Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1898 — A HIGH LIVER. [ARTICLE]

A HIGH LIVER.

The Sultan of Turkey Is Fond of Table Luxuries. He Dines in Solitary State and Hla Meals Cost a Mint of Money Every Yenr—A Procession of Waiters. Sultan Abdul Hasmid’s table expenses are $5,000 a day. For the 365 days last year he spent $1,962,000. No other human being of modern times is accredited with spending onefifth this enormous amount. It does not ineluded grand state dinners or other elaborate functions. It is simply for his majesty’s regular every-daj’ meals. Queen Victoria. Emperor William of Germany, the czar of Russia, Li Hung Chang—not one of them spends anything like this amount. They are all most extravagant diners, and the most expensive of the world’s delicacies are piled upon their tafbles, but even by importing the costliest viands from all parts of the world, their table expenses are nowhere near the sultan’s. A strange feature of the sultan’s dining is that no one enjoys the food with him. He eats alone. Never, upon any pretext whatever, does he have a companion at his meals. He does not even have a dining-room, or a dining-hall, but takes his dinner wherever he may happen to be. The menials, at the dining hour search out his majesty, and then in a long procession, bring the banquet to him, tables, trays, dishes and alj. He may be in the palace, or in the garden, or any part of his great private park, it makes no difference, he takes his meal right on the spot. All the morning the large corps of imperial cooks prepare the dinner. As the noon hour arrives, slaves are sent in various directions to discover the whereabouts of his majesty. Having done this, they’ report his exact location tn the sultan’s chief chamberlain,.who then calculates the time required to transport the numerous dishes to him without their getting cooled. The chamberlain then stands beside the chief server and supervises the transferring of the different kinds of food from the kettles into the silver tureens. These vessels are very elaborate. They consist of many shapes, sizes and designs, and are beautifully chased and engraved. They’ are so constructed that they can be entirely sealed up, leaving no chance for anyone to drop any thing into the food. As fast as each vessel is filled, the chamberlain seals it and puts on it his official stamp. This is a guarantee of its inspection, and that it contains no poisonous substances. Over each tureen a bell-shaped' felt cover is clapped down tightly to retain the warmth. The dinner procession, consisting of over a hundred persons, is then formed. First come ten slaves, bearing the great table. It is of silver, and perhaps the most exquisite table that has ever been made? The legs and sides are richly chased, and the top is so highly polished that it looks like a mirror. Then comes a long line of jublakiars, or “first assistants of the chief cook,” each bearing on his head a tray, upon which rests one of the silver vessels. These jublakiars are so perfectly trained in the art of head balancing that no accident — not even the jarring of a dish —has ever been known. Following come more slaves, bearing on their heads another course, and after them come still other detachments with other courses. In the rear follow the slaves who are to wait on his majesty. The procession moves up to where the sultan is standing. Two slaves run forward with a silken rug, which is spread upon the floor or ground as the case may be. On this a divan is placed, and the sultan reclines. The table is spread in front of him, and the tureens are brought up. As each one is set down the chamberlain steps forward and breaks the seal. On each side of him stands an imperial taster. The chamberlain hands a ladleful from each vessel first to one taster and then to the other. After it has been swallowed the chamberlain then takes a spoonful himself, the sultan meanwhile watching the operation. Everthinglbeingsatisfactory, one after the other, are arranged before his majesty, who runs his eye over the many viands. Then be picks and chooses, eating a piece here and a piece there, a mouthful of meat, a spoonful of water ice, a sweet cake and a tiny fish ball. The sultan never uses a plate. He takes all his food directly from the little silver kettles that are arranged in a circle around him, rarely’ ever using a knife or fork. A spoon, his bread and his fingers, which are constantly wiped by’ an attendant, who stands at his side, are handier and more to his liking. He is usually attired in a loose pernbuzar and gegelik, with his sleeves turned up, and he generally manages to be in a spot at dinner time where he has a clear view out over the Bosphorus or his magnificent grounds. After he has eaten all he wants, the sultan sips his coffee and smokes his chibouk, lying back in quiet reverie, which he calls taking his •keif." The sultan's whole household is at liberty to take their meals wherever it suits them best, and thus everyone is served wherever they happen to be. After the sultan has dined the imperial body guard, the chamberlainsand other high functionaries are fed. After all the officers and others of high degree have eaten, the soldiers and senanta get their food, and at the same time all the men employed in the imperial stables have theirs, and during the progress of the meals any stranger, whoever it may be. is at liberty to come in and seat himself and eat. It is a sort of perpetual free lunch, and one that is enjoyed every day in the year a: th*sultan's expense.