The Tincal Trail – A history of Borax, N.J. Travis and E.J. Cocks – Harrap, London, 1984
p.257
It has already been related in Chapter 6 how the Turkish calcium borate mines began, which early in 1899 came under the control of Borax Consolidated, together with the two French companies to whom they had formerly belonged.
This mining complex, created by the merger of these adjacent mines, went out of production finally at the end of the 1950s, by which time Borax Consolidated was already taking steps to continue mining borate mineral in areas farther south and east of this, its original location in historic Anatolia.
When the original mines came into existence about 1865 the reform movement which had been encouraged by Mahmud II after the destruction of the Janissaries in 1826 was rapidly petering out. But Turkey still possessed an empire around the shores of the Mediterranean comparable in importance with the scattered empires built up by the nineteenth century Great Powers in less civilized places, and far more mature in antiquity and culture. Although Western influences had long since touched the upper classes, the preponderating outlook in dress, custom and thought was still Islamic and oriental.
…
This then was the historical background to the operations of Borax Consolidated in Turkey after the pandermite (calcium borate) mines of the two French companies came under its direction in 1899. It was of course assumed from the beginning that the Borax Consolidated’s Sultan Tchair mine would be run as one unit with the Société Lyonnaise’s Azizieh mine, particularly as their workings were so close at one point that it became possible to drive galleries from one to the other.
However, there were personality problems to be overcome before this could be done. The obvious choice for the post of Borax Consolidate’s agent in Constantinople was Aristide Tubini, who seems to have ‘known everyone’[1] at the Palace and among the business and other circles in the city, and had been doing the job most successfully on behalf of Societe Lyonnaise ever since the early 1890s. He had also been responsible for supervising the work of the manager of the Societe’s Azizieh mine…
Tubini, therefore, although he might not be a ‘nine to five’ office man, was doing a very good job precisely at the point where it mattered most – influencing Ottoman officials in the interests of Borax Consolidated and occasionally being forced into offering a sinecure in his office to a friend or relative of a Palace official in order to secure more permanent forms of influence. In the first year of the new company’s existence there was particular need for his intervention. The Borax Company’s mine at the La Société Lyonnaise mine were both surrounded by at least ten mining concessions granted to other people, and if one or more of these were to come into operation the value of the company’s product and property might be correspondingly diminished.
p.266
In 1908, when Aristide Tubini died, Bunting, along with Ernest Whittall and one or two other chance applications, had been passed over in favour of Aristide’s son, Hyancinth, for the job of Constantinople agent. This was partly because the Tubini family, in spite of all the rows with Fuad Pasham, were still more acceptable at the Palace than anyone else.
Footnotes:
[1] Obviously the Tubini family enjoyed considerable standing in Istanbul. As late as 10 November 1907 the English Times recorded the death, while hunting in England, of Mr Cecil Tubini, who ‘will be laid to rest in Istanbul’.
p.257
It has already been related in Chapter 6 how the Turkish calcium borate mines began, which early in 1899 came under the control of Borax Consolidated, together with the two French companies to whom they had formerly belonged.
This mining complex, created by the merger of these adjacent mines, went out of production finally at the end of the 1950s, by which time Borax Consolidated was already taking steps to continue mining borate mineral in areas farther south and east of this, its original location in historic Anatolia.
When the original mines came into existence about 1865 the reform movement which had been encouraged by Mahmud II after the destruction of the Janissaries in 1826 was rapidly petering out. But Turkey still possessed an empire around the shores of the Mediterranean comparable in importance with the scattered empires built up by the nineteenth century Great Powers in less civilized places, and far more mature in antiquity and culture. Although Western influences had long since touched the upper classes, the preponderating outlook in dress, custom and thought was still Islamic and oriental.
…
This then was the historical background to the operations of Borax Consolidated in Turkey after the pandermite (calcium borate) mines of the two French companies came under its direction in 1899. It was of course assumed from the beginning that the Borax Consolidated’s Sultan Tchair mine would be run as one unit with the Société Lyonnaise’s Azizieh mine, particularly as their workings were so close at one point that it became possible to drive galleries from one to the other.
However, there were personality problems to be overcome before this could be done. The obvious choice for the post of Borax Consolidate’s agent in Constantinople was Aristide Tubini, who seems to have ‘known everyone’[1] at the Palace and among the business and other circles in the city, and had been doing the job most successfully on behalf of Societe Lyonnaise ever since the early 1890s. He had also been responsible for supervising the work of the manager of the Societe’s Azizieh mine…
Tubini, therefore, although he might not be a ‘nine to five’ office man, was doing a very good job precisely at the point where it mattered most – influencing Ottoman officials in the interests of Borax Consolidated and occasionally being forced into offering a sinecure in his office to a friend or relative of a Palace official in order to secure more permanent forms of influence. In the first year of the new company’s existence there was particular need for his intervention. The Borax Company’s mine at the La Société Lyonnaise mine were both surrounded by at least ten mining concessions granted to other people, and if one or more of these were to come into operation the value of the company’s product and property might be correspondingly diminished.
p.266
In 1908, when Aristide Tubini died, Bunting, along with Ernest Whittall and one or two other chance applications, had been passed over in favour of Aristide’s son, Hyancinth, for the job of Constantinople agent. This was partly because the Tubini family, in spite of all the rows with Fuad Pasham, were still more acceptable at the Palace than anyone else.
Footnotes:
[1] Obviously the Tubini family enjoyed considerable standing in Istanbul. As late as 10 November 1907 the English Times recorded the death, while hunting in England, of Mr Cecil Tubini, who ‘will be laid to rest in Istanbul’.