The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-12-21
SIGHTS iN ARMENIA. -
The Kurdisl, r:rsiacr., ,ui rhcar Big.
Eicrc. LS-s

wrro to so over Ito sa,nc ground
again to,norrow there would alwavs
be tho charm of The unexpected so
which TO look forward am speak
K of the time hefcfc tho country
was devastated 10y tho lIurt!s. When
an Englishnan appeared upon tie
scene, every one - Turks. Eurds.
Armenians, devil worshipcrs. and SO
on-got ready to help him. never
saw such willingness to guido and
direct stranger in my life. But it
seldom took moro practical form.
Having done everything, in theory.
that was necessary. tho Turk or
Kurd or devil worshiper went back
to his hut and considered it done in
fact.
And there remains in my mind to
this day the sense of Gccp injury and
vivid annoyance which used to eX-
pcrience when, toward the end Of a
long ride, weary, travel sore, hun.
cry, / would pull UP ny apology for
mule and ask some stalwart noun
tainccr how far it was to the village
where I intended to pass tho night.
He would blanslly assure me that il
was only an hours journey and de-
part. at the end OF an honr there
would not be Whit l once heard an
exaspcrated missionary describe us
"a scintilla of q village" in sight.
Then 1 would meet another man.
"Oh, yes, etfendi, you'll get there
in three-quarters of an hourr' Tho
tired dogs and horses and mules
would prick their ears and start on
egain, as if they. too, had heard the
welcome words. Three quarters of
an hour later Il downcast nsscmhlaga
Of men and animals would gaze over
the plain in tho fast falling dusk
vainly looking for village.
After this had been repeated somo
half dozen times, however, just as
we were sorrowfully gathering up
our reins in our chilled fingers, pre-
pairing to push on with bitter hearts
and empty bellies, 20 or 80 rough
haired, ferocious Kurd dogs would
emerge from the gloom, circle
around us and bite at our riding
boots by way of welcome. These
dogs belonged to the Kur,ls who had
settled i'll villages and were enor-
nous brutes. They usually wore
hugo collars, studded with nails, SO
that il IL wolf flew ut their throats he
was received by mouthful of sharp
points and could not get I, grip.
once bought magnificent Kurd
dog for :, shillings. He was so fierce
that l dared not go near him. Kind
ness, thought, would have its duo
effect on him in few days, SO had
n rope fastened to his collar and
gave the other end of the ropo to @
mounted Zuptieh.
The last thing I saw of that dog
was a frightened horse and Zaptieh
disappearing in the distance, and the
animal fetching u compass for his
native village, with what Arte1nus
Ward once described as "a select
assortment of trouser patterns in
his mouth.
These dogs are SO intelligent that
they seem to understand the slight
est sign from their masters. / once
saw my man buy a fowl for our
evening meal from n Kurd and pay
downt the money. Then he asked for
the fowl. "Oh, there it is, effendii"
said the Kurd, pointing to limp
mass Of feathers standing on one leg
just outside the hut. "All you have
to do it to catch and kill it." Ny
man, like Agag. walked delicately''
toward tho fowl, and the limp bun
die OF feathers Immediately put
OUT in the direction of Sivas. NV
man went after it, sword in hand,
with the full intention of slicing off
the fowls head and bringing back
its CORY body in triumph. A big
Kurd dog Immediately started after
my man, who gained rapidly upon
the fowl. Just as he was about to
slice off its head an oIninous growl
from the rear warned him that he
must turn and defend himself. Tho
fowl stopped, Imply watched the
struggle and gained her second
wind. When the exasperated man
had driven off the dog, he again Dur
sued the fowl, which seemed to re.
member IN important engagement
in the direction of Diarbekir. Again
the fowl was nearly overtaken;
again came an ominous grcwl, the
gleam of magnificent teeth through
the gloom, and again the fowl limp
ly presided as umpire while the COM
bat ragged. When the dog was driven
away, the fowl started off in the di-
rection of Samsoun. and my man re-
turned to the hut with "a piteous re-
quest for sticking plaster. made
my supper that evening off tho aged
4, and moldy heel of n Dutch cheese.
London Chronicle.
Elastic. .
The elastic used for garters and
many other purposes is made by
weaving threads of rubber. cut bv