Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-03
OF THE SCAVENGER
DOGS IN CONSTANTINOPLE
in
Animals Held Sacred Devout Moems Who Look
Judgment of Allah Mark His Displeasure.

the world the dog catchers have lett
various stray dogs, and particularly fe-
male dogs. about the streets TO become
"a future care or problem 10 the ailthur-
titles Who knows but what the pariah
dog of ConstantiuOplc may still be seen
by the tourist Of century to come,
though probably not I'm such numbers
as before the famous slaughter OF
1910.
NOT THE FIRST CLEANUP
This is not the first attempt that
has been made to rid the city of the
dogs Mahmoud IL, the rcformer,
who in 1926 succeeded In killing on
his 10000 Janissarles, was unsucCoss-
ful in trying TO dispose Of the dogs.
The matter was preached several
other times in the nineteenth century
but no sultan or grand Vizicr was
bold enough To- undertake the task.
These animals are peculiarly sacred to
the Moslems of the old type, for they
believe that with the removal of the
dogs some great calamity will befall
the ciy-cvon that greatest calamity
which can be conJurod up to their
minds, the pushing of the Turk back
into Asia That, however, rs an old
phrase which has outlived its useful
ness. But just now an earthquake, a
great IRE, or even a political upheaval
would answer as the judgment of
Allah
There are certain popular errors
about the Constantinopic dogs The
good health OF the city does not, and
probably even before the days when
tho refuse was regularly collected
never did depend upon the scayengcr
value OF tho dogs They were, on the
whole, distributors OF filth and great
source OF nth themselves In recent
years the ORAL of the dogs. collected
by several hundred dirty gypsy women
and girls, and dried ia the sun. has
been shipped to the United States,
chiefly Philadelphia. TO the yearly
value, invoiced at Constantinople, of
$4,000 Some shipments consist of a
thousand bags each Weighing $50
pounds. This product. used 100 the tam
ming of gloves. goes under the
cuphonious name OF 'pucr'
CAME WITH TURKS
Tho dogs are not the descendants Of
those who saved the ancient city from
Philip of MaCcdou by their barking.
They came with the Turks from the
stcppcs OF Asia and thus do not datd
further back I'm Constantiuople than
1853. la certain Moslcm quarters the
dogs were formerly taught to be
dangerous TO foreigners whom they
recognized at distance by their
dress. but this inhospitable character
has entirely disappeared In recent
years The street dog is hardly ever
known to be aggressive to person.
DE MAY resent being stepped on and
may even give snap but generally
ne shows his feelings by diving out Of
the way, his tail CunginE to his belly
and his mouth emitting howls beyond
am proportion TO the injury done. He
does not move readily even from the
middle Of tho road, but this assumed
ownership often costs him dear. and
IL Is not true that q driver Is molest-
cd for any injur. he may DO 10 a dog
Indeed. even under the regime Of
Abdul Hamid ! never saw any pro-
test made by % Noslem for cruel
kick administered, as was done fire.
oucutly BY some member OF the
Christian population.
There is ono word which every dog
understands. and that Is cost" II
means get out"-huf DO should be APP
piled only TO dogs for people. git IS
good Turkish MS well u- bad English
cost" Is reasonably polite impera-
tive to a dog. II spoken from the
mouth only: hosVcd up from the
diaphram IL Is az effective as n stone
hurled al tho poor animal ana sends
him out OF the way loo an agony OF
yclps
The oft-ropcatcd story OF the dogs
living in precincts happily needs no
detail Tho romance off their shelter
less life has yct 90 Doc written; but
Il may end in the tragedy Of Okla.
J. DAVIS.