The Penn's Grove record., 1884-07-05
Kurds In Asia Minor.

The complaints which reach ConsIan-
tinOple Of the lawless deeds of the Kurds
are now happily much less frequent than
they were a year or so ago. In spite Of
all its difficulties the Ottoman Govern
ment has been steadily making Roadway
in its task Of establishing order in its
eastern provinces. The nomad tribes
have more than once learned to their
sorrow that the sultan has a long arm
to punish offenders, and so have become
more chary of starting on the war path.
Still, however, they grow restless from
time to time. They are born freeboot-
ers; and the old Adam is so strong in
them still that occasionally the itching
desire to possess themselves Of their
neighbors' goods is greater than their
fear of the authority of the Turk. The
social laws Of the Kurds especially are
not those of civilization. To para
phrase the historic entry in the Itch
borne claimants diary, their ideas as TO
society are much as follows; ''Some
people has weapons and no goods, and
other people has goods and no weapons;
the people as has goods and no weapons
was made for the people as has weapons
and no goods" Such is really the in
stinetive belief of the nomad Kurds,
who naturally look upon the people of
the towns and villages as their legiti-
mate prey. q change in their habits
and ways of thought is not to be effec-
ted lightly, and until the hands of the
Administration are strengthened by
much greater facilities Of communica-
ton than those which now exist, the
Kurds will always be able to snatch
here and there an opportunity to in
dulge in their predatory habits. A case
Of this kind has just occurred at the
small town of Farkin, a place about
fifty miles to the northeast of Diarbe-
kir. 1t was once a walled city of con-
sideral Importance, containing several
fine buildings and a population of many
thousands. In the olden time it was
known as Martyropolis, on account of
the number of Christians slam there by
th2sTsian FIRE WeFshippeIs. at the
present time the population is small,
but the place is still a trading centre,
and is the residence of a sub-governor.
Every year in the month of April a
large fair is held at Farkin, which at
tracts to it a great number of people,
and this year it was more largely atten-
dedthan usual. Owing to the tranquility
which had prevailed In the district for
some time past, the governor, not an
ticipatlng trouble, had taken no partic-
ular measures of precaution with the
view of maintaining order. The Kur,d
who, as usual, had fiocked into the
town from the mountains, seeing the
defenceless condition Of the traders,
could not resist the opportunity Of seiz-
ing that for which they had not the
money to pay, and a very lively scene
ensued in their efforts at wholesale
plunder. The row commenced by a
sturdy Kurd, who had long been bar
gaining for a piece of gayly cOlored cot
ton stuff, quietly putting it under his
arm, and, with a significant touch upon
the hilt of his yataghan, trying to walk
off without leaving any coin behind.
If there is n thing an Armenian can
not take quietly it is the loss Of his
goods. He will submit quietly to al
most any insult, but touch his property
and he is like an offended lion. The
row between the outraged merchant
and his f~ree-handed customer soon at
tracted general attention, and, infected
by the example Of their calico-print
stealing countryman, the rest of the
Kurds made a rush upon the stalls.
The shopkeepers defended their proper
ty ~stoutly, and some blood was drawn,
though no lives were taken. FoTtu-
nateIy the small military force at the
disposal Of the governor made an early
appearance on the scene, and, thus re-
enforced, the townspeople managed to
beat off their Kurdish assailants. The
latter, however, sullenly retired to a
neighboring wood, and, not to return
to their homes empty handed, quietly
waylaid all persons returning from the
fair in their direction, picking up boo
tv, it is said, to the extent Of e200,