Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-12-28
NEW YoRK's DOCS LONG AGO
rhe Grievance of shadrach Plebi.nas
~ He Told 1t IN q Pamphlet
OF the Times.


OF the Times.
New York, now city of 8, 5CO:00t
people, had considerably less ethaB
10000 population century and a hab
ago. But although its population was
inconsiderable in 1850 the number Of
dogs in town was unreasonably large
and constituted grievance of the
early Inhabitants which in quaint but
forcible language an early reformer.
using the name of Shadrech L lebianus.
endeavored to abate or abolish by the
publication of a pamphlet.
cit appears" wrote Shadrech.
"from the most accurate Calculation,
that we have in this City, at least .
Thousand Dogs; I do not mean OF
the human kind. The Dogs mean
are that real canine species which,
in their dismal Howlings, disturb the
repose of the Healthy, break the in
terrupted Slumbers of the Sick, add
fresh Horrors to the Night and rem
der it perilous to traverse our Streets
after the Sun is sunk beneath our
Horizon.
eThese Creatures are. a perfect
Nuisance to the Inhabitants, and
with respect to Forty-nine in Fifty,
answer not one valuable purpose.
Nay, should any of them run mad
as have lately sundry of their species,
in many parts of the Country, how
inexpressibly dreadful would be the
Consequences to so populous a city!
81 may venture to take it for grant
ed" continued Shadrech, applying
arithmetic to the grievance, 'fhat our
Dogs daily consume as much eatable
Provision as would suffice Five Hun
bred Men: A monstrous Extrava-
gance, and a Piece of Luxury that
would redden the cheek of a Lucul-
lus! The Expense of a Thousand
Dogs at Penny a Day amounts to
6 1920 los sp per Annum. What
Glamour should we hear was such q
Sum to be annually raised by Tax
on the Inhabitants for the Mainte-o
nance of our Poor! Yet so preposter-
Gus are we, as to- lavish our Superfui-
ties on the brute Creation, while our
ears are sealed against the plaintive
Voice of our own Species
The local ordinance of that period
did not seem to afford the inhabitants
any relief from the dismal howings
of the 1000 New York dogs or the
uproar caused by them. and Shadrech,
returning in his bulletin to the pa
| thetic side of the canine question, the
paramount issue with himo at that
| time, gives stirring description Of
| the evils caused by the dogs inc di-
| verting succor from the needy in
| habitants, of whom there appears to
have been no lack. He says:
| 'sThere is nothing more common
| than daily to behold at our Doors,
the shivering, pale visaged home born
Poor, and the penurious half-clad
Stranger, banished by the Rage OF
| Persecution from his native Soil, inn
ploring with the persuasive eloquence
of flowing Tears and silent Sorrow,
| the cold Morsel, and the ScaHty Boon,
| which he is inhumanly refused, while
Towser, Tray and Mopsy are pam
pered with Dainties, and gofged with
the Fat of the Land!
at may, indeed, be obiesRed that
| to Gentlemen they are useful AMI
mails, in guarding their Yards, and
proclaiming the Approach of Rob-
bers: But not One in Fifty, to speak
within Compass, is kept for that
Purpose, and where it really is the
case, let such persons be compelled
| to confine them to their Yards, and
prevent them from being a Terror
and Disturbance to their Neigtbors.
AS you, Reader, are able and willing
to contribute to the Distress Redress
of our Grievance, I beseeCh you to
roar like Lion against those useless
Ours, that. by Law of the Corpora
ton we may speedily be Witnesses
of their perpetual exile"
| Notwithstanding this earnest and
urgent appeal addressed to New York
ers of $50 years ago, the grievance
of Shadrech renamed undated.