
! me present grand eunuch lives outside
| me b~lace IN splendor, having his own
| carriages and stables, and many re-
| tanners and courtiers.
| ne sultan begins dinner with any dish
! that happens to strike his fancy. and
mas been known to start with ices
| me son and heir Of Abdul Hamid is
being kept in close confinement, a vir~
! tual prisoner for fear he will plot TO as
sassinate his father
mere Is no aristocracy in Turkey
| where even the patronymic name is un-
! known, and man rarely knows who was
| his grandfather.
Throughout the Turkish doninlons II
| Is Il hlgh honor for any woman to enter
| the imperial harem, and thousands try
! IN vain TO attain it,
The Georgian slave merchants reserve
| their choicest female slaves for the SUI
! tan, and the grand eunuch selects the best
passing glance from the sultan at
! once raises any inmate of the harem 10
| a nigh rank and word from him makes
]
! Wondra, the court violinist wanted to
| so TO Paris to study, but the sultan said
he had nothing to learn, and kept him in
Abdul Hamid is the thirty-hfth in male
| descent of the house of Gilman and the
w enty-elghth sultan since the conquest
| OF Constantinople.
Every visitor TO Constantinople is in
terested in two things-the' imperial bar-
EN- EN- and the weekly ride Of the sultan to
The sultan. is supposed to have the reg
/ ulauon number of wives, four. but thew
are not married to him. They are called
New, fresh faces for the harem are be-
| ing constantly sought, and the oficial
man.
The princesses of the imperial blood are
kept under lock and key, and almost as
jealousy guarded as the women of the
| harem.
New additions to the harem are not
presented to the sultan but are dexter
ants.
Abdul Hamid is alleged to be the son
OF an Armenian woman. His maternal
ancestry is, like that of all the sultans,
The harem includes women of all ma
| tionalities, the sultan being a man with
out race or religious prejudices in this
matter
The private eunuch Of the sultan's ia
| Vorlte Is a man OF much influence in Tur-
KEY: He is supposed to have a pull"
Bich blonde beauties, with blue eyes
ana transparent SKINS, are the most
eagerly sought for the imperial harem
The sultan is responsible to nobody for
the national taxes, and can take what he
pleases without rendering account
The Kurds are mountaineers, who, for
centuries have preyed upon the Armen-
ians, who are peasants of the plains
The biggest reform accomplished by
Abdul Hamid has been in reducing the
expenses of the imperial kitchen.
The chief object of the harem is to
perpetuate the imperial family in which
it has been eminentlY successful
Dealing in slave girls is one of the most
profitable occupations OF Turkey, and is
encouraged by the sultan.
The sultan dimes wherever he happens
to be when dinner is ready. Then a silver
table is brought to him.
The official favorite of the sultan for
the time being is the most important wo-
man in the Ottoman Empire.
Americans who have studied Abdul
Hamd say he bears a striking resem-
blance to the late Jay Gould.
The women at the harem including mu-
| Sicians actresses and readers, number l.
500 at the present time.
The sultans word is law everywhere
in Turkey. If he SAYS the sun shines, it
shines-for the faithful
The ladies of the harem are virtual pris-
oners, but after the age of fifty they are
allowed some liberty.
of the harem is to give birth to a son and
heir to the sultan.
In spite of his eunuchs and numerous
guards the sultan fears assassination
plots within the harem.
The grand eunuch ranks above all the
officers of the Turkish government, save
the grand vizier.
The sultan has been frequently seen in
consultation with the grand eunuch about
affairs of state.
Abdul Hamid keeps a fine yacht with
steam always up in the Bosphorus, but
never goes on board.
When the sultan goes to the mosque the
roadway is first spread with soft sand and
sprinkled.
Some of the eunuchs time past have
been men of learning and many accom-
plishments.
At the Mahomedan Easter the sultan
takes a new and favorite SLATE to wife
! every year.
the Dolma Bagtche palace, when the
sultan is there.
coward by the Europeans who have
watched him.
tress of the treasury, has direct charge
The sultan's eunuchs frequently use
the bastinado upon refractory members
of the harem.
A fine eunuch is worth almost as much
in Constantinople as fine Circassfan
| girl.