The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-19
At YILDIz PALACE

/ 1t is this same dread that has allot-
ted their respective uses to the three
floors of Yildiz. On the ground floor
are secretaries and their offices; above
them Osman Pasha, who held Plevna
! so Splendidly against the Russians, the
( grand chamberlain and the chief of the
I secret police; in the top story live the
sultan and his favorite ladies of the
harem. When an ambassador presents
/ his credentials he is received in an i'm
1 posing reception room. he makes his
speech to his own dragoman or Off
cial interpreter, the latter repeats it
in Turkish to the sultan's chamberlain.
who In low, respectful tones passes it
on to his imperial master. The imper-
ial reply reaches the ambassador in the
same roundabout way, and then the
visitors are conducted away TO be en-
( tertained with cigarettes, each accom-
] panied by a delicate amber mOuthpiece
and coffee served in jeweled cups.
When diplomatists are invited to dine
at Ylidiz is occasionally happens that
the sultan sits at the same table with
them but more often he sits in his own
apartment, sends his guests certain
dihes from his own table as q mark of
! special courtesy and receives them af-
! forwards.
Private visitors are treated with
! much less ceremony, though they are
subjected to a great deal of inspection
before they actually reach the imperial
presence. 1t is not at all difficult to
secure an audience-infnitely easier, in
fact, than in any other European cap
ital One condition only is necessary,
that you be known as a friend Of Tur-
key and a defender OF Turkish rule.
Any journalist of position, for instance,
who could point to articles he had
written symp2thiZing with Turkish
views, and who let it known that he
was prepared to continue on the same
lines, would be quite safe to have his
request for an audience granted. More
than this, if he would send to his news
| paper-always supposing it to be one
which the sultan knew and feared
/ certain statements of alleged fact and
opinion which the sultan would dictate
to him, representing them as derived
from his own knowledge and eXper-
fence, he could have much more than
an audience. A bag of gold, diamond
| brooch for his wife. Turkish decora-
ton for his buttonhole-he would only
have to drop a yelled hint and the
/ thing would be done. But he would be
wise to leave Constantinople soon af-
forwards. for secrets are not kept in
an oriental country, and he would find
cold shoulders at the club. In fact,
Turkish money smells, and soon be
/ trays its presence in anybody's pocket.
A particularly fragrant case occurred a
few months ago. a continental jour
nalist turned up in Constantinople, at
once had a long interview with the
sultan, left again Immediately with
$500 and a Turkish order. and his jour
malone of the most influential in Eu-
ropa-puhlished a long article pooh
p0ohfng the Armenian massacres and
praising to the skies the sultan's benev-
olent rule The French press is regu-
larIv hrired by the Turkish embassy
in Paris, just as 1t is bv NJ. Plano. the
director of the Casino at Monte Carlo.
ABDUL HAMID A HARD WORKER.
To do the sultan justice he is
very hard working man. His ministers
and creatures are liable to be summon
ed to Yildiz at any hour of the day or
night. A man ! know, supposed at
Yildiz to have certain relations with
tho English press was reused at
O'Clock. one morning by an aide-de-
camp of the sultan in full uniform.
and carried off then ard there to the
palace. the messeng ger barely allowing
him time to fling on few clothes. He
was so nervous at this sensational and
hurried summons that he scrubbed
note to me and left it at my rooms
as he passed. saying that If he return
ed all right he would call unon me at
noon. All the sultan wanted was for
him to telegram a long MESA ere to the
London Morning Post. couched in terms
of almost idiotic euloey of Abdul Ha
mid and the condition of Turkey. in
vain my acquaintance assured the sui
tan that no Enelish newsnaner would
dream of inserting such an article, no
matter who sert it. The sultan only
replied telling him to alter a few words
if necessary and tn ask in return for
anything he would like. One day t
had an aupointment with the late
grand vizier at his house. The hour
fixed was at 8 o'clock in the morning
ard while / was drinking a cup of
coffee in his ante room a smart car
riaee and pair dashed up. palace
of7cer snrang out. and minute later
Kiamil Pasha sent his secretary to me
to beg me to excuse him. as he had
that moment been urgently summoned
to the sultan's presence Abdul Ha-
mid's whim may demand the attend
ance of his ministers at any moment,
while on the other hand they NAV be