The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-27

I
CowardIy Canines-How They Continue
to Live Is a Mystery.
If we mad in the streets Of New York
/ one-tenth the dogs they have IN Con
| stantinople what a 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-
lutions would be poured out at public
meetings TO denounce the canine nui-
| 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 inst
tuition; If we had grown up with them
all around US and were as much used TO
them as we are to peanut stands and
iamppOsts; if we could revere them as
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, a million stree. dogs
would have some influential friends IN
and near the city hall. for they would
solve the great garbage problem. One
thousand carloads g day of garbage
that has TO be carried away and dumped
makes a big hole in the money 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 could trot off wag-
ging its tail, not costing the commits
sioner a cent, it is evident that that hon
orabIe gentleman would be worse than
a heather if he did not come out strong
in defense Of s'tnis noble and useful ami
NAL"
say that the garbage might trot off
wagging its tail. speaking after the
manner Of those accustomed TO the dog
as we know him. But the dog of Con
stantinople does not wag 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 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. If any
reporter should be required to give an
account of the "dogs in sight" in Con-
stantinople at any given moment mis-
troubles would begin. Naturally, it is a
movable quantity, and, as with very
tail column of figures, you get differ
ent result every time you add it up.
Stop in the street anywhere, and at any
moment, and the number will never be
less than dozen and may be twenty
They are nearly all asleep. Four or Ave
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, hstless,
sluggish air of total dissatisfaction-or
at least of supreme indifference to all
the incidents OF life.
These dogs are permanently in 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 up
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 peo-
pie themselves if they had the courage
of any good canine race
THEIR IAPLACABLE FOE.
The dogs seem to have one recognized
enemy-this is the two footed scavenger
who goes about with basket and long
iron hook gathering bones, etc. They
seem to understand that ne divides with
them the treasures of the garbage heap,
and they set up a general howl of rage
when he comes near. But they keep
well out Of reach of his long iron hook. |
Him they detest as a rival and robber, !
but they have not the courage of their |
detesUatIon- | never saw them look |
even with rage upon any other human
creature, but they are afaaid of him all |
the same.
Their general condition is bad enough, |
but TO see them upon a cold, rainy day is 1
a pitiable picture From whatever dry 1
or warm corners they may find for them /
selves they are forced by hunger, and /
the poor result OF their hunt for a bone 4
does rot help 70 keep them warm. and /
with the misery Of wet and cold added 4
10 that Of starvation they return to find 4
their warm places taken by others who 4
were before without even that little COM
fort. Only a stolid, heartIess, brutal peo-
pie would consent 70 see so much misery
around ana about them az al times
The deg Of ConsrautIRopIe Is what we
should call "a yaller dog" The Prevs-
lent color Is a tawny, dull yellow. rather
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