The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-12-04
THE SULTAN OF TURKEY.
Just Now the Worlds Most ConspIc-
uous Potentate.

Just now the most talked-about po-
tentate in the world is Abdul Hamid
H., the Sultan of Turkey. Since the
horrible atrocities in Armenia his
/ Government has been threatened by
the great powers of Europe, and his
life has been threatened by his subjects.
Abdul Hamid was born September %,
1912, and became Sultan on August 81,
1876. On July q, 1878, two weeks af-
ter the treaty of Berlin, Lord Beacons-
field said of him: ale is not tyrant,
he is not dissolute, he is not "A bigot, or
corrupt" But, says the Rochester y.
" Post Express, either Lord Beacons-
field was strangely deceived or he
strangely tried to deceive the world,
for it is not possible for a truly good
man to be for 10 years the absolute
master of subordinates so tyrannical,
so dissolute, so'bigoted, and so corrupt
as those who rule the Turkish people.
1t is only fair to judge the man by his
works.
When he was a boy the present Sui
tan lived at the beautiful kiosk of
Kyathany where he learned to ride on
the fiercest horses. AS he grew older
he led life of greater activity than
was usual among Turkish Princes; he
was much in the saddle; he loved
hunting; he enjoyed long rides into
the forests and along beautiful rivers.
He was of a thoughtful and serious
nature, spent much time in study.
| Political economy was favorite sub
ject, and after the reading of many
the methods of government, particu-
larly in the Turkish provinces When
he was called suddenly to the throne
| he knew more than most of his prede-
cessors had known of Turkish history
and the Government and resources of
his country. There were many evils
to be remedied, and il is said that un-
der the direct orders of the Sultan
many of them were remedied. When
/ Abdul Hamid went on the throne the
country was bankrupt; now its credit,
/ though by no means the best, is at
least measurable. Then there were
only the torn and battered remnants
of an army; now Turkey has many
thousand we'll disciplined and well
equipped soldiers. A year before his
reign began it was almost impossible
to publish a newspaper in Turkey.
On the slightest provOcation a paper
was seized by the soldiers, who distrib-
uted the type in the waters of the Bos-
I pOrus. Now there are many newspa-
| pers, some of them edited with con-
spicuous ability; but the press is not
I free, because the editors may not dis
cuss Turkish politics. The Sultan Is
credited with the desire to encourage
arts and sciences and TO develop the
mineral, industrial and agricultural re-
sources of Turkey but if there has
been the will, the deed is still sadly
lacking. The personal appearance of
/ the Turkish ruler has been described
as follows:
"The Sultan's general appearance is
characterized by sort Of tired dignity,
mingled with an expression of melan-
slightly tinged with gray, is short,
thick and trimmed almost to point.
The forehead is broad, lightly bulged
aoove the eyebrows, hollow at the
| temples and wrinkled all over The
lines running down 10 the base of the
nose, which indicate profound and
meditative thought, are accentuated.
The eye is dark gray, large, well-form-
ed, pensive, slightly veiled, penetrat-
ing, kindly, very changeable and alx-
ious. The eye is that of a thinker, of n
suspicious mediator, with IA subjective
will power. The nose is long and thin
at its base, bony and strong at the nos
trils The mouth is large, and the
/ teeth, rather yellow than white, are
widely separated. The lower lip is
stronger and thicker than the upper
one. The expression is energetic, and
reveals mixture of pronounced sem
sualism and real kindness. The Sui
| tan's hair is black and cut short. The
skull recedes toward the top; the little
brain is strongly marked. The ears
are long and vigorously cut. The
complexion is darkish brown. The
hands are fine and nervous; the finger
nails rosy and cut short. The feet are
arched and slender. Abdul Hamid's
voice is sympathetic and sOnOrous.
He speaks lower than his subjects, and
smiles but little in the presence of
strangers. He has an excellent MEM
ory for faces, but recalls names with
difficulty"
The daily life of the sultan is sim
pie one. He rises early, takes light
breakfast, and then gives consideration
to the affairs of State. He reads dis
patches, dictates replies, confers with
officials and issues his orders. He
works often until three O'Clock, with
no intermission except for prayers and
a slight repast. After the business of
| the day is over he either walks, rides
or drives about the grounds; sometimes
he hunts little; occasionally he rows
on the lake. At 6 o'clock he dimes in
his private apartments. He eats little
and drinks nothing but water. After
dinner he smokes and reflects aud it is
dangerous TO disturb him then. On
our Friday, which is the Turkish Sun
day, the Sultan must visit the mosque,
even if so i'll that he has to he carried.
The occasion is one of pleasure to the peo-
pie. There is military display and a
sort of review of the troops as he pass
es. Various appeals arg made to the
Sultan and many Of them are granted.
Sometimes on his journey to the mosque
the Sultan rides white Arabian
horse; at other times he sits in an open
carriage. Foreign residents and visit
ors throng the streets To see him as he
passes. The fast of Ramazan, which
lasts 40 days, is as rigidly observed by
the Sultan as by the poorest laborer in
the kingdom. On the twentieth day
of the fast he goes to the mosque,
where the most precious relics of Islam
a ra nraaaryai. the silver easkats are