Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1904-12-30
SULTAN OF TURKEYS
PRICELESS TREASURES
They Are Kept Under Guard
in a Safe Deposit Box in
STEAMBOAT

$50 - - -
The Sultan's personal adiutant, the
ord of the treasury and forty guard
ANS" or watchdogs. of that institu-
ton, greeted me when / stepped from
my carriage at the entrance Of Top
kapu Serai, STEAMBOAT, writes Miss
We're Carewe from Constantinople to
'The Kansas City Journal" There
was a lot Of talk then his lordship
proceeded to open the first iron gate.
which moved without hitch. indi-
eating to everybody's satisfaction that
il had not been tempered with. Neither
had any one toyed with the twelve
padlocks outside the second door, and
half an hours work sufficed to remove
them. Following the breaking Of the
seal on gate No. 2-three times the
key turned in the intricate lock-
Eureka! behold the hottest of holiesl
Madame is politely requested, by
my sublime masters orders"-every-
body bowed low and struck his breast
Ito don these gloves. It's on ac-
count of the cold prevailing in the
unused rooms" lied the lord of the
treasury.
A hint to be honest-the nimblest
pickpocket would despair of making
a haul with boxing gloves on. But
there was no occasion for me to get
angry, as his lordship, the adjutant
and the forty watchdogs, too, had TO
incase their hands in the sort Of nit
tens Jim" Jehries wore when he
knocked out all American pugilists in
succession.
When all hands were under cover,
the lord Of the treasury knocked his
staff three times on the marble floor
and some thirty of the watchdogs pro-
ceeded to take positions at the varios,s
doors and windows Of the three big
and several small halls while the rest
assembled to lookouts in the galleries
furnished with mirrors so placed to
allow the inmate to observe both visi-
tors and officials almost insulting pre-
cautions, but again my resentment
evaporated when I saw the provocation
Bushels of Loose Gems.
There are in this treasure house
bushels and small measures" Of loose
gems. If the stocks Of ell jewelers. OF
New York, Paris and London were
combined, these gentlemen could moi
hope TO rival the Sultan's collections
And small wonder. The Tinanys Of
the world come by their goods honest
ly, the Sultan's represent the spoils
Of war and peace Of half dozer
centuries, which may be one Of the
reasons why the padisha's gems are
kept in open crystal trays, while
your Maiden Lane dealer wraps his
in silk paper.
Here is his majesty's collection o,
rubies," said the lord Of the treasury
And, handing me a glittering bow
incased in gold. he added: "Our sub
lime lord consults the stones daily
II would seem quite natural for tn
owner of such treasures to feast hi
eyes upon them. but why consult? TIT
treasurer OWNED my questioning
looks and explained: "Rubies, ma
dame, discover poisons and correc
evils resulting from mistaken friend
ship"
From another source 1 learn tina
the superstitious ruler Of Turke
usually HIS tray of rubies at hi
side when going over his diplomat
correspondence While reading tn
IleLLeIE OL Ills AlllUaCcaAhAo anu ARe q
colleagues. he let's s1,0OO,OOO worth o
lrubies run through his hand. and
one Of the sharp stones prick hi
finger, woe to the writer Of the dis
patch he is engaged on at the time
liz he is a Turkish subject. his officis
head is demanded at once; il
foreigner, his plans and proposals ar
| thwarted at all hazards.
II / have seen the great pigeon bloc
ruby in the Cars crown, even touche
lit During the coronation festivitiesl
but no longer regard it as the great
est in the world. In the Sultan
treasure house I encountered sewers
stones of approximately equal size an
llustre, and there must be a thousan
smaller ones in the three trays where
in that sort Of jewel is kept.
While rubies, bookstores, diamonds
sapphires and opals surrounded me o
Ian sides, heaped up like peas in
grocer's show windows. in crystal an
gold trays. the greatest emerald tn
world ever produced is kept in a glas
case, silver bound and fastened to III
floor by bands Of steel.
Giant Emerald.
This wonderful piece, said to haV
belonged to the Emperor Nero, is
little less than ten inches square,
"a beautiful, velvety green color, an
HAWKES.. The lord Of the treasur
I told me that the stone was taken oil
of its setting, a gold frame with
long handle, many centuries ago, an
that since then II has been an obje'
of curiosity only. / asked wheth'
this emerald might be the one use
by Nero as a long distance glass whe
viewing the battles of the gladiator
but his lordship did not know. 4
the end Of the row devoted to loo.
gems was shown a big crystal vess
resembling a punchbowl, which VIZ
filled 10 the brim with emerald
"Only a portion of them came fro