The Washington herald., 1910-05-08

AT last the street dogs or Constantine
pie are going. slowly and quietly. says
a Constantinople dispatch in the New
York Post. They were sold months ago,
but II has not been an easy matter for the
Turks to compel their departure, for the
dogs ancestors have inhabited the city
for many centuries; perhaps even before
the Moslem days The Turks pity the
animals; but, more than that. they con-
slider them sacred. Consequently, It
would have been a dangerous undertaking
10 gather all the dog tribes in broad
daylight II might have aroused Moham-
medan fanaticism and caused a revolt.
the mayor says.
This Is so like Turkey in everything.
Every reform must be put into operation
wly-yavash-yavash In the middle OF
the night mysterious closed carts move
around the city gathering up a few score
of dogs at a time Slow are improve
ments in this city, such as paving. clean
ing the streets, rebuilding the bridge. and
generally laying out $i.5oOo0o. obtained by
lean for such work. But slower is the
passing of the canine white wings
However, local papers are prohibited
from speaking about the dogs, and ofi-
cials dare not talk much about them. All
that Hail Bey. the mayor, would say
was.
yes. everything will be done. but
yavash- -yavash slowly; no need Of
hurry"
Planned Their Destruction.
Il was i'm last March that an trade for
the determination Of the dogs was issued
by his highness HAHN Bey, the prefect Of
the city If the powers remained neutral,
and Hazin's trade proved final the dogs
were TO perish. But "to save the situa-
tion, an Austrian came forward with as
sistance just AT the time the dog question
was next in importance TO the Balkan
troubles.
Austria was a friend to the Turks then.
having annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina
and paid 2,5C0VO Turkish pounds. This
particular Austrian offered 100000 francs
for 10000 dogs-that is To say. about
40 cents apiece He said he would take
them away 10 Austria; not for the streets
of Vienna. hut FOR gloves.
a decision 90 abolish the street dogs Of
Constantinople was reached FOR the first
>time after the Crimean war. In 1869 not
single dog was seen in Pera. But certain
persons. moved 10y a spirit OF charity
pleaded the cause Of the dogs, and during
the reign of Sultan Abdul Az,z they were
returned from bauishment and were not
subsequently, molested.
Every Friday there has been a distribu-
tion of food 10 the dogs in front of the
Mosque Sultan Bayezid H. This weak
indolent prince. unlike his father, Mo
hammed II. the conqueror Of CONSTANT
uOpIe added neither 20 the power nor
the extent of the empire. bat left two
memorable inheritances 10 his successors
the famous pigeons Of Bayezid. SO many
in number. an descended from the pair
bought by the Sultan from a poor wom-
an. and Friday food for the dogs. Hun
dreds OF dogs assemble. some of them
Coming "a great distance 10 take part
I'm the feast.
BY Night and Day.
Opinion about the street dogs varies.
Some people look down upon them as the
most horrible, NANCY. disgusting.
snarling ours imaginable; others find
them paragons Of intelligence and quick
sympathy To me they are dogs. ordi-
nary DOES. that furnish much for obser-
walton ard study At no time do I wish
20 see the dogs banished. exterminated,
thrown into the bottom OF MarmOra."
except occasionally at night when silence
prevails over the town. You hear moth
ing but the pounding Of a big stick on
the sidewalk. 1t is your street watchman,
who strikes the time every fifteen min
utes.
Then "a firing OF a gun announces a fire
in some district Of the town. and your
watchman will begin I'm mournful tone
''yanghound var Ghcre is fire. The dogs
follow. bowling barking. and growing,
causing tumult and excitement You get
up. you yearn TO go away. or that the
dogs be all dispatched 10 the Marmora.
so that you may for just once get a
peaceful sleep.
But i'm the morning when YOU look at
them again, you have changed your ideas.
Most of the street dogs have sleek glossy
coats. alert eyes, delightfully."- impertinent
noses. and convey a general impression
Of a high civilization. In the first les
sons of political economy it ig taught
that: The uncivilzed man finds things
and civilized man makes things TO satisfy
his wants" NE ordinary dog of the
West. who is caresged i'm a house or
taught 20 pursue a fox or point at
partridge is an artificial product The
street dog on the other. hand. has 10
earn his living. depending entirely upon
the uncertain charity OF househOlders and
the refuse which at ConstantinOplc is
thrown into the streets. Thus. having
had TO look out for himself the street
dog has developed a sense Of intelligence.
OF cunning. and OF civic order. He may
be a scayenger but he is the best sclv-
enger in the world
A street dog could not have lived thus
I'm a Christian country. as he Is not well
treated I'm the Christian quarters Of this
city Such a condition is possible I'm a