The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-06

Abdul Hamid lived for some time in a
tent, led him to resolve to build an IL
room kiosk on an artificial hill made
of concrete; the walls are of cement;
thus, the building is supposed to be
proof against both fire and the move
ments of the earth, while in the iron
latticework the Sultan sees an excel
lent protection against stray gunsbOts.
This kiosk is surrounded by gallery
in which the Albanian Guards, armed
to the teeth, keep watch during the
night hours. The carpets and cover
ings of the furniture are of silk and
made in the imperial factory at Hereke
and the wainscoting is of the most
costly kinds Of wood The doors, inlaid
with mother of pearl and ivory, are
protected by complicated locks. 1t is
asserted that this kiosk possesses a Sc
cret hiding place, with about ten care
fully concealed rooms, which are
labyrinth in themselves, and in which
the Sultan finds at night a safe rest
ing place, known only to himself and
to his faithful servant, who sleeps curl
ed up before his masters door Be
meath this kiosk Abdul Hamid has had
built storerOom, to which he alone
has entry, and which contains an i'm
mense safe that holds his precious
stones. financial deeds and his most Sc
cret documents.
Although the Sultan has installed in
his apartment both the telephone and
the electric light. he will allow neither
to be fixed up in ConstantinoDle no
matter how greatly Indispensable they
are to his capital. He believes that
the telephone would lend great assist
ance to conspirators, and that it would
defy control His present ministers
have strengthened this idea on their
masters part by telling him that a,
dynamite bomb attached to the other
end of a telephone wire would suffice,
if exploded, to. kill him even at dis
lance 1t must be confessed that the
ministers were concerned to no small
degree in taking steps to avoid the los
sibility of being summoned to the pal
ace at all hours by the telephone and
of being watched continually. The
electric light instills the same fears in
to the Sultans mind. This accounts
for the failure of outsiders to obtain
concessions to install the electric light
and telephones, although they have
scattered backsheesh lavishly. Thus
Constantinople is the only capital
which is lighted soley by gas.
At s o'clock in the morning the ap-
proaches to the Yildiz begin to swarm
with life. Secretaries and Chamber
lains appear, and are followed by off,
Gals going to their duties in the pal
ace; then come countless spies, i'm
portant and the reverse; court trades
men, intriguers and petitioners, for
Yildiz is the center Of all kinds of bus
mess and intrigue. This busting ac-
tivity lasts all day until the evening,
only to begin again on the morrow.
There is a seeming contradiction in
the fact that at the first glance no roy
al abode seems so easy If access as
does the Sultan's. Although Abdul
Hamid Is invisible to his People by rea-
son of the insurmou1table barriers
raised between his sacred person and
his subjects, yet it is possible for his
meanest subject to enter the palace;
but it must not be to present petitions
or to make complaints, for to such
things the Sultan is deaf. His ears are
ever ready to listen to denunciations.
All formality and all difficulty inyolv-