Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-27
DOCS OF PEACE AND WAR
History of Mans Faithful Friend From An.
Client Times TN Nov.


Client rimes TIN Now.
HOW n Was rHAr TEE OLD AND NEW rErrA-
AENrs ooNpEANKp THE ANInAI~-REoARpEp
Ri noHAnnEDASs AND HrNpoos A. uScLrAx-
HoHriSo KNOWING AND SWIFT RUNNING DOCS
IS TSEEMS very queer that in both the Old
= and New Testaments the dog 10 spoken Of
with such abhorrence," said q well-known
canine physician Of Washington 10 q writer for
THE STAR. THE animal among the Jewish
people Of old was considered an unclean beast
and the buying and selling Of him were an
abomination. The only reason can imagine
for this fact is that dogs were held in such idol
atrous veneration by the Egyptians, from whose
tyranny the 1sraelites had escaped Figures Of
the beasts appeared on most Of the temples Of
Egypt and in the religion Of that land
anciently they were regarded rs emblems
OF the Divine Being. The people Of
every family actually shaved themselves
when dog belonging to them died, ss q
sign OF warning. II has been suggested that
the consideration which the Egyptians of old
had Tor the dog possessed some connection
with their dependence for prosperity upon
the periodical overfows Of the Nile. To
these floods they looked forward, as they
Wv INV, WIN anxiety, ana IL SO nap
pened that the foundations were customarily
announced by the appearance in the heavens of
SIRIUS. the dog star. As soon that orb was
seen above the horizon they hastened to remove
their hocks TO higher grounds and abandoned
the lower pastures to the fertilizing stream.
They hailed il a. their god and protector and
called it the dog star because Of its apparent
watchfulness over and protection Of their in
terests. One of their deities-Anubis-had the
body OF a man with a dogs head.
I'm Ethiopia the people went so far a. 20
elect dog as their king. The animal So chosen
was kept In great state surrounded by a numer-
Gus train Of officers and guards When he
lawned upon them he was supposed TO be
pleased with their proceedings but when he
growied II was understood that he disapproved
OF the manner in which their government was
conducted. These indications of his will were
implicitly obeyed
when Pythagoras. after his return from
Egypt, founded a new sect in Greece and in
Italy, he taught the doctrine of the Egyptian
philosophers that at the death Of the body the
the decease of any one Of his favorite disciples
ne used to cause dog to be held to the mouth
OF the dying man in order to receive his de-
parting spirit. saving that there was no animal
which could perpetuate his virtues better than
that quadruped. But whenever q knowledge
OF the Jewish religion spread, or any of its
traditions were believed. there arose an abhor-
renee OF the dog. The Mohammedans also have
always regarded the creature unclean and
never to be kept in any human habitation. In
all Jewish history there is not single allusion
to hunting with dogs. though mention il fire.
quently found Of nets and snares. The Hin
docs likewise consider the animal unclean and
submit to various purifcations if they ac-
cicentallv come into contact with one beliey-
Ing that every dog Is animated by u wicked and
malignant spirit condemned to do penance in
that form for crimes committed in a previous
state OF existence. Even in Egypt dogs nov
are as much avoided as they were once VEN
Grated.
However. in Greece and Rome the beast was
highly estimated. Alexander the Great built a
city IN honor OF dog. Primarily. the saga
clous dogs seemed TO have had their origin i'm
southern Europe, tle fighting dogs in Asia and
the swift-running dogs, like the greyhound,
among the Celtic nations. Nevertheless. there
Is no doubt that the mastiff, which ID q fighter,
Is Of British origin.
I'm literature the dog figures as an emblem
OF faithfulness from the earliest time. Homer
speaks OF the favorite dog of Ulysses, which
mad not seen hIs master since he had been a
puppy. twenty years before. The warrior
wended his way at length homeward, disguised
as beggar. and stood at the entrance Of his
palace door in that character. because his life
would have been sacrificed had he been recog-
nized by the suitors for his presumed
widow'1 hand. His oldest and most
faithful servant did not know him, but
Near to the gates conferrine as they drew.
Anus the dog. hls ancient master knew;
Lifts to the sound ms ears and rears mis- head.
Salute his master and confess his joys
That is POpes translation.
There has been some dispute as to the de-
scent Of the dog-whether it is an improved
progeny of the wolf or distinct variety That
it is not q different species is proved bv the
fact that the dog and the wolf will mate and
produce offspring. Nevertheless, il il probable
that the dog is merely descended from the
same original stock with the wolf, Just as man
derives his ancestry from the same stock at the
beginning as that Of which the monkey may
rightfully boast.
1.-The dog is found in various progressive
conditions from the wild animal to the civilized
creature. In its lowest form you find ii in the
beast Of India called the 'pariah.' which is in
every inhabited part Of the country, desolate,
unowned by any one. daring to enter no house
and wandering about in pursuit of a precarious
living. Now and then a morsel Of food Is
thrown to them for charity's sake. There is a
kind Of pariah dog which is white, with long
silky hair, and Is taught to carry torches and
lanterns. In the bitches surrounding certain
fortresses in India alligators are kept az pets
and all the pariah dogs which are caught are
thrown to the monsters for food. Sometimes
also they are fed to tigers in cages. alive, and
on one occasion it was recorded that n dog sue
ceeded in fighting off the tiger and afterward
the big cat and his intended victim became
eucu lTltnus tldt. Wueu tne Tiger ule0, the dog
moaned for the loss of his companion for q
long period.
Australia is overrun with wild dogs called
by the natives dingoes, which resemble hum
cry wolves. They are doubtless the progeny
run wild of domesticated dogs left upon the
island continent by early ships. Curiously
enough the dingo seldom banks. II has been
observed that the dog in state Of nature rarely
does bark. In Lower Guinea wild dogs hunt
in large packs. They do not hesitate to attack
the elephant, and usually destroy him.
Numerous accounts have been given both in
ancient and modern times of the sacrificing of
dogs for religious purposes. They were immo-
lated at certain periods by the Greeks and
Romans to almost all their deities. particularly
to Mars, Pluto. Minerva and Proserpine. Also
they were offered to the moon, because the dog
by his barking disturbs all charms and spells
and frightens away specters and apparitions
The Greeks sacrificed many dogs in honor of
Hecate, because by their baying the phantoms
Of the lower world were supposed to be dis
turbed. Many Roman and Greek epicure.
were very fond Of dogs flesh. Before Chris
tianity was establi1hed among the Danes on
every ninth year ninety-nine dogs were sacri-
feed. In Sweden each ninth day ninety-nine
dogs were destroyed. But, later on, dogs were
not thought good enough, and every ninth year
ninety-nine human beings were inundated, the
sons OF the reigning tyrant among the rest
in order that the life of the monarch might be
prolonged. On the other hand, the dog in
history has frequently served as executioner
From an early period, whether in the course of
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