Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1882 — A Romance of O’Donovan in Central Asia. [ARTICLE]

A Romance of O’Donovan in Central Asia.

When the Russians under General Skobeleff started on their expedition against the Turkomans at Geok Tepe, O’Donovan, of the London Daily News, applied for permission to accompany them, but was refused. Upon receiving General Skobeleff’s final answer, the determined correspondent telegraphed his thanks for the courteous wording of the refusal, and finished his message with the significant words, “Au revoir, General, a Merv.” “Till we meet again, General, at Merv.” O’Donovan then started upon his journey. He reached the northwestern boundary of Persia, and succeeded in safely crossing the frontier, riding 120 miles in twenty-four hours. Luck, in addition to his native shrewdness, favored him, and he reached Merv in safety, though a prisoner, and suspected of being a Russian. As best he could he informed his captors of his English nationality, and his wit and manners so pleased the Turkomans that he was kept in a sort of honorable confinement until his statement could be confirmed. Satisfactory information concerning him was at last received from Teheran, and he was released. O’Donovan’s wonderful stores of information, and his statements concerning the almost boundless extent of the English Empire, caused the Turkomans to look upon him as a man of much importance, and he was called upon to settle a long-standing dispute as to the chief executive power. There are two proper holders of that power—the Sheik of the Eastern Turkomans and the Sheik of the Western Turkomans. It appears that it was necessary for the highest dignitary or dignitaries of the Turkomans to undertake a perilous mission to Teheran. It was considered probable that whoever went would lose his head, and to avoid this risk the two chieftains conferred the honor upon the eldest of their class. Much to their surprise, he returned alive, and was allowed to retain his dignity until the arrival of O’Donovan, whose abundance of wealth, it is supposed, induced the Eastern and Western chiefs to determine to reassert their claims, lest he whom they had elevated to the highest position should monopolize the gifts of the illustrious foreigner. A great council was held, the old chief deposed, the two restored to their original positions, and O’Donovan elected lehtiar Bahadoor Khan of the Tekke Turkomans, and joined the other two chiefs in forming a triumvirate, ruling over the district of Merv, with a population of 500,000 souls. O’Donovan was installed in his hon-or-able position with imposing ceremonies, aud given a “palace,” for that region, to live in. His official duties while abiding in Merv consisted mainly in dispensing justice, chiefly in cases of murder and robbery, they being .the only crimes recognized. After six months O’Donovan wearied of his life at Merv, and wishing to return to civilization, expressed a desire to be sent as embassador plenipotentiary of the Tekke Turkomans to the- European courts. A great council was held to consider the subject. O’Donovan having arrived at Merv just at the moment the onward march of the Russians had been arrested, and the Turkomans associating that event with his appearance, looked upon him as their deliverer, and his presence as a sure protection against their hereditary enemies. For this reason they were unwilling to part with him, but at last consented on the promise that he would one day return to them. He replied, “ I will re-, turn when lam sent back to you.” It" requires more than a surgical operation to enable the Turkomans.to see through a joke, and the humor of O’Donovan’s answer not being appreciated, he was permitted to depart, and was accompanied to the Persian frontier by a body of Turkoman troops.— Cincinnati Commercial. A bald-headed man down town calls his few remaining locks “a fool and his money,” because they are Boon parted. —Lampton.