The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-02-01
There Is Something Doing 10
ConstantinopIe When Abdul
Hamid Prays.
rAKEsPLAcE EACH FRIDAY
This spsctseuiar Function, Exespi
One, 10 the Only Time the sick
Man of Europe" Leaves HE
pslaes Fortress a. Yiidix-
From the Washington Times

stantinopie, when the sultan goes To
pray, even though bomb-throwtng "
not liked on the Official program. This
spectacular function. known an the
\ selamlik. which takes place every FRI
day. the Turkish Sabbath, I'm Hamidieh
| Mosque. IL the only occasion. save once
/ annually. when his religion commands
| him to visit THE Chamber OF Noble
| Garments" n the old Seraglia, that
Sultan Abdul Hamid II. leaves his pal
ace fortress at Ylldl5. and he would be
only too glad To eliminate these ven
lures into the outer world. IL he dared.
/ This. however. may not be.
Every devout Turk In commanded by
the koran to perform his deyotions each
Friday. In public mosque. and the
great Padisha, though representing In
his own person the absolute Caliph OF
tho faith. as well a. head OF the ma
ton. Gun least OF all men omit this duty
/ Of praying for the welfare OF all his
Mussulman subjects. The duty OF pre-
siding at this solemn ONCE has been In
cumbent upon the sultans ever since
the year 1851. when the reigning SOW
ereign. Murad l.. found himself unable
to give evidence before the Mufti. In u
case where one OF his favorites was
concerned. because. according To the
koran. no person can be admitted 20
witness In n religious court Of justice
who has not Joined I'm common prayer
ut the mosque. Recognising the jus
| tice OF this decision. Murad proceeded
TO the mosque on the following Friday
| In a great accession OF state. and ths
| function has never since been omitted
for any reason whatever.
CoachnnAn Far More Imposing.
! Every eye Is fixed on the little. old.
round shouldered man who sits on the
! back seat OF n gorgeous phaeton oi
black and gold drawn by "a pair OF
magnificent white thoroughbreds giveI
him by the emperor OF Austria. Oppo.
site him IL the present minister OF war
who has taken the place held so long
by Osman Pasha, while his faithful
coachmnn on the box presents far
more imposing figure than the great
| man himself. whose dress like tho
eunuchR, Is somber black. buttoned
tight around the throat. Underneath
this habit. IL Is said. he wears n coat
OF finest mail. His fez Is scarlet with
a heavy black tassel. In the feeting
glimpse vouchsafed us (for the actual
passing takes far less time than tho
telling) we note with surprise how
much older than his pictures he looks.
Pale. emaciated. hollow eyed, and with
the long. hooked. high bridged Armen-
ian nose. no looks. indeed. the Sick
Man OF Europe"
Not n smile irradiates his pinched
/ features. while a look OF absolute ter
ror I'm his large eastern eyes, over
Swallowed with heavy brows. empha-
unhappiest OF men. living In constant
fear OF sudden. death. Nor In this &c
be wondered ut when one recalls that
out OF his twenty-seven predecessors
who have reigned since the conquest
OF Constantinoplo by Mohammed iE
1859 four. indeed. have died peacefully,
Several have endeavored to save their
lives by resigning. but this has profited
them nothing la span OF life. His
brows. beard and hair are dyed deep
\ black an Office he 10 said To perform
for himself.
Mohammedan sightseers. among whom
nre hundreds OF dusty. ragged hodJis
from Mecca. who bend In devout atti-
tudes. the sultan gives the Turkish
salute, touching I'm rapid succession his
breast. stomach and head with the OPP
ened hand. To the diplomats and WIS.,
itors In the pavilion he simply bows.
rolling his head. All about the royal
carriage are the Albanian guards. pic
turesque figures In their petticoats OF
white fustene,lo. their gay embroid-
cred Jackets. and heavy tasseled fezzes.
And all the time the bands are play
Ing with infinite vigor "Hamidieh
ward with Persian rugs To spread for
his sanity feet. the guards close I'm
about him. and. as We lose sight OF
him at the door OF the mosque. we
note the scramble OF the portiy pashas.
generals. and other dignitaries. who
evidently believe In the old adage that
the devil takes the hindmost."
Half an hour passes. From the out
side we can hear the chanting OF the
Imams. More tea and coffee In passed
TO the visitors In the pavilion. Then
movement among the soldiers and We
crane our nscks TO lose no bit OF the
show. A buglo call. Each regiment In
turn detachss itself from the others
and In rotation enters the gate OF the
mosque. passing down by the left side
under "A range OF windows where the
sultan stands screened from observa-
ton To review them. These troops do
not salute. but pass slowly on. forming
themselves in two lines. one up and
| one down the precipltous road on the
rise OF the hill.
A score OF men break from the veil
ing fringe OF marines and zouaves for
| another scatter OF earth on the nifty
yards where the final dash OF the Inn
perial party In to take place. Six loose
| horses led by grooms, the sun play
F, ing on their exquisite satiny coats and
gorgeous trappings. appear In front OF
/ the mosque together with an elegant
| little victorla. green lined and drawn
by "A span nj beautiful white horses
| that the sultan may take his choice OF
| transportation methods.
Looks Insignificant.
| Now. looking verr small ana insig-
nificant. he appears for n moment on
| the red carpeted steps into the waiting
| victoria. sword IA hand. gathers up the
reins. takes the whip. gives smart
stroke and n rapidly whirled from
sight, touching his fer TO the watch
/ ing crowd M he passes the pavilion. His
sons come running across the court
yard TO Join the occasional. All spring
| into their saddles save two OF them.
who are so small that they have to be
helped by their grooms. and Durham
E;ddine. who laughingly returns to the
same carriage I'm which he came.
The horses are put TO the waiting car
! riaRes OF the harem. the bands again
break out into the sultan's march and
the thousands OF troops. the bands
themselves. the sacred banners OF green
inscribed with texts from the Koran.
the gaping crowds. the pomp and
pageantry melt away and Selamlik Ia
| ended for another week.