The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-06-20
How the Turks Foster Their Canine
Population.

CONsTANTINOPLE is an immense dog
every one makes the remark as
soon as he arrives. The dogs constitute
a second population of the city. less nu-
merOus but not less strange than the
first. Everybody knows how the Turk
loves them and protects them. know
not if it is because the sentiment of
charity toward all creatures is recon-
mepdcd in the Koran, or because, like
certain birds, the dogs are believed
to bc bringers of good fortune, or
because the Prophet loved them, or
because the sacred books speak of
them, or because, as some pretend, Ma
homet the Victorious brought in his
train numerous staff of dogs, who en-
tered triumphantly with him through
the breach in the San Romano Gate.
The fact is that they are highly es-
teemed, that many Turks leave sums for
their support in their wills, and that.
when Sultan Abdul Medjid had them ALI
carried to the Island of Marmora, the:
people murmured, and when they were.
brought back they were received with
rejoicings, and the Government, not to
provoke ill-humor, has left them ever
since in peace. Since, however, accord
ing to the Koran, the dog is an unclean
animal, and every Turk believes that he
would cOntaminate his house by shell
tering one under his roof, it follows
that not one of the innumerable dogs of
Constantinople has a master. They
therefore form a great free vagabOnd
and lawless. The street is their abode;
there they dig little dens, where they
sleep, eat, are born, brought up and
die; and no one, at least at StambOul,
ever thinks of disturbing their occupa-
tons or their repose. They are masters
of the public highways. In our cities
it is the dog that makes way for the
horseman or fOot.passengers. There,
it is the people, the horses, the camels,
the donkeys, that make way for the
dogs. In the most frequented parts of
STEAMBOAT four or five dogs curled up
asleep in the middle of the road will
cause the entire population of a quar-
ter to turn out of the way for half a
day. 1t is the same in Galata and Pera,
but there they are left in peace, not out
| of respect for them, but because they
are so many that it would be hopeless
! and endless task to attempt to drive
them away from under the feet of the
passengers.
The canine population of Constanti~
nople is divided into quarters or wards
Every quarter, every street, is inhabit-
ed, or rather possessed, by certain
number of dogs, who never 60 away
from it and never allow strangers to
reside in it. They exercise a sort of
service of police. They have their
guards, their advanced posts, their SEN
tinels; they go the rounds and make
explorations. Woe to any dog Of an
other quarter who, pushed by hunger.
shall risk himself within the territory
of his neighbors! A crowd of ours fall
| upon him at once, and if they catch
him it is all over with him; if they can
not catch him they chase him furiOusly
| as far as his own domain; that is, to the
confines of it, for the enemy's country
is ever feared and respected. No words
can give an idea of the fury of the en-
gagements that take place about bone
or about violation of territory. Every
moment may be seen crowd of dogs,
entangled in an intricate and confused
mass, disappearing in a cloud of dust,
and giving forth such barkings and
yelpings as would pierce the ears of a
man born deaf; then the crowd dis
perses, and through the dust appear the
victims stretched here and there upon
the field of battle. Sometimes bands
of them assemble and make such dis
turbance in front of some shops that
the shop-keeper and his boys are con-
strained to arm themselves with sticks
and benches and make a military
sortie, and then heads may be heard to
crack, and spines resound, and the air
is full of the most unearthly noises.
J At Pera and Galata especially, the
poor beasts are so ill-treated, so accus-
toned to feel a blow whenever they see
| a stick, that the mere sound of an UNI
brclla or cane upon the stones sends
them flying; and even when they seem
asleep, there is always one ear open,
one half-closed eye with which they
follow for long distance the move
ments of suspicious stick; and SO little
are they accustomed to kindly human
notice that it is enough to caress one in
passing, and ten others will run and
Jump about you, wagging their tails
and whining with eyes shining with Joy
and gratitude COnstGsatinople," by
EdWOntlO de AnaiciS.
"A devoted husband says that the