The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-09
A PAINTER IN CONsTANTINoPLE.
The Turkish officials VIII Not Allow
Sketching at Present.

F. Hopkinson Smith contributes a pa
per, IA Personally Conducted Arrest in
Constantinople, to the March number
of the Century. In this he describes the
difficulty he encountered in sketching in
that city. He was watched by a spe-
cial dragoman, but occasionally managed
to elude his vigilance. The paper is ac-
companied by a number of sketches of
unfamiliar scenes in and about CONSTANT
nople. Mr.. Smith says:
Casimir, lifting his hat from his glis-
tening head, said, with a bow of apol-
ogy, that l could not paint-in CONSTANT
nople, of course; that zone udder Engleesh
wait one, two, four week. and ten go
way without permit. One Russian have
his machine take away"
mo, Effendi," he added II ver' sorry,
but it eempossible to make tie picture"
How about an Americana" 1 asked.
"Ah! you not Engleesh? You Ameri-
cain? Tat is anudder ting. l max par
don'-with another sweep of his hat
Il t'ink you Engleesh.' Then, behind
his hand, in a whisper: "Engieesh all
The lowered voice and furtive glance
for possible Britishers in disguise re-
vealed like a flashlight all the devious
ways and manifold crookednesses of the
tourist-dragoman of the east; your ser
want to-day, serving you servilely and
Wiley; serving somebody else tomorrow,
The clerk of the hotel agreed with
Casimir as to my painting-in the streets.
So did the banker who cashed my first
draft. The banker, however, was more lu-
cid. In the present condition of the Ar
menian question, he said, an order had
been issued from the palace forbiddine
the peace, and a fixed determination, so
far as he was concerned, to keep out of
their clutches. This, together with his de-
sire, at all hazards, to earn my francs
a day. made Casimir very nervous and
for the time being a very uncomfortable
parsonage.
Sultana Nalide because it was a blossom
ing field of enormous umbrellas, green,
brown, and white, beneath which were sold
stuffs and fruits OF every hue in the rain
bow and because / thought that my own
modest and diminutive sunshade might
be so lost in the general scheme as to be
The population of that part of STEAMBOAT
thought otherwise. Before l had half
blocked in one corner of the mosqGe and
indicated my high lights and shadows, a
surging throng of Turks, Greeks, Jews
and Gentiles-perhaps Hottentots, for
some were as black as coal-had wedged
themselves in a solid mass about my ca
sci.
Casimir shrugged his shoulders. throw
ing his eyes skyward, his mouth open like
that of a choking chicken. He had con-
scented, under protest, to carry my sketch
ing outfit across the Galata Bridge, hand
ling 1t as tenderly as if it had been a
bomb; and now that 1t was about to ex-
plode he wished 1t distinctly understood
by the bystanders that the affair was none
of his doing. l endured this Tor While,
catching now and then a whispered word
dropped in the ear of an eager looker-on,
and then called out:
Here, Casimiri Don't stand theve para
lyzed. Clear the crowd in front, so that
can see the steps of the mosque, and then
go over TO the fountain opposite and fill
this water-bottle."
He obeyed mechanically. There was an
opening of the crowd for moment as he
passed, a tight closing up again, and the
curious mob was thicker than ever.
When he returned he brought with him
two full hands. One was his own, holding
the bottle; the other was that of gem
darme holding Casimir.