San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-12-07
THE DOGS A NUISANCE.
THE MOST NOTICEABLE FEATURE
OF coNsTANTlNoPLe.

III we ma IN the sLreelS Si new 10Th
one-tenth the dogs they have in Con
stantinople what row we should make
about it, How the public would rise and
rage, what fault everybody would find,
what leading articles would be written
on the subject, how the board OF health
would be buried under an avalanche of
complaints and what eloquence and reso-
buttons would be poured out at public
meetings to denounce the canine nul-
sance.
There would Of course be much said
on the other side, also. and new energy
would be shown in the philanthropic
spirit that organizes societies for the
protection OF unpopular things.
1t is just possible that if we had in
herited million street dogs as an instl-
tuition; if we had grown up with taem
all around as and were as much used to
them as we are to peanut stands and
lamppUsts. if we could revere them as
the dogs of our daddies," we might
stand them. for hardly any people takes
with more grace than we do the nui-
sances to which we are accustomed.
AIDS TO STREET CLEANING.
Perhaps. also. million street dogs
would have SCme influential friends in
and near the city hall. for they would
solve the great garbage problem. One
thousand carloads a day Of garbage
that has to be carried away and dumped
makes big hole in the msney voted for
the commissioner of street cleaning. and
if there were a system by which all that
garbage could be converted into yellow
dog on the spot, and cOqldtro oil wag-
ging it's tail, not costing the commits
siouer cent. it is evident that that hon
orable gentleman would be worse than
a heather if he did not come out strong
in defense of this noble and useful ami
NAL"
say that the garbage might trot off
waSging its tail, speaking after the
manner of those accustomed to the dog
as we know HIM Bot the dog Of Con
stautinople does not way his tail. Either
that expression of canine satisfaction is
unknown in his latitude, or life is too
serious for indulgence IN such trivial
ties The dog has q good tail, but its re-
lation to happy moods of dog life is IN
known-mainly, perhaps, because there
are no such moods
One of the common lines in the daily
reports touches things In sight-"cottOn
in sight. silver in sight" etc. II any
reporter should be required to give an
account of the dogs in sight" in Con-
stantinople at any given moment his
troubles would begin. Naturally, it is
movable quantity, and, as with very
tall column of figures, you get differ
ent result every time you add il up
Stop in the street anywhere, and at any
moment, and the number will never b.
less than dozen and may be twenty
They are nearly all asleep Four or FIVE
are on the sidewalk on each side the
way. Some slowed close up by the wall
some anywhere along the middle. and
others are in the roadway, others in the
cutters, which are dry. or else fairly in
the middle Just where the carts, cabs or
other vehicles may rattle along at any
instant. Here and there half dozen
may be on foot. but never on the alert
for even those that are awake and are so
presumably under the influence Of hun
ger stand around with a lazy, listless
sluggish air of total dissatisfaction-OT
at least Of supreme Indifference to all
the incidents of life
These dogs are permanently in a state
of starvation. Nobody feeds them, and
there is marvelously little waste from
the kitchens Of the people, so that the
refuse that goes into the street is mostly
very bare bones or the other inedible ele-
ments of food. Upon this the multitude
Of dogs must live, and the stealthy avid
ity with which they will rush to lick III
even grease spot on the pavement where
some little shopkeeper's soup, cooking in
front Of his door. has boiled over, tells
wildly the rage Of hunger from which
they are always suffering These packs
of dogs thus starved would eat the PEG
pie themselves if they had the courage
of any good canine race.
THEIR IMPI.ACABIE FOE
The dogs seem to have one recognized
enemy-this is the two footed scayengeI
who goes about with basket and a Ions
iron hook gathering bones. etc. They
seem to understand that he divides with
them the treasures of the garbage heap
and they set up general howl of rag,
when he comes near. But they keel
well ont of reach of his long iron hook
Him they detest rs a rival and robber
but they have not the courage, or thei
detestation. never saw them Iool
even with rage upon any other human
Creature, but they are afaaid of him al
the same.
Their general condition is bad enough
but to see them upon cold, rainy day i
q uitiable picture. From whatever dr.